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Product Description
A great career in baseball takes unflagging excellence, year after year, and is a demanding measure of success. This work presents rankings of the best career performances in baseball history, by position, for each team in the American and National leagues. Players are measured both by rate and volume of success. The rankings are also translated into All-Star lineups for each team.Baseball's Best Careers, in a departure from other latter-day stats books, everywhere adheres to common sense. The book, for instance, assigns a player's career performance to a single, primary team. The numbers of Rogers Hornsby, then who batted .380 and hit 39 home runs for the Cubs in 1929, are attributed to the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom Hornsby played most of his games. And so the historic value of the second baseman's career is preserved, and Ryne Sandberg, Johnny Evers, Glenn Beckert, and Billy Herman-the rightful contenders for the Cubs all-time spot at second-are free to fight it out.Several sabremetric measures are employed in compiling the rankings, which have been adjusted for hitting and pitching biases over periods of time. Raw historical statistics are examined, and the author explains why some statistics are used in his work to measure performance, while others are discarded as nonindicators of performance. For each team, statistical ratings and rankings are provided, as are brief player profiles of that club's All-Star team members. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (8)

rankings very subjective
As a former player familiar with most of the players from the 50's and 60's, some outstanding players were left out and some that were good but not outstanding were included.The writer obviously never saw many of them play and must have been influenced by someone else's hyperbole.Knowing any rating system has its flaws, the book brings back memories of many great players but is certainly not a conclusive or definitive study.Seems like the author really doesn't know the differences in the eras and who got the job done day in and day out.Some players are included and highly rated based on what?A good try, but needs alittle more depth.

A crock full of rankings by a "Statistician"
His statistical garbage is not based on too many personal interviews from players. Dick Butkus isn't even in the top rankings of linebacker. According to this hack, because the Bears were such as dismal team during Butkus's tenure, that meant that he must not have done that much to help the team. Of course this idiot never really watched the games us "old timers" watched, and if a lot of those guys who played against Butkus were still alive or really interviewed, they'd tell you a different story than his statistical conclusions.

Not just that, according to HIS figures, Deacon Jones can be credited with at least 120 sacks, when most players and coaches during that era would agree that the total would be more that 200; or close to Bruce Smith. Did he ask Merlin Olsen? Rosie Grier? Roger Brown? Bob Vogel? Ralph Neely? Jerry Kramer? All the quarterbacks he sacked? No. His type of conclusions are drawn on many more All-Pro's.

His statistics supposedly make up for his lackadaisical approach to instead of watching all the footage of NFL films he can get his hands on, or talk with Steve Sabol or actually look up every living player and asking them what they think about a certain player would be too much to ask. This guy never got hit by an All-Pro defensive lineman or defensive back. Never caught a pass from the great quarterbacks, and never ran through or around snarling defensive linemen with a ball in his hand.

A pure hack job of ranking some of the All-Time Greats of the gridiron.
Abstract? Yes, just like Abstract Art; non-objective and non-representational. Statisticians are by nature, Wimps. So you can discount the most of his conclusions.

Not Worthy of the Title
It's hard to know how to grade a book that calls itself the equal of Bill James' baseball works, but fails.Part of the failure is due to the sport itself -- as the author makes clear, football does not lend itself to individual analysis in the way that baseball does.While the author has to be given credit for his attempt, ultimately he has to be judged against two other sources:Bill James', since he references James in the title; and his own prior analysis found in his three years worth of Pro Football Prospectus.

There is a brief review of the history of football -- with a shocking number of factual errors, and an equal number of poorly written passages that "read wrong", that probably aren't as wrong as they first appear.Read, for example, the chapter on the 1940's which seems to contradict itself multiple times on the formation of the AAFC, the Cleveland Rams' move to L.A., and the extent to which those two things were, or weren't, connected.The actual story is interesting and a little confusing (the AAFC was to start in 1945, but was delayed a year;Dan Reeves had wanted to move the Rams from Cleveland for years, and didn't care if it was to L.A. or to Dallas).It's worth taking an extra paragraph to tell it properly.Hell, extra space wouldn't have been needed, just better organization since the same information is printed in three different places in the chapter.

One of the major disappointments is that there is virtually no analysis here, few questions posed, no answers sought.This was a highlight of the Lahman's latter editions of Pro Football Prospectus.Most of that book's team chapters had an article that posed a question:(from 2003) Is there a problem with the NFL's overtime system; Where do great quarterbacks come from; Will Jake Plummer Succeed in Denver; What is the return on investment for first round quarterbacks?These kinds of questions, and resulting analysis, are a highlight of Bill James' work.They were a highlight of Lahman's version of the PFP, and that style of asking and answering questions was preserved in the PFP when it was taken over in 2005 by Aaron Schatz.

