Review of "Game of Edges"

This is the first of three reviews I am posting in the next three days as after a lull in my reading time, I had plenty of time to read on a recent trip for a conference in Washington DC.  As one who prefers train travel when possible, this meant extra reading time.  For the first review, I am posting this one on a book on the use of data analysis in professional sports.  Here is my review of "Game of Edges." 

 

Title/Author: “Game of Edges: The Analytics Revolution and the Future of Professional Sports” by Bruce Schoenfeld

 

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: Fans of professional sports are certainly aware that analytics are now an important part of their favorite sports, no matter which one(s) they prefer.  While many do see the change in the games on the field due to the use of data, they may not be aware that the same type of analysis is used by many team owner for the business side as well.  This book by Bruce Schoenfeld does a good job of explaining this use of data both on and off the field.

I found the discussions on the business aspect of analytics most fascinating. Items that are mentioned cover mainly Major League Baseball and the English Premier League but they are certainly applicable to most professional sports franchises.  It is especially interesting to read about the Premier League franchises who used data to determine how they may be able to sell more merchandise, for one example.  Another excellent example of this was how John Henry, the owner of baseball’s Boston Red Sox, arrived at the decision to buy the Liverpool Premier League team. 

For teams in the United States, one of the more interesting concepts on the business side of analytics was something that anyone who has attended a professional sports event in the past few years can see – the many options outside of the game itself to bring fans (and their money) to the area.  The Red Sox are one example given – Henry was looking to open Red-Sox themed pubs around Boston but was discouraged from doing so by then-Commissioner Bud Selig.  The reason was that this might also be something the rival of the Red Sox would do, the New York Yankees, and help them bring in more money and therefore more wins.  The other interesting business analytics example was also in baseball.  The owner of the Chicago Cubs looked to partner with Draft Kings to open a gambling parlor at Wrigley Field to bring that aspect (growing in leaps and bounds) to their business model as well.  Both of these stories made for great reading.

Analytics that affect the games also are included in this book, but it wasn’t as compelling as the sections on the business side.  The best of this writing was actually about an “anti-analytics” manager, Ned Yost of the Kansas City Royals.  Schoenfeld does a nice job of explaining how he had success with the team during the 2014 and 2015 seasons (in the latter, the Royals were champions). There is also some good discussion of the 2020 World Series between two teams who do embrace analytics, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays. The most compelling discussion here was about the Rays’ decision to pull their starting pitcher, Blake Snell, early in the decisive sixth game.  But overall, while good, this isn’t quite as good as the business side of this discussion on the use of data analytics in sports.  It is a book recommended for any fan of any professional sport.

I wish to thank W. W. Norton & Company for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The views expressed are strictly mine.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Game-Edges-Analytics-Revolution-Professional/dp/0393531686/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

Review of "The Book of Joe"

During the holiday season, I always like to pick up a baseball book since it's about halfway between the end of the previous season and the start of spring training.  Usually the baseball news is slow at that time (not this year), so it's the best time to do so.  My choice for that this holiday season is this book on Joe Maddon. 

 

Title/Author:

“The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life” by Joe Maddon and Tom Verducci

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:  

This book fits perfectly with its subject, Joe Maddon, because it’s hard to classify what type of book this is, just as it is difficult to classify what type of baseball manager Maddon is.  He spent 19 years as a major league coach or manager of the Los Angeles Angels (a coach from 2002-2005, then as manager from 2019-2022), Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs.  It was with the latter two teams where he made his mark on the game, first by taking the Rays from the worst record in baseball in 2007 to the American League pennant in 2008, then ending the Cubs’ 108-year championship drought by bringing a World Series championship to Wrigley Field in 2016.

The reason it is hard to classify this book is that it doesn’t have a nice even flow – at times it reads like a memoir, especially when he is talking about his days as a minor league scout and manager.  Other times, he sounds like a philosopher when he is talking to his players, especially when he or the player comes up with a phrase or slogan that is used for motivation.  A great example is in the subtitle of this book – “Try not to suck.”  Then still other times this reads like a baseball history book when explaining the various eras of managerial styles, from dictatorships to being “yes” men to front office personnel making decision by analytics.

The book does illustrate Maddon as a complex person, whether talking about his managerial style, his road to get to the major leagues or even when trying to fit him into one of these categories.  He speaks out frequently against having too much data inside one’s head, whether that is his own head when making game decisions or giving too much to a player that may cause him to overthink and lose sight of what he actually needs to do on the field.  But before saying that Maddon is an “old-school” type of manager, there are passages that talk about his embracing of data, including carrying clunky computers while traveling before the use of this type of data was common in baseball.

This isn’t to say that the book doesn’t have its positive qualities.  Many of the stories Maddon shares are funny and entertaining and it’s clear that while he may have some “old school” thoughts, he certainly is aware of today’s game and players.  Verducci is a well-respected baseball journalist and it is clear that he contributed to the history portions.  This included portraits of past owners and managers such as Gene Mauch and Billy Martin.  They are all interesting and good reads – but thrown together in the manner that they are done so in this book just makes it one that doesn’t seem to be complete.  When finished, I felt that something was missing and that I couldn’t get exactly what message was being sent to me, the reader.  But if one is a fan of Maddon or likes to just read about baseball, this book is for that person.

