Alright, this kicks off my daily feature of discussing the current top ten book list over at Amazon.com. Of course by the time you read this, the list very well may have changed so bear with me. Here’s a look at the list:
1) Baseball Prospectus 2008
2) Baseball America 2008 Prospect Handbook
3) Bill James Goldmine 2008
4) Ron Shandler’s Baseball Forecaster 2007
5) Moneyball
6) Bill James Handbook 2008
7) Hardball Times Season Preview 2008
8) Game of Shadows
9) Crazy ‘08
10) Minor League Baseball Analyst 2008
There’s no surprise that the perennial powerhouse, Baseball Prospectus, checks in at number one. I got my copy earlier this week, read the Tigers section and a couple of others and put it down in favor of Bill James Goldmine. Number 2 is BA’s Prospect Handbook, which is a book I’ve never purchased. Bill James Goldmine is the book I’m going through now and while I like it, it’s more of a preview/highlight of what’s over at Bill James Online. I’m not sure why Shandler’s Forecaster from last year is on the list but it may be a mistake. If you want to get the most current version, be sure to get 2008 not 2007.
Moneyball, a personal favorite, rounds out the top five. Despite it being written nearly five years old, it’s a testament to how solid of a read it is because it’s still in the top five. The Bill James Handbook, the first of the “annuals” to be published every year, still has some staying power at number six while Game of Shadows, aka the Barry Bonds story, checks in at number eight with a very reasonable 5.99 price tag. In between those two is the Hardball Times Preseason Annual, which I wrote the Tigers section for. I’m obviously biased so anything I say about it should be read with a grain of salt.
Crazy ‘08 is a book I just picked up but haven’t read yet. The 1908 Cubs should be highlighted over at Wrigley Field Curse, although Aaron dropped the ball last year on his 1907 Cubs diary. He has told me he’s committed to doing the job this year. I’ve never purchased the Minor League Baseball Analyst, but that rounds out the top ten. I’m curious to hear what people have to say about it though and whether I should add it to the growing list of baseball annuals I purchase every year.
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March 10th, 2008 at 6:24 am
I just finished Crazy ‘08. It’s a great read. A lot of good historical sidebars too. It’s amazing what people could get away with 100 years ago…
March 12th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
I am currently reading a book titled ‘The Final Season’ by Tom Stanton which is about the Tigers final season in Tiger Stadium. It also goes though the authors final years with his father, and how the history of Tiger Stadium has shaped his life.
Its a really interesting book, and if your a Tigers fan of any sort and know some history about the team, I’m sure you’ll love it.