Baseball Prospectus 2007: The Essential Guide to the 2007 Baseball Season (Paperback)

~ Christina Kahrl (Editor), Steven Goldman (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Baseball Prospectus is one of the first things I read every day. -- Theo Epstein, general manager of the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox

I never cease to be blown away by how the geniuses at Baseball Prospectus can provide you with new insights into players and teams you thought you couldn’t possibly have followed more closely. They’re amazing. -- Jayson Stark, ESPN

The clear successor to Bill James’s Baseball Abstract. -- John Sickels, author of The Baseball Prospect Book

Review

Baseball Prospectus is one of the first things I read every day. (Theo Epstein, general manager of the 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox)

I never cease to be blown away by how the geniuses at Baseball Prospectus can provide you with new insights into players and teams you thought you couldn’t possibly have followed more closely. They’re amazing. (Jayson Stark, ESPN)

The clear successor to Bill James’s Baseball Abstract. (John Sickels, author of The Baseball Prospect Book)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Plume; 12 edition (March 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452288258
• ISBN-13: 978-0452288256
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #323,920 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love Bill James (and can stand the typos) ..., March 10, 2007

By	Hal Jordan "A reader" (USA) - See all my reviews

For those of us who remember the old Bill James Baseball Abstract, Baseball Prospectus is about as close as you can come these days. Nothing, of course, can match the pioneering articles James published in the Abstract, but the Prospectus provides the most comprehensive, informative, and amusing player comments you are likely to find along with a few interesting research articles. I can't give any book whose publication I look forward to so eagerly anything less than five stars, but I agree with one of the other reviewers that the editing is very shaky and has been for years. This year the editing seems to have improved a bit, but there are still some player comments, and even team overviews, that don't appear to have been proofread, much less edited. This year's most significant glitch: Each player comment lists the four most comparable players, using the PECOTA system. Unfortunately, when the comparables are mentioned in the body of the comment, the players mentioned don't usually match the players listed. Apparently, they changed how the comparables were calculated and came up with new lists after the comments were written. Every year I end up wishing they had delayed publication for a week or two to allow time for some final editing. One other problem this year is that the book is printed on grade zzz paper with the result that the printing on some pages is blurred.

p.s. to another reviewer: The author of Moneyball is Michael Lewis, not Billy Beane.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bigger, slightly better, and still the king of the annuals, March 19, 2007

By	Diane B. Firstman "dianagramr" (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

BP's 2007 Prospectus clocks in at over 600 pages, and there is very little fluff within those pages.

Are there typos, omissions and proof-reading/editing gaffes as in past years? Yes, though they seem to have dwindled in # and severity.

I too wish they would delay the book a few days and really go over it with a fine-tooth comb, but given the voluminous data presented, and the public clamoring for an early publication date, I guess something has to give.

For those critical of the paper quality (and I was one such person), please note that I e-mailed the editor at the publishing house, and was told that given the # of pages, some consideration for the paper weight had to be made, lest the book become a literal paperweight. The tannish color of the paper comes along with the lighter paper weight.

(If you've ever seen the annual editions of the Sports Encyclopedia: Baseball, which run well over 800 pages, you'll recognize the paper weight and color. So it seems to be an industry standard for certain encyclopedic page-size tomes over X pages).

As for the actual content, well its everything you've come to expect from BP .... the wit, the confidence and skill in their projections, the candor to admit when they've blown a projection, the team essays which nail the critical aspects of why the team ended 2006 as they did, and what 2007 may hold for them. The essays in the back of the book are as thought-provoking as as diverse as ever.

Count me in as a continuing fan of BP and their annual.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hog heaven for baseball statistics buffs, March 10, 2007

By	Steven A. Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL)) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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This is like a Bill James moment. This volume looks at each major league team and key players for the coming campaign. It provides neat statistics like a SPEED score (a takeoff on what Bill James has created), Marginal Lineup Value estimate (MLVr--the estimated value of a player), and so on.

My favorite team is the Chicago White Sox. Let's take a look at this team, to get a sense of what this volume contributes. One neat feature of the volume is its prediction of what might happen for each player in the coming year--a breakout year, improvement, collapse, and attrition. For instance, the book suggests that, for Joe Crede, the odds of a breakout year are 33%, for improvement 59%, for a collapse 15%, and for attrition (severe decline in plate appearances or innings pitched) 9%. For Chisox fans, sounds good. What about Jim Thome? Breakout=14%; improvement=37%; collapse=37%; attrition=28%. Oops. makes me nervous if there is over 1/3 likelihood that his performance collapses. Pitchers? Mark Buehrle is projected as having the following odds: Breakout=14%; Improve=50%; Collapse=16%; Attrition=0%.

There are also data on managers' decision making. Despite his reputation as a hot head, Ozzie Guillen looks pretty good in his handling of starting pitchers, relievers, and the basics of sacrifice bunts.

Nice appendices at the end, too. One of these is a listing of the top 100 minor league prospects. For those who are interested, the top prospect is Alex Gordon (in the Royals' farm system), a 23 year old 3rd baseman. Next is Yankee prospect Philip Hughes, a 21 year old pitcher. And so on.

This is manna from heaven for baseball addicts. It complements the Bill James' works nicely.