The guts of the book is Lahman's analysis of players' statistics, the Adjusted Yards and Q rating.But the way it's presented gives itself the short shrift.All in all, his theories for this new (well, not new -- he'd published before in his three PFP's) method of comparative analysis take up 15 pages.Then there are 230 pages of player and coach biographies, with no statistics offered.That is followed by 220 pages of mostly whitespace, with small portions of each page dedicated to statistics.

That doesn't cut it.When you have a theory for how things should be changed, you have to sing it from the bleachers.Maybe 15 pages of talk and 220 pages of data (okay, so it's more like 80 pages of data and 140 pages worth of whitespace) works for a Ph.D. thesis, but we're fans, dammit.To borrow from the Treasure of the Sierra Madre, "Thesis?We don't need no steenking theses...."

He needs to do more.He needs to take it further.For example, his attempt to forge a new unit of measurement -- adjusted yards -- which allow you to directly compare a RB with a QB or WR is laudable.But show us what it looks like.Throw in the stats for the 1991 Cowboys or the 2001 Patriots or the 2004 Colts, so we can see how Brady & Co. stack up relative to the old triplets and the new triplets.

Also, there are obvious objections to his method, and they are worth dealing with.The way yards are allocated between a QB and a WR is 50/50.Well, okay, you have to start somewhere, but show us that it makes sense.Give us some combos of schlub QB's with stud WR's, and vice-versa, and show us that the studs aren't getting screwed by the schlubs.An obvious alternative is to give the QB's a high proportion of the yards at catch, and a low proportion of yards after catch.Why or why not?It's an obvious suggestion, talk about it!

Another obvious problem is his Q rating.It quite simply fails to recognize excellence, and "punishes" (for want of a better word) great performances that occurs in the same season as exceptional performances.You can see it in the numbers for Franco Harris, whose 1022 AYs in 1975 were worth a 5.7 Q, but the following year`s 972 AYs get a 6.9 Q -- because in 75 he was number two to O.J. Simpson by a large margin, but in 76 he trailed number 1 by a smaller margin, though he was 7th overall in rushing.Jerry Rice made everybody look bad, but it doesn`t make a whole lot of sense that Michael Irvin`s 1603 yards in 1995 gets an 8.5 when he`d scored a 9.5 and 9.0 with 1396 and 1330 respectively.

We`re football fans.We eat that crap up.So give it to us!

So, to summarize, there are approximately 350 pages worth of content, spread over 500+ pages.It offers too little of substance, too little to validate why it`s better that what you can find fan sites throughout the land.Moreover, while he offers some rankings that are bound to raise controversy -- Ricky Watters was a better back than John Riggins or Marion Motley, or why Jimmy Smith was a better receiver than Tim Brown, Cris Carter, or Henry Ellard -- he makes no attempt to persuade.

So, while the cover is pretty, and the book will look almost elegant sitting on the shelf, you will likely be disappointed if you take it down and start reading.

The Pro Football Historical Abstract
Great book with history of Pro Football back to the beginning of the 1900's. Ranking of players for each decade are good. Missing a couple of players in rankings which I think should be included, Archie Manning for example is not among the top 100 QB's. Interesting read for those who like football history and stats.

Excellent writing and analysis.
Sean Lahman first became well-known among sports fans as the creator and maintainer of what has come to be known as the "Sean Lahman Baseball Database" -- a huge collection of over 140 years of baseball statistics that Sean provided for free to the baseball research community and game-playing public.

So I'm not surprised that Sean has now done the same thing for football. What does surprise me is the high quality of Sean's writing. Although I have a been an NFL fan my entire life, the first 60 pages of this book taught me more about the history of the NFL than I have gleaned from all my other reading put together. His decade-by-decade analysis is top-notch, covering play style, strategy, finances, demographics and key personalities.

Sean's writing is thorough, clever and funny. He has done a great deal of research about the history of the NFL (and the AFL), and it comes through in a book that is a joy to read.

I have to disagree with Polymath's assertion that "whether you like this book will depend on if you accept the author's approach to analyzing football statistics."

