The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2013

by Dave Studenmund

The Hardball Times' annual review of the 2012 baseball season, with prospect reviews and commentary, as well as ground-breaking historical research, economic and sabermetric articles. 100% baseball. The Hardball Times Annual is the "MVP of baseball annuals" and has been an annual bestseller since 2004.

Inside the pages you'll find:
- Craig Calcaterra's humorous take on the 2012 season.
- An ode to the Red Sox's season that could have been.
- A fan's take on thew amazing ups and downs of the Oakland A's.
- The legacies of Satchel Paige and Horace Stoneham in baseball history.
- The umpires who have had the widest strike zones in baseball history...and the smallest.
- Interviews with baseball insiders about how they construct their lineups.

What's more, we have a special section dedicated to the economics of baseball, such as an article by Dave Cameron on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, how much free agents are paid for their skills and a brand new feature: a case study in the business of baseball.

Plus, our usual assortment of division reviews, postseason coverage and what have you. As Sports Weekly said, "There are several baseball books that come out every year for the holiday season, but none as well-rounded and complete as the Hardball Times Baseball Annual."

Genres: Baseball, Sports

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting articles this year. The book has sections for commentary, history, a review of the 2012 season, and economics and analysis. Sprinkled in each section are some whimsy stats that try to capture an overlooked part of baseball (like RECK, which measures "reckless power").

My favorite part was the economics and analysis section. There are articles on the new CBA, free agent spending trends, and BABIP changes with runners on base.

Recommended for baseball fans.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the book is a collection of essays, it is, naturally, fairly uneven. It is enjoyable, although if you don't follow baseball really closely, this probably won't be of much interest. The historical essays and the review of the 2012 season were the best parts for me, and the economic articles were the dull ones. Of course, for another reader, the opposite may be true. It's a pleasant read, but an uneven one.

[Brian Ashmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give this a 3.5 star rating. I saw another review that mentioned the uneven writing in his book, and I'd agree. Some good thought provoking articles from some writers; others didn't do much for me but add pages that I read. I'd still recommend this to people wanting to see more about Sabermetrics or more in depth baseball knowledge in general