Customer Reviews

The Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball 2007

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It took quite a while, but I actually read "Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball 2007" from cover to cover. I have gone through quite a few other baseball encyclopedias in the past and this one is certainly "different." Instead of just an alphabetical list of each player, the book goes season-by-season and lists the rosters and statistics of every player that played on the team each year. League leaders in an individual category are highlighted in bold. This gives a different perspective of how, say, a superstar like Willie Mays or Ted Williams fit in with the stats and accomplishments of the rest of the team.
The book is divided into eras (1900-1919, 1920-45, etc.) and for each year, there is a comprehensive summary of key events that took place. At the end of each "era," the players' full lifetime statistics are given.
Every line score of every post-season game is also included and the composite statistics of the players.
At the end of the book are pages of lifetime and season leaders in the major statistical categories, although for post season records, only the World Series ones are included and not the Divisional or League playoff stats.
There is also an interesting two letter code for players' injuries or career interruptions like MS - Military Service or DD - Died During the season.
I can see this book being very helpful for someone putting together a fantasy league for any specific past season as the focus is on that year's rosters and stats only. Or, you can play the 1927 Yankees against the 1969 Mets, for instance.
In essence, while other baseball encyclopdias need 1500 -2000 pages to fit in all the players' statistics, "Baseball 2007" succeeds in doing it in only several hundred pages.
The only thing I think this work is lacking is a magnifying glass to read the quite small print.

I never get tired of this book. It features every team with every stat of every player from 1901 to the present. If you want to know what Dimaggio batted in 1938, you can look it up, as Casey Stengel once said. Every league leader in his category is highlighted. The most fascinating revelation is that back in old days, players stats often took a drastic downturn after they reached 30, and even before that. Is is better nutrition, training or steroids? Probably all of the above. Anyway, if you're a stats nerd, you will call this your "Baseball Bible". Essential and the ultimate argument settler.

Although I no longer buy the annual editions (I am down to every other year now), this is still the most indespensible and most referred-to baseball reference I own. With an essay for each baseball season from 1901-2006, individual statistics grouped by year and team, career statistics and leaders, annual leaders, active leaders through the 2006 season, and much more, this is a great browsing book as well, and the price is always a bargain.

This purchase was received as described, good quality, well packaged, very timely, and I would purchase from this seller again!

I get my kicks researching Baseball statistics. This product is the most complete Baseball compendium I have ever read. It answers remember when questions (who played third base for the 1963 Cleveland Indians?). It answers where a prominent player got his start. It has every team back to the early history of the game and each player on it and their year by year statistics (batting average, stolen bases, number of wins, ERA, etc.) A must have for the true Baseball nut.

One doesn't need esoteric statistics and error-laden formulas based on assumptions -- some valid and some false -- to evaluate players. This reference book was the best. It is still the best. Why? Because it contains all that is important.