If you enjoy reading anything by Bill James, and you consider yourself a football fan, you will like this book.
... Read more

Product Description
This book is a statistical listing of the accomplishments of every driver who has ever competed in the Indianapolis 500 mile race. Drivers are listed both in rank order and alphebetically. Listed for each driver are: total races driven; first and last year driven; best finish; overall ranking. Also included is a winner's list of all races. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Driver Rankings
The rankings are a joke.How could Rick Mears possibly be ranked a lowly 10th position?Gordon Johncock was a two time winner but to put him in 4th place is unreasonably high.Come on!! Lloyd Ruby, Cliff Begere, Gary Bettenhausen, Pancho Carter, Roger McCluskey, George Snider - ll non-winners. The only non-winner who might be considered in the top 25 would be Ted Horn.Where are Bill Vukovich (2 time winner and very close to being a 3 time winner in 5 starts) and Lou Meyer (3 time winner)?

Wonderful Book
Indianapolis 500 Rankings: Records and Rankings of Every Driver Who Ever Competed in the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race

This book is a must have for any Indy 500 fan. Great for a gift or yourself. Well worth the price! ... Read more

Product Description
For many decades people from around the country have debated about which college football program is the all-time best.In South Bend and in southern California, Austin and Ann Arbor, Tallahassee and Tuscaloosa, and in many other places around the country this debate rages.As part of these debates folks often cite reasons why their particular college football program is the greatest of all-time.Often times these discussions become arguments.Many reasons are given to defend ones point of view.Some say that a teams overall winning percentage is the deciding factor of who the greatest college football program is of all-time.Others say that in order to determine the best, you must look at how many national championships a school has won.Still others argue that because their team has the most bowl victories, or most Heisman Trophy winners, or the most conference championships, or the most top 5 finishes in the polls, or the most NFL Hall of Fame inductees, that their team they follow and love is the greatest college football team of all-time.To be sure, there are, and should be, several critical factors and elements that go into deciding which programs are the best of all-time.

In order to settle the argument once and for all of who the greatest college football programs are of all-time, I have developed a scoring system that encompasses all of the factors discussed above, and many more, that is used to rank the teams.Based upon official NCAA statistics and records and substantiated fact, the attempt has been made to substantiate, with a non-biased viewpoint, once and for all who the greatest Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1-A) college football programs are of all-time.

The following factors are used in the scoring system:

All-time Winning Percentage
All-time Wins
Final Poll Points
National Championships
Non BCS and National Championship Game Bowl Results
BCS Bowl Games
National Championship Bowl Games
Conference Championships
Heisman Trophies
College Football Hall of Fame Inductees
Special Award Winners
Consensus 1st Team All-Americans
NFL Hall of Fame Inductees
NFL First Round Draft Picks
Strength of Schedule
Attendance
Graduation Rates
Football Revenue
Major Probation Infractions (negative points)

Each of these scoring categories will be discussed in depth.Included in the discussion will be the point weight assigned to each category, and a brief description of exactly what information is used for the particular category.

All 119 current members of the Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1-A) are ranked, according to the entire history of college football.In addition, the top 30 programs are profiled in depth.

As mentioned above, only current Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1-A) schools are included in these ratings.The point has to be made however that there are several Ivy League schools that have such rich histories and success in the past, that they would be positioned very high within these ratings.In the end however, those schools could not be included in this scoring system since they have not played against major college football competition on a regular basis since the 1970's, and have played in a lower division than the current Bowl Subdivision members since 1981. ... Read more

Product Description
According to selection criteria the author has developed, he ranks baseball's greatest players in order of greatness, chooses the best baseball player between 1893 and 1987, lists seven all-time all-star teams, and reviews the early Negro baseball leagues and players. ... Read more

Product Description
Using various (and completely subjective) criteria including lifetime statistics, personal and professional contributions to the game at large, sportsmanship, character, popularity with the fans, and more, sports writer Derek Gentile ranks the best players of all time.

Along with a ranking, information on each player is presented, including the teams on which he has played throughout his career, positions played, lifetime statistics, and a brief biography--as well as a photograph. Baseball's Best 1,000 is sure to spark controversy and debate among fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A little fact-checking would be good.
Gentile says Johnny Ray was the 1982 Rookie of the Year, but it was Steve Sax.He also says a National League pitcher threw a no-hitter again the Rangers, an American League team.I couldn't care less, but I'm married to a baseball nut who likes to point out these errors, and it can be a little, shall we say, tiring.

