Baseball Best-Sellers, March 22, 2019

Headnote: The Amazon rankings are updated every hour, so these lists might not longer be 100 percent accurate by the time you read them. But it’ll be close enough for government work.

In addition, sometimes the powers-that-be over there try to pull a fast one by including a book in a category to which it should not be listed. For example, for some reason a listing included Tarnished Heels: How Unethical Actions and Deliberate Deceit at the University of North Carolina Ended the “The Carolina Way,” which, far as I can tell, is not at all about baseball. I’m using my discretion to eliminate such titles here. For example, this week the #2 book on the baseball best-seller list is The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect. “Why” is a good question.

Finally, adults only here. That is, no books for younger readers (although no erotic fiction that features baseball as a theme either. And goodness knows there are a bunch of those).

So, with all that said…

PRINT

Inside the Empire: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees, by Bob Klapisch and Paul Solotaroff
After The Miracle: The Lasting Brotherhood of the ’69 Mets, by Art Shamsky and Erik Sherman
Baseball Prospectus 2019
The MVP Machine: How Baseball’s New Nonconformists Are Using Data to Build Better Players, by Ben Lindbergh and Travis Sawchik
Baseball America 2019 Prospect Handbook
Astroball: The New Way to Win It All, by Ben Reiter
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, by Michael Lewis
The Science of Hitting, by Ted Williams with John Underwood
Special Brew: An Inside Look at the 2018 Milwaukee Brewers, by by Tom Haudricourt
Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher, by David Cone and Jack Curry

E-BOOKS

Inside the Empire
2019 Little League Rule Book
After the Miracle
Moneyball
Baseball Prospectus 2019
2019 NFHS Baseball Rules Book
Astroball
Francona: The Red Sox Years, by Terry Francona and Dan Shaughnessy
Doc, by Doc Gooden and Ellis Henican
The Fantasy Benefit: 2019 Baseball Fantasy Draft Guide, by Justin Mason

AUDIOBOOKS

Moneyball, (read by Scott Brick, #23 overall in sports)
Astroball, (read by the author, #50)

The Big Fella ranks #6 on the current New York Times‘ monthly sports list.

A few new titles, two concerning the Yankees and the other on the Milwaukee Brewers. I’m in the middle of Shamsky’s new book. Sad, especially with the revelation about Tom Seaver. Kind of reminds me of David Halberstam’s wonderful The Teammates in its purpose.

Not on either the Amazon or Times‘ lists? 501 Baseball Books Fans Must Read before They Die. Today: 1,281,746; last time: 246,377. Hank Greenberg in 1938: Hatred and Home Runs in the Shadow of War ranks 1,457,006 (last time, 1,450,757).

If you have read either of those books, thanks, hope you enjoyed it, and please consider writing an Amazon review; it’s never too late. (And thanks to those who have.) Doesn’t have to be long or even complimentary, if you didn’t like it. Although I would warn you to understand what it is you’re reading. My editor tells me I shouldn’t worry over bad reviews and normally I don’t. But one Greenberg reviewer complained because apparently he felt it wasn’t long enough and that it wasn’t a full biography. Sorry, but caveat emptor: The title clearly states this book covers just one season in his career. If you’re disappointed for that reason, then that’s on you.