In the introduction, Posnanski, the gold standard of fans baseball writers, says this is the book he wishes he'd had when he was a kid reading his wayIn the introduction, Posnanski, the gold standard of fans baseball writers, says this is the book he wishes he'd had when he was a kid reading his way into the game's history. I might choose his previous The Baseball 100, but I sure see what he means. If you're a fan, you'll love it; if not, it's clearly not for you....more
A book to warm baseball fans' hearts, especially if (like mine) their careers topped out as a back-up on a junior varsity high school team for a vastlA book to warm baseball fans' hearts, especially if (like mine) their careers topped out as a back-up on a junior varsity high school team for a vastly superior player; in my case, at least I had the solace of knowing the guy who played third except when he was pitching (Goose Gossage) eventually made the Hall of Fame. Anyway, while Brown doesn't do a whole lot with the philosophical promise of the Tao in his title, he tells a charming and convincing story of what it takes to be a good back-up catcher. I'll never look at rosters or the arc of seasons in quite the same way. Eric Kratz who played for roughly everyone except Charley Brown's All Stars holds the book together, but there are at least a dozen deftly done portraits of the honorable and dedicated guys who play a larger part in the game than I'd realized. Not on the top shelf of baseball classics but, like the players it celebrates, it has a good solid place just below....more
If you've followed Bill James from the 80s til now, as I have, there's nothing new here, but if you haven't ventured into the waters of advanced statsIf you've followed Bill James from the 80s til now, as I have, there's nothing new here, but if you haven't ventured into the waters of advanced stats, this is a decent enough introduction. Castrovince's much more enamored of his puns than I am....more
Chronicle of a season that marks the full emergence of African American players. A good story told in a serviceable, slightly plodding way. Madden wanChronicle of a season that marks the full emergence of African American players. A good story told in a serviceable, slightly plodding way. Madden wants the racial angle to be a feel good story, but he doesn't entirely ignore the harder edges. Baseball fans will enjoy it....more
Definitely a book for Bronco fans, which I've been as long as there's been a team. Mostly pictures, thing text, but a fun hour or so sparking memoriesDefinitely a book for Bronco fans, which I've been as long as there's been a team. Mostly pictures, thing text, but a fun hour or so sparking memories of the up and down ride....more
To some extent, the weirdness of the last year earns this year's Prospectus a mulligan. But it marks a reversion to the problems that have rendered thTo some extent, the weirdness of the last year earns this year's Prospectus a mulligan. But it marks a reversion to the problems that have rendered the volume less and less satisfying: writers showing off how clever they are ands/or auditioning for front office gigs. There are some exceptions--the essays on the Mariners and White Sox stand out--but mostly you emerge from the team essays knowing nothing of interest about the players themselves. I'm a year away from saying the hell with it....more
If you're a baseball fan with any kind of social awareness at all, this is a terrific book. Halberstam, who's beyond prolific--must have averaged abouIf you're a baseball fan with any kind of social awareness at all, this is a terrific book. Halberstam, who's beyond prolific--must have averaged about a zillion words a week--tends to repeat details a bit more than I like, but what the hell. He introduces the players/characters nicely and establishes the major differences between the Yankee/AL/Old School/mostly White approach and the Cardss/NL/Part of the Sixties/Black-inflected approach to the game and life. You come out with huge respect for Bill White, Lou Brock, Curt Flood, Bob Gibson and the Yankees' semi-token Elston Howard. Plus, it was a hell of a season and the good guys won....more
I've pretty much given up on using my annual GR review to try to convince the writers for BP to focus their team essays on, um, like...baseball? The tI've pretty much given up on using my annual GR review to try to convince the writers for BP to focus their team essays on, um, like...baseball? The thing between the lines. Some of the essays are kind of interesting, some are just stretches (really--Romeo & Juliet gets all the ink? Do we need a Donald Barthelme parody?--and if you don't know what that means, that's my point), and a whole lot continue to sound like auditions for front office gigs in the advanced stats department. What saves this version, as usual, are a few really good essays--the D-Backs and Cardinals come to mind, as well as a good take on why my Rockies have so damn much trouble figuring out a Mile High formula--and, as always, the individual player comments.
And PLEASE can someone run spell check on the phrase "generational talent" and consider whether it has any meaning when it's used like 27 times....
I'm used to this being an annual minor frustration, but I'll be watching the season a whole lot smarter for having pushed through....more
The two stars is a protest against the continuing shift in the Prospectus essays from what happens on the field--the players, y'know?--to front officeThe two stars is a protest against the continuing shift in the Prospectus essays from what happens on the field--the players, y'know?--to front office analytics (which aren't irrelevant but aren't the damn *point*) and existential noodling about how hard it is to be a Red Sox fan and listen to sports talk radio in Boston. I'd rather read someone who's interested in whether Rodriguez is going to finally get his act together or (fill in roughly 1000 different performance oriented questions).
There were a handful of good team essays--Kansas City, Milwaukee, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa. And a couple I wish hadn't been published before the free agent signings--I'm a Rockies fan and our whole cosmos was redfined by Arenado's signing, which the team essay didn't see coming.
