Monthly Archives: June 2012

The God of the Hive by Laurie R. King: a very short review

Worth reading just for the description of the funeral.

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Baseball Research Journal 1974 edited by Bob Davids: a review

The third BRJ issue has the usual array of basic research and lightweight work; it’s interesting enough and very readable. The best work in this edition was biographical.

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The Complete Book of Baseball’s Negro Leagues by John Holway: a review

This formidable book is the culmination of John Holway’s life’s work. The project is a considerable accomplishment, and a valuable reference, but it’s a disappointment.

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The Baseball Analyst Issue 5: a review

O’Brien’s contribution is a quick-n-dirty examination of the relative importance of hitting and pitching when a team’s record improves or regresses by .031 (5 games). He concludes that teams whose records improve might show improvement at either offense or defense (or both). While collapsing teams have generally similar numbers, it appears more likely that the cause is a decline in offensive production. He goes on to examine ballpark effects. (O’Brien’s getting better at writing up his studies, which is good.)

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