Hardball Times Annual 2017

by Paul Swydan

The Hardball Times Annual 2017 is the ultimate baseball annual...the "MVP of baseball annuals." Now in its 13th year, this year's edition contains nearly 30 articles from some of the best-known writers in baseball today, such as...



Jeff Sullivan
Eno Sarris
Mike Petriello
Rob Arthur
Emma Baccellieri
Corinne Landrey
Carson Cistulli
Sara Novic
August Fagerstrom
Joon Lee

...and many other great writers. Topics include complete coverage of the 2016 season, including the games/series that swung the balance of each division, unique takes on baseball history and cutting-edge sabermetric analysis.



When you read The Hardball Times Baseball Annual 2017, you'll discover:



A new defensive metric, debuting within these pages
Why pitch framing was doomed from the start
Why baseball mud is chaos
The widely-forgotten trophy known as The Sultan of Swat Award or Babe Ruth Crown
Scott Boras’ claims in The Arm are all bark and no bite
The effect of the marine layer on fly balls
How much Hope & Faith there is in MLB
Analysis of catcher arm strength using previously unreleased Statcast data
The 1957 Kansas City Athletics, one of the most unique teams in history

If you're a baseball fan yearning to keep that flame burning during the offseason, The Hardball Times Baseball Annual is for you. As Sports Weekly said, "There are several baseball books that come out every year for the holiday season, but none as well-rounded and complete as The Hardball Times Baseball Annual."

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction

292 pages, Paperback

First published November 18, 2016

Reviews

[Michael Martz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a semi-geek stat guy, I'm familiar with a lot of the writers and subjects in this edition. They did a great job providing a mixture of number-oriented and analytical articles that should appeal to any fan who's at least comfortable with the way numbers have come into the sport. As with the entire series, this is a collection of articles by different authors that ranges across a bunch of baseball topics, so the writing is a bit uneven but their points are well-made. Loved it!

[Matt Ely · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first edition of the Hardball Times, but I think I'm hooked. The book is a survey of major baseball research over the past year, keeping the reader abreast of new statistical models and analysis for of the past season, as well as retrospective analysis and historical footnotes that deserve a wider audience. There's something here for any baseball fan and enough good stuff that you don't feel like you wasted your time or money if you skim a few of the articles that don't catch your fancy.

[Eric Chesterton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Skipped around to pieces that I thought I would be interested in, which amounted to about 75% of the book. Top Five:
1. Mud Is Chaos--Eno Sarris
2. The Complicate Relationship between sports fandom and writing--August Fagerstrom
3. Is the Fringe Five Even Worth a Single Damn--Carson Cistulli
4. Baseball Cards and the Value of Value--Patrick Dubuque
5. How Much Does Catcher Arm Strength Matter?--Mike Petriello.

[Chris Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the great pleasures of every off-season is diving into the latest Hardball Times Annual. Once again, a job well done. Always some interesting research and new ways to look at the game I love.

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super geeky.

[Ben Beeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to disagree with well written, intelligent commentary on baseball. My first time getting this (I used to only be a baseball prospectus annual guy), but I will definitely get again next year.