Book Review: The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An historical compendium of pitching, pitchers and pitchesby Jonathan LeshanskjiJune 5, 2004 Book Review: The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers: An Historical Compendium of Pitching, Pitchers, and Pitches By Bill James and Rob Neyer Published by Fireside Books p. 484 Available June 15, 2004 I must admit that when this book arrived I moved it to the top of the pile of books to review for several reasons. The first is that I admire the works of both Neyer and James and that James’ Historical Baseball Abstract ( ) is among my favorite baseball books of all time, second is that James has been a good friend of At Home Plate (See our interview with Bill on the sidebar index) and lastly is that as a former pitcher I was fascinated to see just what these two had cooked up in this collaboration. While the two of them fail to agree on a lot of topics, the book provides both of their opinions on most issues and it discusses a lot of issues that a fan of either history or the modern game will find interesting. In my opinion the best part of the book is the first part of the book called “Pitches” which discusses the evolution and methodology of pitches, where they came from, how they are thrown and a few players that really mastered them. They also talk about the transformations of pitch names and the top 10 pitchers that mastered each pitch. Admittedly this is all based upon the opinions of the authors but with two master researchers like Neyer and James you can bet that the opinion is at least a slightly informed one. The second section is a little more eclectic but it is obviously meant to be the heart of the book – it’s called “Pitchers”. It is here that the book loses a little bit of the focus - at least in my mind. It starts with a series of ten profiles that are similar to the profiles and anecdotes found in the Historical Baseball abstract or Deadball Stars of the National League (link) and while I am sure they are meant to highlight certain interesting pitchers and their stories, they lack obvious context as to why these players were picked. The players that are profiled are Tommy Bond, Tony Mullane, Wilbur Cooper, Eddie Rommel, Mel Harder, Lon Warneke, Tommy Bridges, Bucky Walters, Billy Pierce and Bob Friend. The meat of the book is not these profiles, but the pitcher census that looks at roughly 2000 pitchers of the past and present. It looks at the pitchers in terms of both vital statistics as well as explains what pitches that they threw or were believed to have thrown. It also lists the source used to determine that information and some of the profiles contain other information including quotes, key information and descriptions of delivery, motion of the ball or other interesting tidbits. No other book has really looked at old time pitchers in this way with a similar methodology. And while we may have heard of many of the pitchers, odds are that most of us don’t know what pitches they threw or which were their best pitches. For those doing research on old time pitchers this book will prove invaluable and for the rest of us it will be a source of knowledge and trivia that will only improve our knowledge of the game. The authors wrap up the second section with a quick survey of knuckleballers and submariners, which I thoroughly enjoyed. After that they move into the last section “Pitching”, which is purely Bill James except for a brief defense of the PAP (Pitcher Abuse Point) system by its creators Rany Jazayerli and Keith Woolner, following James’ efforts to disprove its validity in an article called “Abuse and Durability”. No matter which side you opt to believe it is an interesting section. Other articles in the Pitching section include a methodology for predicting Cy Young Award voting (and winners), a look at the luckiest and unluckiest pitchers of all time (based upon how many games they should have won statistically) and a section on unique records that discusses things like Bill James’ exercise regimen and facts such as Randy Johnson being the only pitcher ever to finish 24-5 in a single major league season. The main critique of this section would be that this seems to be a bit forced and unnecessary but true Bill James fans will probably love it. While to a critical eye the book seems to be a bit uneven at times there is no doubt in my mind that many readers will love it book and enjoy all of the features and how they are laid out. Even those that dislike the flow and vaguely related articles will enjoy this book for its impeccable research, the section on pitches and the wealth of knowledge contained within. This book earns 3.0 out of four balls because any fan of the game will find their knowledge of baseball and the inner mechanics of pitching greatly improved. Now I’m going to go practice my knuckleball all week. -Jonathan Our Rating System is based on a four ball system as follows: One Ball: Average. It has something to say but is nothing special. Two Balls: Something men usually have - also means its a cut above average, and worth reading/owning. Three balls: Stands out from its peers and is highly recommended. Four Balls: More than just what two men have when hanging out together, it means it is an exceptional book that truly earns a walk - straight to the local book store to get a copy. |
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