The Books of Summer: the first batter
I stopped reading books when I started reading blogs, yet I pick them up now and then. Since I started obsessing about baseball I thought I should read some stories about the game. It’s a way of easing back into reading and learning more about the game. I’ve finished four so far. Here’s a little summary of them.
First up is Money Ball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis. It’s an attempt to understand how certain teams are still winning in this age of high-priced free agency. They do it all through looking for players who are cheap and who can get on base most of the time. To be on base means to not be out, and the outs are highly valuable for winning teams. The fewer at bats that results in an out the better for the team. If you can find young cheap players that could contribute a better on base percentage then you have a chance to compete.
This is similar to Earl Weaver’s philosophy.
