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About this item
Highlights
- "A delight for baseball lovers" (Kirkus Reviews) and "one of the most significant baseball books of the year" (Bob Costas) Ahead of the Curve uses stories from baseball's present and past to examine why we sometimes choose ignorance over information, and how tradition can trump logic.
- About the Author: Brian Kenny is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and host for the MLB Network.
- 368 Pages
- Sports + Recreation, Baseball
Description
About the Book
MLB Network host and commentator Brian Kenny uses stories from baseball's present and past to examine why we sometimes choose ignorance over information, and how tradition can trump logic, even when directly contradicted by evidence.Book Synopsis
"A delight for baseball lovers" (Kirkus Reviews) and "one of the most significant baseball books of the year" (Bob Costas) Ahead of the Curve uses stories from baseball's present and past to examine why we sometimes choose ignorance over information, and how tradition can trump logic. Forget batting average. Kill the "Win." Say goodbye to starting pitchers. And please, please stop bunting. MLB Network anchor and commentator Brian Kenny provides "an excellent, entertaining read for the all-around baseball fan" (Library Journal) and shows how baseball has been revolutionized--not destroyed--by analytical thinking. Most people who resist logical thought in baseball preach "tradition" and "respecting the game." But many of baseball's traditions go back to the nineteenth century, when the pitcher's job was to provide the batter with a ball he could hit and fielders played without gloves. Instead of fearing change, Brian Kenny wants fans to think critically, reject outmoded groupthink, and embrace the changes that have come with the sabermetric era. In his entertaining and enlightening book, Kenny discusses why the pitching win-loss record, the Triple Crown, fielding errors, and so-called battling titles should be ignored. He also points out how fossilized sportswriters have been electing the wrong MVP's and ignoring legitimate candidates for the Hall of Fame; why managers are hired based on their looks; and how the most important position in baseball may just be "Director of Decision Sciences." "Prepare to have your brain and your assumptions challenged. Guided by data and a deep love of the game, Brian Kenny takes a cutting-edge look at where baseball is and where it is going" (Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated). Illustrated with unique anecdotes from those who have reshaped the game, Ahead of the Curve is "a great story about the game in the age of information and technology" (Billy Beane).Review Quotes
"A delight for baseball lovers but also a useful parable about the power of habit and tradition, barriers to accepting answers hiding in plain sight for years."
About the Author
Brian Kenny is an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster and host for the MLB Network. The foremost proponent of analytics on sports television, he founded the first and only TV program devoted to sports analytics, Clubhouse Confidential. He currently hosts the daily panel shows MLB Now and MLB Tonight and is a columnist for Sports on Earth. Previous to his tenure at MLB, he spent fourteen years at ESPN hosting SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, The HotList, Friday Night Fights, and The Brian Kenny Show on ESPN Radio and on NBC Sports Radio. Ahead of the Curve is his first book.Dimensions (Overall): 8.3 Inches (H) x 5.4 Inches (W) x .9 Inches (D)
Weight: .7 Pounds
Suggested Age: 22 Years and Up
Number of Pages: 368
Genre: Sports + Recreation
Sub-Genre: Baseball
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Paperback
Author: Brian Kenny
Language: English
Street Date: July 4, 2017
TCIN: 51977516
UPC: 9781501106354
Item Number (DPCI): 248-38-2683
Origin: Made in the USA or Imported
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Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 0.9 inches length x 5.4 inches width x 8.3 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 0.7 pounds
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