Description
Book SynopsisChallenges the traditional list of all-time hitters, which places Ty Cobb first, Tony Gwynn 16th, and includes just 8 players whose prime came after 1960. Here, the author argues that the raw batting averages used as the list's basis should be adjusted to take into account that the hitters played in different eras, with different rules.
Trade Review"[A] trenchant attempt to reorder the hierarchy... [Schell's] calculations produce a new all-time greatest hitter, revealed in sometimes breathless prose."--Joseph Kahn, New York Times "[Schell] has provided a wealth of baseball trivia and statistics. The style of writing is engaging and often lively and, in fact, encourages continued debate over the data and conclusions presented. The text will undoubtedly become a part of the baseball statistics fan's library."--Randall J. Swift, Mathematical Association of America Online Book Review "Buried deep within every true baseball fan is a nerd with a scorecard and a calculator... To refute those who say players from different eras can't be compared because they played in different circumstances, Schell levels the playing field by building models to account for those varying circumstances: ballparks, pitching quality, night games, etc... His conclusions are often surprising but well substantiated."--Booklist "[Schell] ranks current player Tony Gwynn as the best all-time hitter, well ahead of the modern batting king, Ted Williams, and no doubt outraging the ghosts of Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth... All in all, this book is for the hardcore baseball fan."--Library Journal "Altogether, a good read."--Earl Gutskey, The Los Angeles Times
Table of ContentsList of FiguresList of TablesTechnical NotesPrefaceIntroduction: In the Dugout3Pt. IThe Method131On Deck with the Qualifying Players152First Base - Adjusting for Late Career Declines293Second Base - Adjusting for Hitting Feasts and Famines454Third Base - Adjusting for League Batting Talent675Home - Adjusting for Ballpark103Pt. IIThe Findings1336The Adjusted Top 100 Hitters1357Top Hitters by Position1578Best Single-Season Batting Averages1739The Ballparks18510On Base Percentage21311The Hall of Fame22712Where Would the Current Stars Rank?241Afterword: Post-Game Wrap-Up249App. I: Abbreviations and Glossary253App. IIRight- vs. Left-Handed Hitting257App. IIILeague Batting Averages259App. IVBallpark Effect Batting Averages269App. VLeague Base on Balls Averages275References283Index285
