The Bill James Handbook: 2005 [Paperback]

Bill James (Author), Baseball Info Solutions (Author)

Book Description

Series: Bill James Handbook | Publication Date: November 2004

AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 1, 2004!

Simply put, the Bill James Handbook: 2005 is the best and most complete annual reference guide available today. It includes informative introductions to the different sections and an extensive glossary that includes explanation and even mathematical formulas for the multitude of statistics now used in baseball-many of them developed by Bill James himself. This books contains a myriad of stats on every hit, pitch and catch in Major League Baseball's 2004 season. Some of the most unique data include the Managers Record, which gives readers an edge in understanding the differences between managers during a game, and Win Shares, a statistic developed by Bill James evaluating a player's individual contribution to his team's wins. The Bill James Handbook releases November 1, months before any similar books. Buy it early and get an edge over the competition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bill James is known for revolutionizing baseball statistics. His cutting-edge statistics and formulas have been an indispensable tool for fantasy players, announcers, analysts, coaches and GMs for years. He currently advises the Boston Red Sox.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: ACTA Sports; First Edition first Printing edition (November 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879462744
• ISBN-13: 978-0879462741
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,279,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars If you liked 2004, you'll like '05, November 24, 2004

By 

Craig (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Bill James Handbook: 2005 (Paperback)

The new edition has some added features like projected career totals and injury projections, but the meat of it is similar to what appeared in 2004. For stats junkies who just want the numbers, it's a great book. For those who prefer Prospectus and their comments (for better or, often, worse), this may be a disappointment because of its lack of commentary on players.

There is some discussion of items like the career projections and injury projections, but no essays that make his Abstracts or other books like Win Shares so popular. I'd definitely consider this a must for 2005 - a concise, easy to use guide to the essential stats that can be kept on your coffee table all season - but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who doesn't share an obsession with stats.

1 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on baseball statistics, March 23, 2005

By 

M. Conner - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Bill James Handbook: 2005 (Paperback)

This book is always interesting to read. It has a lot great info on every stat you can think of. Bill James has a talent for baseball statistics that will be valued for years to come. If you want a great book on hitting technique I would get The Science of Hitting by Ted Williams. Wonderful book that shows you how to hit over .300.