Good Book With Erratic Photo Selection.
Mr. Gentile has a pretty good style for summing up a players career and his rankings are good conversation starters. Unfortunately, though photos have been attached to nearly every player in the book, some players are misrepresented. George Stone, Mike "King" Kelly and George Bell have other players photos representing them. Jeff Heath who played from 1936- 1949 is shown twice on the list. Mr. Heath, who played for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Braves and Washington Senators, is shown first in the 900 numbers, attached by a picture of a player from the Oakland A's. He also is in the 400's again, with the same writeup, but now with a picture of a 19th century player. George Bell, a player of African American descent, is represented by a picture of a baseball card, circa 1913 of a caucasion player. George Stone who played in the first decade of the 20th century is represented by a photo of a player from the Texas Rangers, a team which didn't exist till 1972.
Lefty O'Doul, ranked at #495 also has another picture of himself, representing #494 John Olerud.

A pretty good book but somebody point out to whoever selected the photos, even if they don't know the players, how obvious silly it is showing a post 1945 Boston player to represent King Kelly, a 19th century star. ... Read more

Product Description
Upon its establishment in 1946 the NBA – via its forerunner the Basketball Association of America – became the 21st professional basketball league to be formed in the U.S., and the one that would outlast all the others. In addition, since 1896 when professional basketball began in Trenton, New Jersey thousands of players have competed in a pro game, and generated countless hours of debate as to who the best players are in the history of the sport. In fact, precisely 3572 players and 439 All-stars have graced the courts of the NBA and the American Basketball Association when it was in operation between 1967 and 1976. And until now there has never been a truly scientific method of evaluating their performances on a basketball court, and determining who is the all-time best. Finally, after 109 years, such a measure has been created.

This book, Heroes of the Hardcourt: Ranking Pro Basketball’s 100 Greatest Players identifies and profiles the 100 greatest players to play professional basketball since 1946, and ranks them by utilizing a scientific methodology known as the Performance Efficiency Rating (PER) System developed by the author, a former economics professor. This is the most comprehensive measure ever devised to accurately measure basketball performance and answer the question of who is the greatest basketball player ever. This methodology has accurately forecasted the annual regular season MVP in three of the last four NBA seasons, and predicted which team is most likely to win the NBA championship (forecasted the eventual champion in seven of the last ten years).

This book will cause you to rethink your own top 50 greatest players; and the top 10 players, let’s just say it’s sure to raise a few eyebrows. Without doubt this is the most scientific basketball book ever written and should end all debates as to the game’s all-time greats. Heroes of the Hardcourt, in addition to profiling the top 100 players also provides an historical summary of the one hundred-plus years of professional basketball in the U.S., and concludes with an explanation of how to better link productivity with pay among professional athletes. It shows that the PER can accurately forecast which rookies drafted in a particular year are indeed the best selections, and follows that up with an analysis of the 1984 NBA draft in which four of the best players to ever compete were drafted. It concludes that not only did the Portland Trailblazers make a poor decision in selecting Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, but so did the Houston Rockets who also drafted Hakeem Olajuwon over MJ. A knowledge of the PER methodology, the author asserts, would have created a better draft selection then, as it clearly will do now. Heroes of the Hardcourt will finally lay to rest all the debates as to who the best players are in the history of professional basketball, and who is the all-time greatest. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Very Insightful
The author started with a history of professional basketball which includes a timeline of the major events, teams and players that played the game. The book also proposed an alternative way of evaluating the best professional basketball players for a team not just by using free agents, scouting,gut feelings, ordraft picks but acutually using a scientific approach to anaylze the talents and athletic abilites of a player.This book is awesome and should be read basketball purists and fanatics-for the love of the game.

A good concept, poorly executed
I bought this book because I am a very avid basketball fan.I also am very interested in basketball statistics and what they mean and how they can and should be used.Mr. Thompson approaches the question of the greatest basketball player ever with a unique methodology that I found intriguing.Unfortunately, I also found it flawed, and was also dismayed and put off by Thompson's ignorance of the already-growing community of statistical analysts in basketball.

One very welcome and useful section of the book is Thompson's opening on the very early history of the game.He spends about 30 pages on the time period between the game's creation and the formation of the NBA.While it's not comprehensive, it's a good introduction to the key figures in basketball before the NBA was formed.

