Reviews

Not "since baseball cards were a quarter a pack," writes USA Today of this ultimate baseball lover's guide, have baseball fans "been able to get this much for so little." Compiled by master statistician Palmer (coeditor, Total Baseball, now in its 7th ed.) and baseball historian Gillette (columnist, ESPN.com) with a foreword by reporter Peter Gammons, this well-organized volume attractively presents massive amounts of information, history, and statistics. The coverage encompasses historical records, hometown heroes, All-Star games, postseason series and playoffs, Hall of Famers, great performances, and the global game. Additionally, fascinating essays address the historical records of baseball from 1871 to 2006. Every page provides compelling information, be it the year-by-year and team-by-team batting and pitching statistics for all players in Major League history; a list of all-time leaders in 150 different categories; Negro League statistics; data about teams, managers, and ballparks; or a rundown of every record ever set. There are more than a dozen new features in this edition, including the presentation of annual leaders in seven new categories (e.g., bases on balls, outfield assists, and fewest hits and fewest strikeouts per game), a comprehensive Umpire Register, and lists of hitters and pitchers selected to the most All-Star games. Chicago Cubs fans will treasure the essay from 1908, which details the team's only World Series win to date. BOTTOM LINE Because of the significant updates made since the publication of The 2006 ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia, this edition is recommended for all libraries with sports collections.-Kathleen A. Welton, Chicago Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.