Book Description

Guaranteed to spark debate among baseball diehards with its controversial pick for #1

"Elliott Kalb's work is beyond excellent. He thinks in story lines and uses numbers to make compelling and often original points."--Bob Costas

In the world of major-league sports, Elliott Kalb, a.k.a "Mr. Stats," is the Sultan of Stats, the Tsar of Trivia, and the Final Word in armchair-athlete disputes. Now, hot on the heels of his controversial bestseller Who's Better, Who's Best in Basketball? comes a book that is guaranteed to raise both hackles and cheers from baseball fans from coast to coast. More than a book of lists, Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball?: Interweaves numbers, facts, and anecdotes to offer a grand perspective on the entire history of the sport and its 100 all-time greatest of the greats--including players from the Negro Leagues Features interviews with MLB experts, players, and coaches, including Bob Costas, Bud Selig, Vin Scully, Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, Johnny Bench, and others Argues the popular debate--what means more, modern training and modern medicine, overall athletics, popularity, or genetics?

From the Back Cover

Get into the great baseball debate with HBO's "Mr. Stats."

If Babe Ruth played today, could he dominate modern players? Could Ty Cobb adjust to today's game? What if Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson had to pitch to the likes of Ted Williams and Stan Musial? Who was better--Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle? Joe DiMaggio or Stan Musial? And, in the battle for the all-time #1, can anyone beat out Barry Bonds? These are just a few of the hotly debated questions in Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball? that will fire the blood of baseball fans.

Ornery, opinionated, and brimming with baseball intelligence, Elliott Kalb, a.k.a. "Mr. Stats," pounds the pavement, talking with Major League Baseball experts, players, and coaches--including Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, and Johnny Bench--to bring you the ultimate ranking of the top 75 players. Reconciling modern statistics with the past, comparing positions, and accounting for the many changes of a century-old game wasn't easy. But they don't call him Mr. Stats for nothing.

The absolute authority in armchair athletes' disputes, Kalb interweaves numbers, facts, and anecdotes to flesh out the most provocative question in every baseball fan's mind: Who's the best? You might disagree with his choices, but Kalb loves a good argument. Are you ready to take him on?

About the Author

Elliott Kalb is "Mr. Stats" at ESPN, TNT, and HBO. Formerly with NBC for 15 years, Kalb is a five-time Emmy-winner and a one-time writer for the greatest play-by-play announcer in baseball history, Vin Scully. Kalb has his own website, www.elliottkalb.com, and writes a weekly column for HBO.com. He lives in New Jersey with his wife and kids.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Get into the great baseball debate with HBO's "Mr. Stats."

If Babe Ruth played today, could he dominate modern players? Could Ty Cobb adjust to today's game? What if Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson had to pitch to the likes of Ted Williams and Stan Musial? Who was better--Willie Mays or Mickey Mantle? Joe DiMaggio or Stan Musial? And most importantly, who is baseball's #1 player of all time? These are just a few of the hotly debated questions in Who's Better, Who's Best in Baseball? that will fire the blood of baseball fans.

Ornery, opinionated, and brimming with baseball intelligence, Elliott Kalb, a.k.a. "Mr. Stats," pounds the pavement, talking with Major League Baseball experts, players, and coaches--including Joe Buck, Tim McCarver, and Johnny Bench--to bring you the ultimate ranking of the top 75 players. Reconciling modern statistics with the past, comparing positions, and accounting for the many changes of a century-old game wasn't easy. But they don't call him Mr. Stats for nothing.

The absolute authority in armchair athletes' disputes, Kalb interweaves numbers, facts, and anecdotes to flesh out the most provocative question in every baseball fan's mind: Who's the best? You might disagree with his choices, but Kalb loves a good argument. Are you ready to take him on?

AUTHOR DESCRIPTION