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michaellortz's review against another edition
4.0
Good, but outdated, especially to fans who read sites such as Fangraphs. This book is an examination of those on the cutting edge of baseball's advancements in late 1980s and early 90s. Astroturf, stolen bases, and split-finger fastballs are relics of days past featured in this book. The game has gone through several huge changes since the 1990s (steroids, more internationalism, more strikeouts, more homeruns, etc). But for those who want to read an intellectual exploration into how the best in the game found advantages 30 years ago, this is a good read.
duparker's review against another edition
5.0
Reread this book, because I knew it I really liked it but couldn't recall specific parts of it. What a fascinating look at both an era and a game. A few elements are outdated but overall the book feels like it captures baseball in the unique way. Sure it could be more analytical, and would be if written 10 to 15 years later, but the data that is presented is highly useful, in the overall emotional love of the game drives the book.
andrewschreck's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't dislike this book, so much as I just found it too weighty to really read and enjoy. I will admit to not finishing it (probably got 3/4 of the way through) after reading it for close to a year or more. It never grabbed me enough to keep reading, I would put it down for a while then come back, hoping that I would be able to finish it. I still may, but for now I had to call it quits.
Will has written a really good book about baseball that REALLY hardcore fans will enjoy (I'd put myself in the fairly hardcore baseball fan category, even though I didn't enjoy this book), but it's not for the casual fan. I think that people who play baseball would find value in the detail and information Will shares. The detail that he goes into is deep and he does a good job of making it understandable and fairly interesting.
My big issue with Men at Work is that while this book is considered by some to be one of the better/best baseball books, I think that it shows it's age a little too much. Will goes into detail with several players - Hersheiser, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken as well as Tony LaRussa (during the Oakland A days) - about the craft and strategy of baseball. Where I think that this falls too short to be timeless is that a player like Hersheiser is not viewed as being a timeless great and looking at LaRussa in the A's days is somewhat tainted by the Bash Brothers duo of Canseco and McGwire (not to take away from what LaRussa has accomplished in his career.) Will has updated the book slightly (I think it has a new forward) but not in any way that seemed to make the meat of the book more timely.
Also completely missing is the element of sabermetrics, which has shown that it is valuable to the sport and helps drive a level of understanding of metrics and performance that Will just couldn't get across in Men at Work. With what we know, and what is generally accepted by most people (even if they don't understand it) is that Saber has had a positive impact on our understanding of the game and players. Without nary a mention, the book struggles to be relevant. It becomes the equivalent of a well spoken version of Joe Morgan or Joe Buck.
When I pick this up to read it again, I may re-read the forward and see if Will addresses some of my thoughts and concerns. Maybe I'll have a different view of it the next time I read it.
Will has written a really good book about baseball that REALLY hardcore fans will enjoy (I'd put myself in the fairly hardcore baseball fan category, even though I didn't enjoy this book), but it's not for the casual fan. I think that people who play baseball would find value in the detail and information Will shares. The detail that he goes into is deep and he does a good job of making it understandable and fairly interesting.
My big issue with Men at Work is that while this book is considered by some to be one of the better/best baseball books, I think that it shows it's age a little too much. Will goes into detail with several players - Hersheiser, Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken as well as Tony LaRussa (during the Oakland A days) - about the craft and strategy of baseball. Where I think that this falls too short to be timeless is that a player like Hersheiser is not viewed as being a timeless great and looking at LaRussa in the A's days is somewhat tainted by the Bash Brothers duo of Canseco and McGwire (not to take away from what LaRussa has accomplished in his career.) Will has updated the book slightly (I think it has a new forward) but not in any way that seemed to make the meat of the book more timely.
Also completely missing is the element of sabermetrics, which has shown that it is valuable to the sport and helps drive a level of understanding of metrics and performance that Will just couldn't get across in Men at Work. With what we know, and what is generally accepted by most people (even if they don't understand it) is that Saber has had a positive impact on our understanding of the game and players. Without nary a mention, the book struggles to be relevant. It becomes the equivalent of a well spoken version of Joe Morgan or Joe Buck.
When I pick this up to read it again, I may re-read the forward and see if Will addresses some of my thoughts and concerns. Maybe I'll have a different view of it the next time I read it.
guinness74's review against another edition
4.0
A brilliant little tome that owes much to the gentlemen of the game, but is owed a great debt to the fans of baseball who, at the very least, needed to be reminded of the mental intricacies inherent within the foul lines. George Will interviews and truly listens to several baseball greats who understand that the game is more than just hitting a ball and catching it. He also listens as they tell him that sometimes it needs to be that simple as well. I would give it 4.5 stars were that possible, but it isn't. I only delete a 1/2 star for the engorgement of statistics now and then. I know, I know...baseball is statistics. But, I think that he dwells a little too heavily on them in a couple of parts which slows down the book.
All in all a fantastic read for those who love the game and enjoy seeing it played well.
All in all a fantastic read for those who love the game and enjoy seeing it played well.
bookworm_baggins's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to read this book for some time because of its acclaim as such a great analysis of baseball. For the most part, the book is wealth of knowledge and true respect and love of the game.
My problems with the book are twofold. First, I couldn't help but feel that this book is rather dated. It was written just 20 years ago, but so much has changed in those years, specifically the steroids issues (which is briefly addressed in the new introduction). Smaller points I disagreed with include his assertions that there are no "terrible" teams any longer and that dynasties no longer exist. Perhaps no one loses 120 games any more, but 15+ years of sub-.500 ball is terrible. And he last 20 years have produced dynasties in Toronto, Atlanta, and New York at least.
Additionally, I struggled with the flow of the book. I loved the premise of studying each aspect of the game through a specific player, but I wish he would have kept he antidotes a little more player specific. The extra stories felt too jumbled and out of place, detracting from his point instead of adding to it.
"an athlete's proper goal is to perform unusually well, not unnaturally well." p. xxvi
"there is no clock, someone has to get the last outs. And they are the hardest to get." p 130
"Baseball's sounds are important aspects of the game, and no sounds is more evocative than that of the thwack of wood on a ball...to a person of refined sensibilities, aluminum hitting a ball makes a sound as distressing as that of fingernails scraping a blackboard." p. 199
"The "play" in playing professional baseball is, Gould says, gone. Baseball has become a science in the sense that it emphasizes repetitious precision in the execution of its component actions." p. 318
My problems with the book are twofold. First, I couldn't help but feel that this book is rather dated. It was written just 20 years ago, but so much has changed in those years, specifically the steroids issues (which is briefly addressed in the new introduction). Smaller points I disagreed with include his assertions that there are no "terrible" teams any longer and that dynasties no longer exist. Perhaps no one loses 120 games any more, but 15+ years of sub-.500 ball is terrible. And he last 20 years have produced dynasties in Toronto, Atlanta, and New York at least.
Additionally, I struggled with the flow of the book. I loved the premise of studying each aspect of the game through a specific player, but I wish he would have kept he antidotes a little more player specific. The extra stories felt too jumbled and out of place, detracting from his point instead of adding to it.
"an athlete's proper goal is to perform unusually well, not unnaturally well." p. xxvi
"there is no clock, someone has to get the last outs. And they are the hardest to get." p 130
"Baseball's sounds are important aspects of the game, and no sounds is more evocative than that of the thwack of wood on a ball...to a person of refined sensibilities, aluminum hitting a ball makes a sound as distressing as that of fingernails scraping a blackboard." p. 199
"The "play" in playing professional baseball is, Gould says, gone. Baseball has become a science in the sense that it emphasizes repetitious precision in the execution of its component actions." p. 318
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