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mswatek's review against another edition
4.0
Some interesting questions answered (or attempted) through data analytics. Some of the scores/metrics were a bit outdated since I read it 20(!) years after it came out. Impressive how quickly the industry moves.
cameronkc's review against another edition
3.0
Keri asks a lot of interesting questions about baseball while looking for quantitative answers. He starts off each chapter with the questions he aims to answers and methodically goes about answering them. I think that is the problem. The revelations are wonderfully interesting and changed the way I look at baseball, but damn if I did not struggle to get through most of these chapters.
I think that Keri tried to make everything easy to understand. In a vacuum each chapter is straight forward, but taken together it feels like a jumbled mess. After reading Money Ball I thought I could handle a technical statistical book about baseball, but I think I fell below the Mendoza Line.
I think that Keri tried to make everything easy to understand. In a vacuum each chapter is straight forward, but taken together it feels like a jumbled mess. After reading Money Ball I thought I could handle a technical statistical book about baseball, but I think I fell below the Mendoza Line.
remlezar's review against another edition
3.0
If you want to get into the nitty gritty of sabermetrics this book is worth your time. It's practically porn for anyone into baseball statistics and how they can be applied in real world situations to help teams win more often. If you're not into baseball statistics, though, you should probably skip this one, as it doesn't hold the same mainstream appeal as something like Moneyball.
ntrodebe's review against another edition
4.0
Really interesting read, and I have only a few complaints. Kind of felt like the abstract for the book could be "When we apply rigid statistical analysis to baseball, what factors turn out to predict batter, pitching, and team performance? Well, nothing does. The game is almost entirely luck." The authors of the chapters frequently deconstructed common views of baseball without constructing their own afterwards.
eely225's review against another edition
4.0
This book is precisely what it purports to be: baseball numbers put into their proper context. It's a very deep read, going into levels of detail that most people (myself first among them) cannot process. That said, the numbers are not the point.
The authors are very purposeful in translating the mass of statistics into reasonable conclusions. What I'll say is this is best read as a reference book, one where you can find unorthodox answers to common questions. But you don't need to worry if you find yourself skimming or skipping over chapters that don't grab you. There's enough meat here to satisfy a fan with any level of curiosity.
I read the book in order, though that's not strictly necessary. Each chapter is helpfully categorized, but the titles won't necessarily describe the contents of the chapter itself. That means you may have to read the first couple pages of a chapter in order to figure out exactly what Big Question it is asking. If you're reading this strictly as a reference, that may be frustrating.
It's not essential baseball reading, sure, but it is very helpful in teaching a fan the way that modern statisticians ask questions about the game. It also subverts a lot of cliched wisdom about the sport. So if nothing else, it will help a reader feel superior to broadcasters when they talk about RBI numbers or the necessity of handedness platooning. And maybe that's all we need a book like this to accomplish.
The authors are very purposeful in translating the mass of statistics into reasonable conclusions. What I'll say is this is best read as a reference book, one where you can find unorthodox answers to common questions. But you don't need to worry if you find yourself skimming or skipping over chapters that don't grab you. There's enough meat here to satisfy a fan with any level of curiosity.
I read the book in order, though that's not strictly necessary. Each chapter is helpfully categorized, but the titles won't necessarily describe the contents of the chapter itself. That means you may have to read the first couple pages of a chapter in order to figure out exactly what Big Question it is asking. If you're reading this strictly as a reference, that may be frustrating.
It's not essential baseball reading, sure, but it is very helpful in teaching a fan the way that modern statisticians ask questions about the game. It also subverts a lot of cliched wisdom about the sport. So if nothing else, it will help a reader feel superior to broadcasters when they talk about RBI numbers or the necessity of handedness platooning. And maybe that's all we need a book like this to accomplish.
georgebounacos's review against another edition
5.0
Statistical analysis that can be applied to almost any situation, especially business.
This is not Moneyball. This is a conversation with the smart people in your organization about different ways to look at your business. Includes multiple essays by renowned analyst Nate Silver.
This is not Moneyball. This is a conversation with the smart people in your organization about different ways to look at your business. Includes multiple essays by renowned analyst Nate Silver.
theartolater's review against another edition
5.0
Incredibly deep book about baseball stats and the like. A little dry at times, and a lot to take in for long periods, but a great little reference material and a worthwhile read if you love the game.
puzzlebound's review against another edition
3.0
Cool to go in depth on some sabermetric ideas that I had just accepted as fact. Learn where these ideas came from and all the math behind it.