"One of the most engrossing histories of baseball ever." --From the Foreword by Peter Gammons "A romp . Schwarz merrily keeps ratcheting up the book''s wows-per-page average." -- The Washington Post "The pastime behind the national pastime . a very human look at generations of baseball fanatics." -- The Philadelphia Inquirer "A riveting history of the search for new baseball knowledge." --Michael Lewis, author of Moneyball "The language of baseball is statistics, and Alan Schwarz gives us an unprecedented look at one of the world''s great romance languages. Schwarz deftly illuminates the history and relevance of baseball statistics and is at the tops of his game introducing the people behind the numbers.
" -- Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated "Alan Schwarz makes statistics as interesting as games and the people who play them. Who knew that numbers could have such personality?" --Sally Jenkins, author of Funny Cide and the bestselling It''s Not About the Bike "One of the very best baseball journalists working today, (Schwarz) has written a wonderful history that will appeal even to those with no particular interest in the game . Remarkable." -- The New York Observer "An enormously entertaining and engrossing book that should be read by everyone." -- The Seattle Times "An essential book for any baseball library, one that simultaneously makes for breezy reading and holds up as an essential piece of research." -- The Chicago Sports Review "What sounds potentially dry -- a stat freak family tree -- is instead a lush landscape of eccentric scientists, pack-rat alcoholics, back-stabbing partners and a minimum-wage night watchman whose essays created a sensation (perhaps you''ve heard of Bill James)." -- The San Jose Mercury News "Reads like a whodunit . with a season-full of heretofore under-reported facts, nuances and stories.
" -- Long Beach Press-Telegram "Intelligent, smartly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News the Bike "One of the very best baseball journalists working today, (Schwarz) has written a wonderful history that will appeal even to those with no particular interest in the game . Remarkable." -- The New York Observer "An enormously entertaining and engrossing book that should be read by everyone." -- The Seattle Times "An essential book for any baseball library, one that simultaneously makes for breezy reading and holds up as an essential piece of research." -- The Chicago Sports Review "What sounds potentially dry -- a stat freak family tree -- is instead a lush landscape of eccentric scientists, pack-rat alcoholics, back-stabbing partners and a minimum-wage night watchman whose essays created a sensation (perhaps you''ve heard of Bill James).
" -- The San Jose Mercury News "Reads like a whodunit . with a season-full of heretofore under-reported facts, nuances and stories." -- Long Beach Press-Telegram "Intelligent, smartly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News artly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them.
" -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News the Bike "One of the very best baseball journalists working today, (Schwarz) has written a wonderful history that will appeal even to those with no particular interest in the game . Remarkable." -- The New York Observer "An enormously entertaining and engrossing book that should be read by everyone." -- The Seattle Times "An essential book for any baseball library, one that simultaneously makes for breezy reading and holds up as an essential piece of research." -- The Chicago Sports Review "What sounds potentially dry -- a stat freak family tree -- is instead a lush landscape of eccentric scientists, pack-rat alcoholics, back-stabbing partners and a minimum-wage night watchman whose essays created a sensation (perhaps you''ve heard of Bill James)." -- The San Jose Mercury News "Reads like a whodunit . with a season-full of heretofore under-reported facts, nuances and stories." -- Long Beach Press-Telegram "Intelligent, smartly researched and often hilarious.
" -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News the Bike "One of the very best baseball journalists working today, (Schwarz) has written a wonderful history that will appeal even to those with no particular interest in the game . Remarkable." -- The New York Observer "An enormously entertaining and engrossing book that should be read by everyone." -- The Seattle Times "An essential book for any baseball library, one that simultaneously makes for breezy reading and holds up as an essential piece of research." -- The Chicago Sports Review "What sounds potentially dry -- a stat freak family tree -- is instead a lush landscape of eccentric scientists, pack-rat alcoholics, back-stabbing partners and a minimum-wage night watchman whose essays created a sensation (perhaps you''ve heard of Bill James)." -- The San Jose Mercury News "Reads like a whodunit .
with a season-full of heretofore under-reported facts, nuances and stories." -- Long Beach Press-Telegram "Intelligent, smartly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News artly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News artly researched and often hilarious.
" -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News the Bike "One of the very best baseball journalists working today, (Schwarz) has written a wonderful history that will appeal even to those with no particular interest in the game . Remarkable." -- The New York Observer "An enormously entertaining and engrossing book that should be read by everyone." -- The Seattle Times "An essential book for any baseball library, one that simultaneously makes for breezy reading and holds up as an essential piece of research." -- The Chicago Sports Review "What sounds potentially dry -- a stat freak family tree -- is instead a lush landscape of eccentric scientists, pack-rat alcoholics, back-stabbing partners and a minimum-wage night watchman whose essays created a sensation (perhaps you''ve heard of Bill James)." -- The San Jose Mercury News "Reads like a whodunit .
with a season-full of heretofore under-reported facts, nuances and stories." -- Long Beach Press-Telegram "Intelligent, smartly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News artly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News ght watchman whose essays created a sensation (perhaps you''ve heard of Bill James).
" -- The San Jose Mercury News "Reads like a whodunit . with a season-full of heretofore under-reported facts, nuances and stories." -- Long Beach Press-Telegram "Intelligent, smartly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them." -- Mike Lupica, New York Daily News artly researched and often hilarious." -- Publishers Weekly "Alan Schwarz turns the numbers of baseball into musical notes. He makes you understand them, he makes you care about them, and in the end, he makes you share his passion for them.
" -- Mike Lupica, New York.