Mr. Thompson's methodology, in short, is terribly short-sighted.He attempts to quantify every meaningful accomplishment in basketball - statistical performance, most valuable player awards and other awards, championships and playoff performance, and also all-star selection and performance.His methods would be welcomed under other circumstances, but he felt compelled, for some reason, to not only trademark his term "Performance Efficiency Rating", but to withhold certain portions of his formulas because of a pending patent.He further states that his measure is the most comprehensive measure of player greatness ever developed.It certainly is comprehensive, but the flaws in the formulas he uses are evident to those who study the game on a deeper level.The flaws in his evaluation of player statistics - points, rebounds, assists, etc. - are the most evident of all, notwithstanding his taking the highly appropriate step of adjusting everything to a per-minute basis.I would also like to know how he knows how to weight every possible factor correctly, or even why he thinks non-statistical accomplishments are quantifiable.

Further, Thompson is either willfully dismissive or accidentally ignorant of the aforementioned community of statistical analysts already present and growing in influence.I don't know why he felt it necessary to keep his work proprietary, but it does him and his work a disservice by making him appear self-important, and by closing his formulas to mainstream evaluation and constructive feedback.If he felt that his work was worthy of widespread use, I believe he would have been better served to allow others who love and follow the game to see exactly what he was doing.

Finally, the book itself is not very well written.There are many, many errors in punctuation - such as a pronounced lack of question marks where they should be, and the word "though" repeatedly misspelled as "thou".Whether this is the publisher's fault or Mr. Thompson's, it certainly should never have happened.Other authors (such as John Hollinger, who was mentioned in one of the other reviews here) produce books that not only demonstrate that they know basketball, but that are entertaining and well-written.Much more importantly, other authors such as Hollinger haven't yet assumed that they've found the Holy Grail of analysis.They're constantly trying to improve upon what they've already done, and they seek the input of others - something that Thompson apparently didn't consider.They also know that "statistical analysis" means a lot more than mashing a bunch of numbers together and adding them up.

I mean no disrespect to Mr. Thompson.The project he undertook must have been extensive and time-consuming.But it doesn't offer any real advances in common knowledge, and the poor writing detracts from any attempt to take it seriously.As I mentioned to a colleague of mine, "I would have been better served checking this book out from the library instead of buying it."

Impressive work, should be a best seller
Although there has been a bunch of work lately trying to rank basketball players this book is at the top of the class. I've read John Hollinger's Pro Basketball and it is nothing more than meaningless stats. This book however goes behind the stats and shows exactly how performance should be measured. In the end I believe that a system like this will be used in the future to determine the MVP adn even All-Star selections. I concur that this is one of the best books ever written on the subject.

Great Book
This is the approach they should use to select All-Star players and MVP instead of voting for them. Solid work.

First Class Book
I recently read that book my Elliot Kalb (Who's better, whose best). I had to scratch my read as it was an absolute load of crap. It is all based on opinions. This book however was a refreshing change. It did not ask anyone about there stupid opinion or anything like that. Instead it relied on cold, hard facts. It looked at how many championships each player won and how much they contributed to the wins. It that sense Robert Horry is NOT listed in the top 100 because he was just a free loader. He jumped from team to team and piggybacked his way to 6 championships.

Anyone who wants to understand how to analyze players should read this book. It lays it out in real simple manner. The author is a professor who knows how to explain stuff. Look at this. MJ is no 1 because he wins championships and he is the primary reason why they won. Bill Russell won the most championships (11) but wasn't the primary reason for their scoring, kind of like Ben Wallace on the Pistons today only better. And Wilt Chamberlain has the best stats but only won 2 titles. Therefore MJ is the best overall because he wins and if the reason they win. I don't think I can explain it like the author but it is an awesome book. Best I ever read on basketball. ... Read more

Product Description
Russ Hodges’s frantic pronouncement at Bobby Thomson’s "Shot Heard ’Round the World": "The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!" and Jack Buck’s incredulous remark after Kirk Gibson’s heroic home run in the 1988 World Series: "I don’t believe what I just saw!" are just a couple examples. The sometimes downright hysterical commentaries of broadcasters very often become more memorable than even the games they describe. Though countless studies have weighed the merits of our great players, none has assessed the virtues of the men who turn diving catches and soaring home runs into the stuff of myth. In The Voices of Summer, Curt Smith has compiled a list of 101 classic announcers—from national celebrities to local favorites, overlooked giants to upcoming stars—in search of the greatest baseball broadcaster of all time. From the poetic reflections of Dick Enberg to the Falstaffian frenzy of Harry Caray, Smith answers the timeless questions: Was Mel Allen better than Ernie Harwell? Does Joe Buck compare to his legendary dad? Which of today’s young broadcasters really matches the all-time greats? Irreverent, authoritative, and uncommonly addictive, this book will be the definitive guide to baseball announcing for any and all baseball fans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Better Voices
Ball Talk: Baseball's Voices of Summer A good complement to Mr Smith's book is my DVD Ball Talk: Baseball's Voices of Summer. It features Mel Allen, Red Barber, Jack Brickhouse, Jack Buck, Curt Gowdy and Ernie Harwell. It's hosted by Larry King. It was released in 1989 and is now on DVD.

