How Bill James Changed Our View of the Game of Baseball (Hardcover)

~ Rob Neyer (Author), Alan Schwarz (Author), Gregory F. Augustine Pierce (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If all you think Bill James has done is changed our view of baseball, then maybe not. But if you add in how this guy from Lawrence, Kansas, with "mismatching sox and dirt under his fingernails," has changed how people think about a lot of things, including baseball, then maybe he does. Here are twelve provocative essays by people who know James' work well, interspersed with shorter reflections by "just plain fans" and concluded with a last word by Bill James himself. Articles include:

• Freeing My Mind by Alan Schwarz
• Ten Things I Learned from Bill James by Dave Studenmund
• The Arrogance of Bill James by Gary Huckabay
• Prove It by John Thorn
• James, Tenace, McGraw and Kluszewski by Hal Richman
• Selling My Soul to Bill James by Sam Walker
• Slapping Myself on the Forehead by Steve Moyer
• The Collision of Sabermetrics and Fantasy Baseball by Ron Shandler
• Baseball, Basketball, Whatever by Daryl Morey
• Ready for the Next Question by Susan McCarthy
• The Bill James Way of Life by Rob Neyer
• Bill James Is Worth the Wait by John Dewan
• The Last Word by Bill James

Product Details

• Hardcover: 139 pages
• Publisher: ACTA Sports (March 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879463171
• ISBN-13: 978-0879463175
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #623,239 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #94 in

  Books > Sports > Baseball > Statistics

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars High Hopes. . .but just okay. . ., March 3, 2007

By	D. McSpadden "Old Guy" (Columbia, Mo United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been a big fan of Bill James and have longed for a critical review of his work. Doing that probably wasn't the intent of this book, but what we get is somewhat disappointing. It reads like there are 11 different writers contributing forewords to the next Bill James book. . .but then, there is no book. Granted, each of these writers are accomplished in their own rights and they are probably saving really good stuff for their own books.

Some of the best stuff is from Hal Richman (founder and CEO of Stratomatic)who mixes his contribution with praise for James, as well as noting the difficulties he has had with examining defense. Daryl Morey, the assistant GM for the Houston Rockets, writes about how he has tried to apply some of James' ideas to basketball. I also enjoyed Ron Shandler's chapter on Fantasy Baseball, but I would disagreed with some of his observations. Bill James may not have embraced fantasy baseball as much as some people think he should, but he hasn't disdained it either.

I was also disappointed with Neyer's contribution. Neyer, no doubt, has plenty of anecdotes he could share about James. He only shares a couple, but I am sure there are some great ones where he and James clashed over some analysis or conclusion. Those are the stories I want to hear about.

So, all in all, it's okay. I would only recommend it to the die hard Bill James fans.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Paean to Bill James, February 9, 2008

By	JeffG "JeffG" (Tujunga, CA USA) - See all my reviews

As most paeans, this is short on conclusions and long on feelings. If you've read Bill James' work, there's nothing new. It's nice to be reminded of some of James' best lines, but that's not enough excuse to read the book. On the upside, it's very short. The writers are mostly very skilled and are more or less the people one would hope were there. But for no apparent reason, random fans get a sidebar here and there, and they, sadly, are not all capable writers. All in all, go reread one of James' books instead.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ultimate teacher, April 6, 2008

By	Frank L. Greenagel Jr. (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Bill James has educated and influenced his readers in a way that few writers (or educators) ever do. He's largely responsible for a generation of internet writers and a number of savy front-office types. This book is a collection of essays that pay homage to James and focus on how James changed the writers' views, work and in some cases, lives.

The best essays are by Dave Studenmund (the editor of The Hardball Times Annuals), Daryl Morey (the assistant GM of the Houston Rockets) and Gary Huckabay (one of the founders of Baseball Prospectus).

Morey wrote that James taught him not to "assess value to randomness" (pg. 95).

Huckabay's piece is titled "The Arrogance of Bill James." Here is a passage from his essay:

"Cries of 'arrogance' are often the first reaction of an existing power structure to the suggestion of change. It's true not just in baseball but also in virtually every industry or enterprise, from politics to the arts. However, for the group that happens to be in power, making the decisions that actually drive the enterprise or industry, the disquieting reality is that the true arrogance is not displayed by the upstart with the new idea but the calcified inhabitants of the positions of power."

Huckabay goes on to explain why baseball execs and baseball writers have reacted so negatively to James over the years. His essay is, by far, the best in the book.

There are a number of sidebars that are written by regular readers of James (some are engineers, professors or writers). Some are interesting, some are tedious. There is nothing really new in this book; it's just an appreciation.

One should be familiar with Bill James' work before tackling this book.