Bill James Guide to Baseball Managers: From 1870 to Today

Some people complain that James relies on numbers too much sometimes - this book took some writing and research, and uses very little in the way of numbers - I also wish it would've been available in paperback one day but that isnt likely to happen. James writes about a number of famous managers and their managing tendencies - I'm curious to how he got his info and where from on their tendencies - if you need to find a book on baseball managers, this is the one to buy.

Why is this book is out of print? Why did it never go paperback? I'm a fan of nearly all Bill James' work; but this is his best. I found it in the public library and had to buy my own copy online for about $30, used. This is absolutely Bill James' most effective integration of numbers and age-old baseball questions. He must have been very pleased to write this and very disappointed that it didn't find a more enthusiastic audience. Let's hope he ignores the sales numbers, goes with his gut, and puts out a new edition.

This was a good effort from Bill James, butit left me wanting more. There were a lot of key managers that could have been addressed in greater detail

Without a doubt, Bill James is THE man who can best shed light on those forgotten heroes of yesteryear and today along with focusing on what or who are the greats. By tackling the subject of mgrs. he's added another feather in his cap regarding baseball history. The book is simply chock full of astute observations, great stats, and even better off-the-wall stories. The way the book is laid out also does not overwhelm you because it covers the entire history of the game. James breaks it down by decade and gives you a good feel for the eras and the managers who made them. I can hardly wait to see what James tackles next.

There are a few other books that deal exclusively with baseball managers and I've read most of them. None deal with the subject as objectively or with as much detail and enthusiasm as Bill James' new offering. Besides the celebrated managers of baseball history such as Stengel, McGraw, Mack and others, there are great pieces on lesser known managers such as Bill McKechnie, Fred Haney, Spencer Abbot and Billy Southworth. James also details a few objective ways to discuss and evaluate a manager's accomplishments. The book maps out the trends of various managerial strategies such as the sacrifice bunt and the use of a bullpen. Anyone who loves baseball will find this book hard to put down. And it'll make you think. As James says "managers are fascinating people" and this book makes for many hours of fascinating reading.