Brushbacks And Knockdowns - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0312322488 ISBN 13: 9780312322489

Synopsis

The "By The Numbers" sports columnist and author of Clearing the Bases presents a collection of essays that include "Who Was Better, Babe Ruth or Barry Bonds," "Who Was the Greatest Lefthander of All Time," and "The Myth of Competitive Balance." Reprint. 15,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

Allen Barra has written for The Wall Street Journal since 1995 and has been a regular contributor to The New York Times for more than fifteen years. He also writes for "The Sports Nut" on Slate.com and is a regular on NPR. He lives in South Orange, New Jersey.

From the Inside Flap

Allen Barra...a wonderful baseball writer.
---George Will

Allen Barra is back with Brushbacks and Knockdowns, his newest retrospective of baseball history and folklore. Risking barroom riots, his essays question, Who was a better hitter, Babe Ruth or Barry Bonds?, Who is the best player not in the Hall of Fame?, Who was the most valuable team player in baseball history? (Hint: His name rhymes with Yogi ), and Is baseball s talent pool shrinking?
And for the first time, Allen Barra will make some projections on the greatest players and most innovative new trends in the first half of the twenty-first century. He uses statistics to give decisive answers to Who s Right, The Owners or The Players? He also addresses the issue of steroids in baseball---how they undermine statistics and the fan s faith in the integrity of the statistics that have been the game s lifeline for more than a century.
In Brushbacks and Knockdowns, Barra takes on baseball s toughest arguments. Readers will never think about baseball s greatest stars, situations, and matchups in the same way again.

Praise for Brushbacks and Knockdowns

Barra...has outdone himself in this latest book. His stances on a variety of hot-button issues are sure to cause arguments, agreement, and even outrage.
---USA Today

Jolts readers into reconsidering baseball s clichés. For those fans who love to argue the merits of baseball s greatest players and teams.
---The Philadelphia Inquirer

[Barra] poses provocative questions and goes at them from all sides, setting up an argument, knocking it down, circling back to look from yet another angle.
---The Los Angeles Times

Praise for Clearing the Bases

If you love the game for what it is...step up and dig in. ---The New York Times

The book...is a real hackle raiser, but utterly fascinating. ---The Boston Globe

Barra s clear-eyed analysis makes Clearing the Bases one of the most thought-provoking books on the game to appear in some time. ---Bookpage

Barra...worships at the altar of statistics, where he isn t afraid to sacrifice a sacred cow or two. ---The Washington Post

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Allen Barra...a wonderful baseball writer.

---George Will

Allen Barra is back with Brushbacks and Knockdowns, his newest retrospective of baseball history and folklore. Risking barroom riots, his essays question, Who was a better hitter, Babe Ruth or Barry Bonds?, Who is the best player not in the Hall of Fame?, Who was the most valuable team player in baseball history? (Hint: His name rhymes with Yogi ), and Is baseball s talent pool shrinking?

And for the first time, Allen Barra will make some projections on the greatest players and most innovative new trends in the first half of the twenty-first century. He uses statistics to give decisive answers to Who s Right, The Owners or The Players? He also addresses the issue of steroids in baseball---how they undermine statistics and the fan s faith in the integrity of the statistics that have been the game s lifeline for more than a century.

In Brushbacks and Knockdowns, Barra takes on baseball s toughest arguments. Readers will never think about baseball s greatest stars, situations, and matchups in the same way again.

Praise for Brushbacks and Knockdowns

Barra...has outdone himself in this latest book. His stances on a variety of hot-button issues are sure to cause arguments, agreement, and even outrage.

---USA Today

Jolts readers into reconsidering baseball s clichés. For those fans who love to argue the merits of baseball s greatest players and teams.

---The Philadelphia Inquirer

[Barra] poses provocative questions and goes at them from all sides, setting up an argument, knocking it down, circling back to look from yet another angle.

---The Los Angeles Times

Praise for Clearing the Bases

If you love the game for what it is...step up and dig in. ---The New York Times

The book...is a real hackle raiser, but utterly fascinating. ---The Boston Globe

Barra s clear-eyed analysis makes Clearing the Bases one of the most thought-provoking books on the game to appear in some time. ---Bookpage

Barra...worships at the altar of statistics, where he isn t afraid to sacrifice a sacred cow or two. ---The Washington Post

Edition details

• Publication date: 1733
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312322488
• ISBN 13: 9780312322489
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 290