Absolutely Awful!!
Because there is really nothing like it, Smith's 'Voices of the Game' works despite the author's continual self-indulgence. The stories remain compelling even when the author is offering prose that is, at most times, numbing. Smith is the authorial version of a speaker in love with the sound of his own voice.

Like his dreary MLB Blog, Smith's 'Voices of Summer' is nothing but bits and pieces of fluffy rambling rehashed, regurgitated, and spun over and over and over again. The ratings system, which Smith seems to be quite proud of, is not really all that impressive and appears to offer a weak excuse for Smith to tell readers all about his favorites. Granted, I wasn't looking for objectivity here, but why bother...just rate the voices and give us your opinion.

Unfortunately, Smith's opinions are mostly incoherent blurbs in which the author mixes odd bits of old books with choppy sentences that pretend to grand eloquence. What should have been a pleasant book about a very pleasant subject was, all too often, a painful and sickening experience. Sickening? Yes. Sickening. I wanted my money back less than halfway through.

I gave it one star, which was being generous since I ended up loathing this book. Worse, it actually makes the failings of 'Voices of the Game' more telling.

For a former presidential speech writer, Smith is a pretentious and overly wordy author who, frankly, just isn't that good. This book was a sham and one wonders what he can offer in an upcoming biography of Mel Allen that others - more talented by far - have not already offered.

Bottom line. Avoid this stinker and, if you have to read Smith, pick up 'Voices of the Game' because everything in this book is there in a more coherent and interesting format.

Poorly Written Subjectivism
Curt Smith knows a lot about the history of baseball broadcasting, but the pity of it is that he has no idea of how to translate that knowledge into a great book."Voices Of The Game" written in 1987 and revised in 1992 was undermined by his very bad, disjointed writing style, and compounded by his annoying intrusion of his subjective personal opinions about the merits or lack thereof in certain baseball broadcasters.I have never forgiven Smith for his obnoxious dismissal of the work of Yankees broadcaster Frank Messer (1968-1985) in a single phrase calling him "dull as a greasepocked pan", and his refusal to understand that for Yankee fans of that era, it wasn't Phil Rizzuto or Rizzuto and Bill White, it was Rizzuto, MESSER and White who made listening to Yankee baseball in the 70s and early 80s great.Messer might not have been Smith's cup of tea as a broadcaster, but his career at least merited some acknowledgment if this was to be a truly objective chronicle of baseball broadcasting because there were plenty of people out there who wouldn't share Smith's view on that point (just as I am a person who absolutely despises Jon Miller's broadcasting, an announcer Smith will never hesitate to gush endlessly about, but I would never let my feelings prevent me from acknowledging the following that Miller does have with others).

I mention these prefatory remarks to note that in this new book, Smith's writing has become more shallow and his focus even more so. Now we are getting profiles of 101 great announcers, in profiles that are mostly verbatim rehashes of what we saw in "Voices Of The Game" only more disjointed and even less coherent.To his credit, Smith has evidently made peace with some of the announcers whose work he ripped in the past like Gary Thorne of the Mets, Monte Moore of Oakland etc.and I even applaud the fact that he's willing to acknowledge that John Sterling has a following among Yankee fans despite the shrill blastings he gets from New York media critics.But I'm sorry, you can not include Phil Rizzuto and Bill White on this list and leave Messer out (And include Hawk Harrelson for God's sake?????).A more competent baseball writer, Bruce Markusen, has noted how Messer's low-key approach of competent professionalism was the perfect tonic in the Yankee booth to the witty exchanges of Rizzuto and White.Nine innings of Rizzuto and White would have been overkill, but with Messer in the mix, the blend was perfect.Yankee broadcasting went into a tailspin after Messer was dismissed in 1985 and it took seven years for them to land on their feet with the arrival of the John Sterling-Michael Kay tandem.

