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• Why Everything You Know About Baseball Is Wrong

So you think you know baseball, eh? Well, Baseball Between The Numbers: Why Everything You Know About Baseball Is Wrong begs to differ. This intense compilation of statistics and adjustments by the best sabermetricians (that's baseball econometrics and statistics, for those who don't speak French) in the industry tackles the toughest questions, myths and misconceptions about baseball. Is there such a thing as clutch hitting? Why is a four-man rotation better than a five? Does a batting order actually matter? And of course, the most important question of all: who is the greatest baseball player of all time - Barry Bonds or Babe Ruth? In addition, the book also tackles less important questions such as whether or not A-Rod, Zito and Soriano's ridiculous price tags have any impact on today's outrageous ticket prices.

Jonah Keri and the Baseball Prospectus team of experts diligently analyze, discuss, reassess and conclude to great lengths the ins and outs of the game. From the stats (the not-so-telling nature of RBIs) to the players (how players "age") to the design (was the new ballpark worth building?), this book covers it all. It's the perfect book for a guy who follows the game. Baseball Between The Numbers is a book that makes even the most intimate baseball lover second guess himself.

By far, however, the best quality of this 430 page book is that it's perfect for reading on the can. Its layout is set up in chapters and subchapters that make it perfect to pick up every now and then for brief readings. It's also chock-full of complicated, disproving facts that are sure to piss off your closest sports friends. All-in-all, I highly recommend it, especially to the number guys out there - fantasy participants, scorekeepers, nerds, etc. - you know who you are. Besides, where else can you find out exactly how bad of a player Ozzie Guillen was, in terms of how many games his terrible batting skills alone cost his team(s), he was the 2nd worst player of all time. Take that Sox fans!