Moneyball

[third eye]

sorry thought we were all adults here

 

That was your first mistake :-))

 

Moneyball is excellent but don't mistake it for a book about the importance of OBP. Many ppl miss this point: the book is about maximizing edge in the marketplace of baseball players, where edge is something like expected run production per dollar. OBP was simply the performance measure that Billy Beane discovered was the most undervalued at the time.

 

Also keep in mind that this is something which is always shifting since these kinds of markets tend to correct themselves when something that is undervalued is being exploited. Currently, OBP is considered a valuable trait for position players to have for a number of clubs. The players with high OBP numbers are getting paid much more now than they were 10 years ago. Because of these shifts in the market and his limited budget, Beane always has to unearth valuable traits in players that other teams tend to undervalue in free agency and the draft.

 

As for a book recommendation, I recently read The Cheater's Guide to Baseball and found it enjoyable. Zumsteg has a good sense of humor and clearly loves baseball. It never felt like he had an axe to grind or anything like that.

 

Sadly, it took until this year for the braintrust of this organization to realize the value of OBP, now that it is not undervalued. But happily, they seem to have fully taken it to heart and have the resources to (over?)pay for it.

[CoolHandLuke]

Has anyone read Triumph and Tragedy in Mudville: A Lifelong Passion for Baseball ?

 

I love evolutionary biologists and Gould may just be my favorite, so I think I want to read it.