Smith also is not someone who aggressively does his homework on baseball's broadcasting past, but seems content to just recycle his 20 year old notes, because in addition to rehashing almost verbatim comments from his 20 year old book, he's amazingly still repeating a goof from "Voices Of The Game" that should have been corrected long ago.On page 230, in his profile of Giants broadcaster Lon Simmons, Smith quotes verbatim the famous NBC Radio call of Willie McCovey's liner to Bobby Richardson ending Game 7 of the 1962 World Series.The only problem though, is that call was made by George Kell, not Simmons (Simmons, contrary to the profile listing, was never part of the NBC Radio crew for the 62 WS.All of the games were called by Kell and Joe Garagiola).

Someone else needs to rescue the history of baseball broadcasting from what Curt Smith has done and write a better book (something similar to David Halberstam's 1999 "Sports On New York Radio").It will be a pity if our long-term reference works on baseball broadcasting will have to consist of Smith's badly written subjective opinions that muddle up so much of the meaningful information there is for us to learn about.

Voices of Summer
Not a book that you sit down and read on a lazy afternoon.The structure and the data given make it more reference material.In that regard it scores well.It did not indicate that in the write-up.Disappointing.

Smith writes.Reader reads.Headache starts.
Baseball on the radio is truly a beautiful thing.As a child I use to lay in bed at night and fall asleep listening to Dodger games.Vin Scully painted vivid pictures of not only the action on the field, but the atmosphere in the stadium.Even today, as an adult, I find it more enjoyable to listen to Giants and A's games on the radio, because Jon Miller and Bill King are great announcers.With that backdrop you can imagine how excited I was to recently receive this book as a birthday present, and how dissappointed I was after reading it.
Curt Smith writes in a style that at best could be described as eclectic, and at worst ragtag.Everything is written in a disjointed, stream of consciousness format that leaves the reader confused and reaching for the Tylenol.
Reading this book reminded of the first time I read Shakespeare (9th grade/"A Midsummer Nights Dream").I wanted to enjoy the writing, but was at times thoroughly frustrated by the text.Part of me wanted to cry, the other scream at the top of my lungs.
Despite my love of baseball, and my fondness for radio announcers, I could not recommend this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This work uses practical measures to scientifically rank major league players, position by position, according to their offensive and defensive skills. The author has adjusted individual statistics for the era in which the player was active and for the home park factor in order to put all eligible players on a level playing field. For each position, the author has identified the top contenders for best offensive, defensive and all-around player, and provides a brief history of each of the candidates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Disappointing
I love the Bill James books and the philosophy of the numbers. I ordered this book months in advance but was utterly disappointed when it showed up yesterday. William looks at the numbers and nothing else. So Gene Tenace was the best offensive catcher in history? I realize his best seasons were in the early 70's when offense was down, but c'mon. Graig Nettles was a better all-around player than George Brett? Bobby Grich is the #2 second baseman in history!!LOL I know he's underrated (and actually started his career about the same time as Tenace), but oh man. So he'd rather have Grich than Morgan, Hornsby, Collins, etc? No need to go on... And the book is a year late (through 2007) and he didn't include active players near the end of their career in his calculations (e.g., Clemens, Bonds, Piazza, Maddux)!!!I'm returning it. Save your money. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Golf Book
Great pictures and great overall history of the game and its players.Looks great on the coffee table too.our male guests always look through it.

Phone-it-in hack job
As the author acknowledges in the foreword, any 'top 100' list is bound to be highly subjective.Unfortunately, the foreword is about the only place where an explanation/defense of the rankings can be found.

The remainder of the book is a paint-by-numbers, term-paper rehash of each golfer's bio and records - information readily available elsewhere (and obviously the basis for this cut-and-paste edition).

Spelling errors ("symbollic", "Colin Montgomery") confirm the complete lack of effort.

To use everybody's favorite Amazon cliche, don't waste your time or money. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: 2005 in Snooker, Cue Sports at the World Games 2005, Snooker World Ranking Points 2005/2006, 2005 World Snooker Championship, 2005 Welsh Open, 2005 Irish Masters, 2005 Malta Cup, 2005 Uk Championship, Snooker World Rankings 2005/2006, 2005 Premier League Snooker, Snooker World Rankings 2004/2005, Snooker at the World Games 2005 - Men's Singles, Three-Cushion Billiards at the World Games 2005 - Men's Singles, Nine-Ball at the World Games 2005 - Women's Singles, Nine-Ball at the World Games 2005 - Men's Singles, 2005 Masters, Snooker Season 2005/2006, Snooker Season 2004/2005, 2005 Mosconi Cup, 2005 Pot Black. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 82. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Snooker world ranking points 2005/2006: The official world ranking points for the 94 professional snooker players in the 2005/2006 season are listed below. The total points from the seasons 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 are used to determine the ranking for the season 2006/2007. ...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=19079423 ... Read more

Product Description
This thoroughly revised edition of Baseball's Best 1,000 includes updated listings plus new players, rankings, and photographs, all in a handier format that makes it a terrific pocket reference.

