Customer Reviews

The Money Pitch: Baseball Free Agency and Salary Arbitration

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you are looking to gain a better understanding of salary economics related to baseball, search no further. The Money Pitch is a good resource to educate any reader about the principles and logic behind such a huge economic enterprise. This book is very informative and reveals many facts that are not common knowledge. Upon reading this book one gains a new perspective toward baseball and broadens his understanding of how economics are applied in sports.

For those who really have no idea how things work as far as negotiations and arbitration it's a pretty good book. It's also a good history lesson to the game from a contract and monetary standpoint. Otherwise, for those who feel like they have a general understanding of arbitration and how to negotiate just about anything, I don't feel you're going to get much out of this book. It's written well enough, but the information in the book isn't anything past common sense for the most part. I gave it the 2 stars just because I felt that if someone who has no idea of what goes on what-so-ever would benefit from reading this book and because of the history lesson.

This book takes a very complicated set of rules and regulations dealing with the overall economic principles of baseball salaries and simplifies them for the average baseball fan. Through the eyes of an actual arbitrator, this book uses first-hand, non-fictional examples, along with hypotheticals, to take the reader on a journey to the center of salary economics. I would suggest this book to anyone hoping to get a sense of how the multi-million dollar salaries of today have evolved from humble beginnings.

I think that Roger can't get over the fact that other people in the world are getting paid more than himself. What probably pisses him off even more is that it is a job (playing baseball) that he believes not to be worthy enough of such pay. He is a jealous and judgemental author who has nothing better to do then hate on well known athletes that succeed his pay check. His facts are good though, and he makes a good case. His book is just his opinion though which I disagree with which is basically the reason I ddin't enjoy reading it.

I feel that this Novel was well written but almost too in depth. Abrams throws so many facts and ideas at the reader that it is often overwhelming and hard to follow. He uses amazing analogies and anecdotes to help an average reader understand more about baseball. When you are able to feel the passion in his writing the novel gets very entertaining and at the same time you are underdstanding elements of the game which you could not learn by watching a game. He discusses free agency and various elements of the game as well as the origins of baseball. Overall I felt it was worth my time and I am pleased that a book laced with economics could be so interesting.