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Title: WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE HALL OF FAME by Bill James ISBN: 0-684-80088-8 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 06 April, 1995 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.67 (24 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: An Elightening Look at the Hall of Fame
Comment: For anyone who has ever been interested in baseball's Hall of Fame, from being a serious historian of the game to simply being a fan who wanted your favorite player to be honored, this book will teach you a great deal.
Bill James, in a very entertaining style, will show you how some of the game's greatest players have been overlooked for the game's highest honor, while lesser men have been awarded. He will show you the passion of those who promote a certain player for election, while also demonstrating how illogical many can be as they argue for their favorites. He shows the inconsistency of the various voting bodies, the chronyism, the politics, and most other aspects of the long history of the Hall of Fame's process for determining the game's greatest players. It is a subject not often outlined in this depth, and James does a splendid job with it.
There are some flaws. James, as he often does, contradicts his own previously stated views on some players, and does so without explanation, which can be maddening to anyone who has read most of his work. He also has the unnecessary habit of insulting people for no real reason. As a man who can write so well and express his views in such detail and with such clarity, it doesn't appear to be necessary, when citing an example of one fan's opinion about Mickey Lolich, to answer this question:
"Am I the only baseball fan who feels that statistics provide, at best, a meager measure of a player's worth?"
with this answer:
"Well, no, Mr. Miedlar, actually, there are an amazing number of idiots in the world."
Stooping to that level is entertaining at times, but it also serves to convince the reader that James is a bit full of himself, and a bit of a bully to boot.
Still, those flaws are minor when compared to the overall quality of both the information presented and the manner in which James presents it. Anyone with an interest in baseball in general, or baseball history or the Hall of Fame in particular, will be pleased with what they find in this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: Bold, funny, beautiful
Comment: Talk about an interesting baseball book. Bill James has outdone himself with this one. No, Phil Rizzuto does not belong in the Hall of Fame! But neither do a lot of other guys, so we might as well leave them in. It's all politics anyway. Just get a good lobbyist like Frankie Frisch on your side. This is why baseball is so great. In what other sport would so many people care about who is in the Hall of Fame?
Rating: 4
Summary: Must read for baseball fans
Comment: Terrific book by baseball's best author. James pulls no punches in ripping the Hall of Fame for some very poor selections. He introduces several new concepts such as the Black-Ink test. As a Cub fan, I appreciate his advocacy of Ron Santo's selection to the Hall. As good as the book was, though, I couldn't give it the 5 star rating. James spends way too much time debating Phil Rizzuto's merits; Rizzuto v. Reese, Rizzuto v. Stephens Rizzuto v.Jerry Priddy (?), etc.. Nonetheless it is a great book and well worth buying.
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Title: The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract by Bill James ISBN: 0743227220 Publisher: Free Press Pub. Date: 13 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
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Title: Rob Neyer's Big Book of Baseball Lineups : A Complete Guide to the Best, Worst, and Most Memorable Players to Ever Grace the Major Leagues by Rob Neyer ISBN: 0743241746 Publisher: Fireside Pub. Date: 02 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis ISBN: 0393057658 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: 10 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The 2004 Bill James Handbook (2003 statistics) by Bill James, John Dewan ISBN: 0879462582 Publisher: ACTA Publications Pub. Date: November, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Baseball Dynasties: The Greatest Teams of All Time by Rob Neyer, Eddie Epstein ISBN: 0393320081 Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Pub. Date: April, 2000 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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