Amust-have book for baseball fans obsessed with stats, quick facts, and the age-old debates over who the best players are and why, Baseball's Best 1,000 showcases the lives, legends, and lore of the game's top players, ranked in order. Sportswriter Derek Gentile has pared down the total list of players—tens of thousands of them—to an elite ranking of the thousand greatest, based on criteria including lifetime stats; player durability and consistency; All-Star participation; MVP, Gold Glove, and Cy Young awards; individual statistical championships; personal and professional contributions to the game; sportsmanship; and election to the Hall of Fame. Each entry includes positions played, teams played for, years played, lifetime stats, and a biography of the player featuring his great moments and little-known facts.

• New players include Curt Schilling, Mike Mussina, and Manny Ramirez.
•Barry Bonds has moved up from Number 19 to Number 6.
• Roger Clemens has moved from Number 33 into the top 20.
• Dozens of Negro League players are here, as well as rankings of the best Japanese players, women players, and "prehistoric" players (from the time before stats were formally recorded). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Baseball's Best 1,000
This book was delivered, as advertised. Although a very subjective analysis by the author, it was interesting to learn about ball players other than Hall of Famers/Superstars. I am sure you can think of who you would rank in the last 100 to 200 instead of some of the authors picks. There are a few typos and what seem to be conflits in facts between the players, but overall, very informative.

The Very Best in Baseball
The author presents a personal portrait of each
baseball great. The descriptions contain pertinent
information about baseball stats, nicknames,
career highlights and rank. Giants; such as,
Traynor, Mickey Mantle and Sandy Koufax appear
throughout.

The acquisition would be appropriate for the
baseball buff in your house. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Sporting News, published by Sporting News Publishing Co. on March 25, 2005. The length of the article is 924 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Fantasy source.
Author: George Winkler
Publication: The Sporting News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 25, 2005
Publisher: Sporting News Publishing Co.
Volume: 229Issue: 12Page: 59(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Jet, published by Thomson Gale on July 25, 2005. The length of the article is 580 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Venus Williams returns to top 10 ranking after winning third Wimbledon title.(SPORTS)(Interview)
Publication: Jet (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 25, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 108Issue: 4Page: 56(2)

Article Type: Interview

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on October 13, 2007. The length of the article is 1063 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: ASU climbs in rankings, looks to avoid upset.(Wire Sports)(After a substandard effort against Washington State, the Sun Devils face Washington)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: October 13, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: B18

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
All students of judo have at some time wished that they could find an overview of all the relevant material concerning the sport in one compact volume. This is exactly that book. Including virtually everything a student or instructor needs to know about judo, whether techniques, requirements, rankings, or regulations, this long-awaited reference is designed to complement any level of study. Useful illustrations throughout the book demonstrate the moves required for each level of study.

The book is based on a syllabus presented directly to the author by the legendary Kyuzo Mifune (1883-1965), 10th dan, the highest Kodokan rank, who suggested that she illustrate and formulate it for the benefit of judo practitioners overseas. This occurred just several months before Mifune passed away at the age of eighty-two. The foreword is by Keiko Fukuda, 9th dan USJF, USA Kata Technical Advisor, and many of the illustrations are provided by Nishioka H. Hayward, 8th dan and former USA Judo World Team Member.

Subjects include a brief history of judo, the structure of international judo, a basic introduction to judo (enrollment, bylaws, principles and aims, the dojo, equipment, judogi, and tatami), ranking system, warming-up and cooling-down exercises, kumikata, bowing, Gokyo-no-waza, learning to become an instructor, ukemi, uchikomi, the role of the coach, breakfalling basics, adult (seinen) grade requirements, adolescent (shonen) grade requirements, children (yonen) grade requirements, younger children (mon) grade requirements, the International Judo Federation Sports and Organization Rules, and the International Judo Federation Refereeing Rules. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A good reference, but poor instruction manual.
If you are new to Judo, this book will give you a flavor of the many different techniques you will learn, as well as the history of judo and grade requirements for advancement. Don't look to it as a teaching manual. The techniques are only briefly described and the illustrations are sometimes difficult to follow. It is a good reference, though. ... Read more