Baseball Between the Numbers: Why Everything You Know About the Game Is Wrong, which is a book put together by the great minds over at BaseballProspectus.com, was one of the more interesting and challenging baseball books I've read in awhile. Unlike some of the other books I've reviewed on SawxBlog, I wouldn't suggest this book for the casual baseball fan. This is a book that is based around a lot of modern day statistics that are not showing up in your newspapers box scores yet, and if you're not looking to be challenged you won't make it too far with Baseball Between the Numbers.
The more educated or sophisticated fan will not be surprised with a lot that's in here, and I'm sure they'd already have prior knowledge of most of what's being talked about here. However, how Baseball Prospectus approaches these statistics, and the subsequent arguments that arise from them, is always done in a fun and interesting way. Having titles of chapters like, "What if Rickey Henderson Had Pete Incaviglia's Legs" & "Why Doesn't Billy Beane's Shit Work in the Playoffs?" are sure to pique your interest.
There's a notes and glossary section in the back of the book to help you understand acronyms you may not be too familiar with so you don't get too lost in the fray of baseball statistics. The the team of writers do a decent job in not trying to talk over your head, and there's also an assortment of graphs and equations that couple together with what you're reading within the pages.
In short if you have a passion for the game, and a desire to see the game more like modern day GM's and front offices are looking at it, then this book is most certainly for you. I found myself re-reading a few paragraphs more then once, but felt like it was very good in my continuing education of the game. I also feel that this book is especially good for Red Sox fans to read. Not only because I'd like us to continue to be some of the more knowledgeable fans in the game, but also because the pursuit and balance of modern day baseball statistics has become bible throughout the Red Sox organization, and has obviously shown its dividends in the previous few seasons (the payroll doesn't hurt either...).
Baseball Between the Numbers may or may not flip the world of baseball on end for you, depending on your depth of knowledge on modern day stats, but if you love the game, you'll have to respect the knowledge and commit shown by the individual authors within the book, which truly does get you between the numbers.
Overall: 9.5/10
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