I'll keep buying and reading the Prospectus each year, and I appreciate the player comments, but damn I'm sick of the prima donna writing as audition for front office sensibility....more
Good to have a book about the great Texas Western basketball team that, with an all-black group of players on the floor, defeated the all-white KentucGood to have a book about the great Texas Western basketball team that, with an all-black group of players on the floor, defeated the all-white Kentucky team for the NCAA championship. The book's basically a boil down of newspaper articles with character sketches mixed in. Sanchez mentions the political importance, but it's really light on context....more
A good year for the Prospectus, now fully recovered from its descent into statistical minutiae a couple of years ago. The essays are all written by teA good year for the Prospectus, now fully recovered from its descent into statistical minutiae a couple of years ago. The essays are all written by team followers who maintain a nice balance of homer perspective and quasi-objective clarity.
The bummer was the Dodgers essay, which makes a convincing case for the likelihood that the Evil Blue will continue to be good, and possibly great, for the next three decades or so.
The Rockies essay is fun, fitting for the year and our hopes for the future. The Pirates essay would be even bleaker if it had known Cole and Cutch would be gone. The Brewers nicely balanced.
Best essays: White Sox, Indians, Rockies, Angels, Dodgers, Cardinals, all of which engage with the rise and fall of franchise strategies in juxtaposition with the current state of affairs.
Two of my favorite subjects, baseball and the Sixties combine in a book that's probably better for newcomers than for those familiar with the materialTwo of my favorite subjects, baseball and the Sixties combine in a book that's probably better for newcomers than for those familiar with the material. It's really more about sports in general, with significant attention given to Muhammad Ali and a bit to football and basketball. Mostly it sticks pretty closer to the relatively well known stories, the majority having to do with race. Fair amount of attention to the sportswriting culture that brought old school sportswriters into conflict with New Journalists. The style's chatty journalist. Not bad not great....more
As always, the entries on individual players are the gold standard. That's why I buy the Prospectus and it never disappoints.
I also read the team essaAs always, the entries on individual players are the gold standard. That's why I buy the Prospectus and it never disappoints.
I also read the team essays, though, and they're up and down. A few years ago, they all read like job interviews for major league front offices--a ton of BP writers are working in the industry and that's cool, but it's not what I'm looking for as a fan. This year the problem was on the far other side; a good handful of essays read like they were written by literature or philosphy grad students showing off. We get Nietzsche, Schopenauer. The most irritating of that kind was the one on my Colorado Rockies, who are discussed in relation to an understanding of Taoism that has very little to do with my understanding of Taoism.
I found myself really missing Bill James' old Baseball Abstracts, which kept their eyes firmly on what the numbers had to do with the game. There are a bunch of essays in this year's Prospectus that stand up to that standard, but not enough to make me a happy campter....more
May be just a bit of bias in the five star rating, but if you're a Bronco fan, this is the book you want to tide you over as we savor the Super Bowl a
May be just a bit of bias in the five star rating, but if you're a Bronco fan, this is the book you want to tide you over as we savor the Super Bowl and await the beginning of the Mark Sanchez era. I was present for 3 of the 25 moments: Peyton's debut; his 7-TD opener against the Ravens; and the game where Elway threw his 300th and TD went over 2000 yards. (Somehow the game where we let Steve O'Neill of the Jets get off a 98 yard punt against us didn't make the cut.)
Addition: Actually, make it four; I was also there for Champ's 100-yard interception return against the Pats.
Curious to see where the revised version will put Von's dismemberment of the Panthers, and Peyton's win over Brady and the evil empire....more
Liked it better than the 2015 edition. This one focused more on the synergy between front office strategies and what happens on the field. As always, Liked it better than the 2015 edition. This one focused more on the synergy between front office strategies and what happens on the field. As always, part of the pleasure and utility is in the individual player projections, which is mostly/entirely for fantasy baseball players....more
Kicking this year's edition up a star from last year to encourage the movement back towards the diamond and away from the analytics department of the Kicking this year's edition up a star from last year to encourage the movement back towards the diamond and away from the analytics department of the front office. Of course, anyone reading the Prospectus wants the geek part of it, but the reason that matters boils down to what happens on the field. One amusing note: Latroy Hawkins, who somehow or another maintains the closer role with my Colorado Rockies, is now the only player who's been profiled in every edition since it began twenty years ago....more
Nobody reads the Prospectus because of a review--either it's on your list or it isn't--but I wanted to chip in with a brief complaint about this year'Nobody reads the Prospectus because of a review--either it's on your list or it isn't--but I wanted to chip in with a brief complaint about this year's version. I'm pretty sure this is the first time the Prospectus has gone to by-lined team essays. On the one hand, why not? On the other, the change appears to have contributed to a slightly egotistical style in a fair number of the essays--writers writing cutesy instead of smart. (I'm a Pirate fan and the Pirate essay is a prime offender.) Noticing that made me think a bit more about a shift that's crept in over the past few years. When I first started reading the Prospectus, I encountered quite a bit of writing that changed my perception of players in interesting and (from a fantasy baseball perspective) useful ways. Increasingly, the center of gravity of the essays has shifted from the field to the front office; I'd guess that at least half of this year's essays focus on how general managers go about building winning teams. That's interesting and relevant, but, for me and I'd guess a majority of baseball fans, it's secondary. I'm sure that part of this has to do with the fact that the numbers guys have made a real impact on baseball and that they're focusing on the parts of the story which advertise them best to potential employers in front offices.
The individual player notes and the stats are still what they were, so it's not like this year's Prospectus was a bust, but I'm docking it a star in hopes that future editions will shift their attention back to the field....more
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