The Baseball 100

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars | 2,194 ratings

Price: 26.24

Last update: 08-09-2024


Top reviews from the United States

Grammy T
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and very readable!
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2024
While this book is formidable in terms of the number of pages (827!) one must remember there are one hundred stories - and each story is unique unto itself. I especially appreciated the wide range of baseball greats remembered in this book - many I did not know but came to appreciate. I am passing this book on to my thirteen year old grandson who LOVES and plays baseball and is already a fountain of knowledge on the sport and many of the players. I am sure he will devour this book! highly recommend.
M. Marino
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Read
Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2024
Though the book is very long, it's not like you need to sit down and read it from cover to cover. I read before bed each evening and I found that if I read an essay or two at a time it was a great way to wind down and always with a smile. It is also well researched and well written. I learned a lot about players that I have never heard of, and also learned a lot about many that I thought I knew.
Jamison Treasure Island
5.0 out of 5 stars Great information and a wonderful novel
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2024
I loved the way the book focused on the greatest 100 players and made each chapter very significant.
J. Groen
4.0 out of 5 stars Great History of Baseball but Faulty Rankings of Players
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2021
This is a great book of the history of baseball with excellent stories over the last 120 years represented by the 100 players that the author highlights. Being an individual who enjoys reading about the older players, I was especially drawn to the stories about Alexander, Wagner, Cobb, Hornsby, Ruth, Foxx, Gehrig and Johnson. But, there are also excellent stories about the recent players if you like the recent baseball history. And, at the times, especially in the Mays and Ruth chapters, the writing is so good, it is almost poetic.

Then, though there is the ratings. Unlike Bill James who spends most of a chapter, pages and pages defining his tools and process of determining the ratings, this author uses less than one page rattling off a number of terms and then writing the following:
- Mariano Rivera is ranked 91 because of Psalm 91 (the protector psalm),
- Joe DiMaggio is ranked 56 because of 56 consecutive game hitting streak,
- Jackie Robinson is ranked 42 because that is his jersey number.
Robinson and DiMaggio should have been ranked in the top 20 and Mariano Rivera should have been higher. He was the only player to get 100% of the Hall of Fame to vote for him.

And, then there is the three PED players: Alex Rodriquez, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds. They are all rated in the top 20 and because all of them cheated, they don't belong there. (Barry Bonds is actually ranked 3rd. Wrong.) In the Barry Bonds chapter, the author breaks the review into the people who think that Barry Bonds is great and those that despise him. I belong to neither. These three players belong in the top 100 but definitely not in the top 20.

If you are looking for a objective ranking, I recommend Bill James and after this book I still go by his rankings because they are not subjective or potentially biased like this book. His rankings of the top 10 are:
1. Babe Ruth
2. Honus Wagner
3. Willie Mays
4. Oscar Charleston
5. Ty Cobb
6. Mickey Mantle
7. Ted Williams
8. Walter Johnson
9. Josh Gibson
10. Stan Musial

I recommend this book for baseball history and stories. If you want an objective ranking, I recommend Bill James' books.
Frank G. Santy
5.0 out of 5 stars Baseball At Its Best
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2024
I have only read 100 pages but this is an incredible book on the history of the game thru the Authors selection of Baseballs Best 100. I generally stay away from books that rate the best whatever. But this Book is history first and the ratings are just the way to present that history. Incredibly well done and incredibly researched. Buy It. Treasure It. If you love Baseball… You will love this Book.
TCM62
5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoying it so much!
Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2024
This is a BIG book (over 850 pages) - and does what it should do: spur debate as to the important 100 players in baseball history. Well-written and just fun to read. Don't get too caught up in debating who is listed, what order they're in, etc. Just have run reading an excellent baseball book
TGRRAG
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this book
Reviewed in the United States on February 18, 2024
What makes this book unique is the magazine article style synopsis of each player. There's enough data to statistically understand the greatness of each player, but not so much that it's overwhelming. I love the human element that's included in each player bio. The author's perspective is always entertaining and informative. Just a great tour guide of baseball greats.
Jeffrey A. Sherman
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth taking the time.
Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2024
This is a remarkable book. I already loved baseball, but it made me love it even more. It’s long. But every chapter is thoughtful and well written. This is a Great book.

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