The Bill James Handbook 2011
By Baseball Info Solutions
SRP: $24.95
One book that makes to my book shelf each year are the Bill James Handbooks. They are the essential book for the hardcore baseball fan.
The main feature of the book is the stats; Baseball Info Solutions compiles all of 2010 major league stats (along with the last few years). For players with less MLB experience, they will also show minor league stats. Stats go back for the last 10 years.
The book also has great secondary features for the Sabremetric fans. Everything from defense (individual an team) to baserunning (including some facts, like Alex Rios scored from second on a single 24 times, the most of any major league player) to pinch hitting.
My favorite feature is Park Indices; they “are calculated in a way that neutralizes the effect of a team’s makeup and isolates the effects of the park.” Essentially, it tells which parks allow for more home runs, strikeouts, and errors. It also gives a 3 year average for each park (if available).
Another great feature are the Manager’s Records. Ever wondered if Tony LaRussa is quick to pull a pitcher? Curious about how many pinch hitters Dusty Baker uses? Do Billy Beane’s managers attempt many sacrafice bunts? Every thing a manager does is compiled here.
The final feature I wanted to point out is the Hall of Fame scores. James created a point system for players to see if they are worthy of the Hall; There are 32 ways to accumulate points. He then shows current and recently retired players and their scores by the year they were born. Many of the no doubt ones get high scores. There are also many that I never expected. It’s a fun part to read.
There are also great explanations for everything. Each section starts with a summary about what you are about to look at; most include explanations for new items and some of the more questionable stats. The book closes out with James’ projections (which can also be found at Fangraphs), percentage of a players chance to break milestones, and the glossary (which is worth the price alone).
The 2011 version, like it’s previous versions, are a welcome addition to any baseball library. Score: 5/5.