I wish to thank Twelve Books for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Link: The Book of Joe: Trying Not to Suck at Baseball and Life: Maddon, Joe, Verducci, Tom: 9781538751794: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "The Extra 2%"

Only about a month to go until pitchers and catchers report - the four magic words that all baseball fans love to hear. Until then, baseball books are the next best thing and I picked up this one on the Tampa Bay Rays and how they went from laughing stock to serious contender.  Here is my review of "The Extra 2%"

Title/Author:

“The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team From Worst to First” by Jonah Keri

Tags:

Baseball, professional, business, Rays, audiobook

Publish date:

June 8, 2011

Length:

272 pages

Rating: 

3 of 5 stars (okay)

Review:

One of the best accomplishments a sports team can achieve is to jump from last place one season to first place the next.  In 2008, the Tampa Bay major league baseball club not only changed its name from Devil Rays to Rays, they jumped from fifth place to first in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, and then went on to capture the American League pennant. This book by Jonah Keri attempts to describe the strategies that the front office team of Stuart Sternberg, Matt Silverman and Andrew Friedman employed to take the team from worst to first.

The strategy of trying harder by that extra 2% in the title is not clear while reading or listening to this book. There is an exhaustive description of all the poor practices of the previous ownership team led by Vince Naimoli – everything from overpaying for aging sluggers to harassing fans who brought their own food into the ballpark. When the trio of former Wall Street businessmen take over, it is almost like the cavalry came in to rescue the Devil Rays.  While their record speaks for itself – improving by 31 wins from 2007 to 2008 – the way this was done did not seem to use Wall Street strategies.

Because of this, the book fell a little flat in that aspect as I expected it to have more groundbreaking strategies for building a winning baseball team.  Instead, Keri discusses the problems that Tampa has in generating revenue with a poorly located stadium, limited media revenue and poor luck in being in the same division as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, two teams with huge revenue streams.  There is some “Moneyball” aspects, some wise drafting and investments and recognition that spending a lot of money on a bad team to gain a few more wins won’t improve long-range success.  While all of those were key reasons why Tampa Bay became a better team, none of it seemed like a breakthrough discovery that was expected.

There is one other topic that Keri discusses in depth, not only about Tampa Bay but other locations as well, and that is how baseball teams will extort cities and states to finance new ballparks with the threat to move. While this was very interesting material, what seemed a little off to me was that other teams such as the Florida/Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins were discussed when this topic was covered instead of the Rays and what they are doing to try to get a new stadium.

Overall, this book was okay because the material is interesting and it is always good to hear success stories.  However, what was expected from the title and book description and what was actually presented were two different things which left me feeling a little disappointed when I completed the book.  This book is recommended for fans of the Rays, but if one wants to learn more about building a winning team, this isn’t the best source.

Book Format Read:

Audiobook

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/Extra-2-Street-Strategies-Baseball-ebook/dp/B004GTLVJK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1484700225&sr=1-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/extra-2-jonah-keri/1100394936?ean=9780345517654

Review of "Double Play"

In previous reviews and posts, I have mentioned that I have been looking to add sport romance books to my reading lists, as long as they include the sport prominently.  This memoir by Ben Zobrist and his wife Julianna is one of the best - because it is a real life romance, not fictional. A book I thoroughly enjoyed, here is my review of "Double Play." 

Title/Author:

“Double Play” by Ben and Julianna Zobrist with Mike Yorkey

Tags:

Baseball, Rays, faith, Christianity romance, marriage

Publish date:

April 1, 2014

Length:

261 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

When I saw this biography of current Tampa Bay Rays infielder Ben Zobrist, I wasn’t sure what to take away from this book.  Knowing that he was a man of faith and that his wife was a popular Christian singer, I was expecting to read a biography about his success that was completely due to his faith in God. Ben Zobrist did talk about that, but this book was so much more than just a message of inspiration.

This couple was brought together, in both of their minds, because of their faith.  Both wanted to pursue their dreams – Ben in baseball, Julianna in music – and wanted to make sure that the path they took toward those goals was the one that they felt God would lead them to.  They are good stories; especially Ben’s when he paid $50 for a tryout that led to a baseball scholarship and eventually a professional contract.   

However, I felt what was the best part of this book was the budding romance between the two of them and how both of them never wavered from their principles just to be together.  It had to be right and within their beliefs and they made it happen.  I have noted before that I was looking for good sports romance books – that this one happened in real life made it of the best sports romances a reader could ask for.

The book alternates narratives throughout, although some of Ben’s passages about baseball are longer.  He covers every part of his career – his college days, his minor league career when he was a newlywed and the struggles he first had with Tampa and what he did to improve enough to be named to the All-Star game in 2008. There is enough baseball talk to satisfy sports fans and yet it is basic enough that readers who do not follow the game can understand.

Julianna talks about her past issues, including a harrowing experience in her youth, her struggles with relationships and her love of music that eventually led to a recording contract.  Her story also includes her relationship with God, her trials and tribulations as a baseball wife and her joy of not only doing something she loves but also her joy of being a mother.

This book was an uplifting, refreshing sports biography.  Instead of the stories of hardship, drinking, womanizing and later regret, the reader is treated to learning about two people who through the love of their God, they discovered their love for each other. 

I wish to thank NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Did I skim?

No

Pace of the book: 

This was an extremely quick read as I completed the book in one sitting in less than two hours.  The switching between Ben’s and Julianna’s stories was a big reason for this.

Do I recommend? 

This is a book that readers of many different genres will enjoy. There is enough baseball talk for a fan to enjoy.  Readers who like inspiring stories, especially those based around the Christian faith, will want to read this book. Romance novel readers will think one of their fictional reads will have come to real life when reading this book.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Double-Play-Ben-Zobrist-ebook/dp/B00IX69ISI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1416275822&sr=1-1&keywords=double+play+ben

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/double-play-ben-zobrist/1115951194?ean=9781433683312