Baseball Toaster: The Juice Blog : The New BP Is Here!

The New BP Is Here!

2006-03-01 14:31

by Will Carroll

My copy showed up at my doorstep about noon, a couple hours after I got quizzed on it by a national radio show. I'm digging through it just like you are, but want to hear your thoughts.

So it's like an open thread.

(REMINDER: It's okay to be critical. It's not okay to be an asshole. I'm the only one that gets to do that here. And Scott.)

Comments

2006-03-01 18:18:05

1. tem213

Hey Will, how did you get your copy? Amazon and other online bookstores say that it has yet to be released...thanks...

2006-03-01 19:21:43

2. NetShrine

The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here! This is the kind of spontaneous publicity I need! My name in print! That really makes somebody! Things are going to start happening to me now.

- - - J/K Will! :-)

2006-03-01 19:30:27

3. Will Carroll

Tem -- I got mine from the warehouse, like everyone else. You must be West Coast. I know that several people in NY got it yesterday and that it hit Chicago today. Spreading like a virus ...

2006-03-01 19:52:45

4. tem213

Thanks will, good to hear. I'm actually in chicago. My brother is in houston, neither of us has gotten it yet.... hopefully tomorrow...

2006-03-01 19:58:12

5. Derek Smart

Yeah, I didn't get the ship notification from Amazon until this afternoon, so it must be taking a while to work its way through the Greater Chicagoland Area. But then, I always get it several days after the first folks start mentioning they got their's.

2006-03-02 10:53:28

6. misterjohnny

Damn, another case of East Coast Bias. Still waiting for my BP in L.A.

2006-03-02 11:36:29

7. dianagramr

My copy showed up last night (Brooklyn, NY).

First impressions:

Yay on the alphabetical listing of the teams (regardless of league).

Nice to see Christina get front cover special props, and that she got to write the foreword.

But Will, you (at least in presence) are NOWHERE to be found. Not in the bios, not on the back cover. Just a mere mention in the "cost of injuries" essay.

Whatsamatter, are they kicking you out of the club? ... have you indeed crossed over to the dark side (Football)?

Sniff .... sigh.

2006-03-03 00:02:10

8. SaberTJ

Im still waiting for mine to arrive, I ordered it like a month or two ago and im in Cleveland...sigh

2006-03-03 06:17:29

9. Dan M

Any improvements on the editing? BP2005 had so many typos, I thought they had texted the material to the publisher.

2006-03-03 06:44:09

10. Chuck R

Still no BP here in Chicago's western suburbs. I had my wife call in sick from work so she can monitor incoming mail today to let me know the minute it arrives.

One anticipatory (and maybe unfair) complaint. I understand that the White Sox writeup is about how lucky they were. I know they don't fit the BP model of success, but the Red Sox win in 2004 with a monster payroll and get a 320 pages hagiography. A year later the White Sox lead wire to wire, win 11 of 12 playoff games sweeping the 'smart' Red Sox in the process, and get 4 or 5 pages on how lucky they were. Nothing can take away from the joy of the 2005 season for me of course, but I was very much looking forward to the BP writeup on the Sox before I heard about its theme, and now I'm almost dreading it.

2006-03-03 10:35:38

11. Ryan Wilkins

I would suggest just enjoying your favorite team's championship, Chuck.

Regardless of whether they were "lucky" or not, the White Sox are wearing rings now, and those shine forever. In the scheme of things, that's significantly more important than what an analyst might spend 2,000 words writing for his chapter in a book.

Not to get all preachy, but BP shouldn't have to change its views on performance if they sincerely believe -- and demonstrate that -- the evidence leans that way, and you shouldn't need their approval to enjoy your favorite team's World Series sweep.

2006-03-03 14:04:19

12. Chuck R

As I stated, Ryan, 'nothing can take away from the joy of the 2005 season for me'. Reliving it via a typically insightful BP chapter on the season would have been great, but when the insight is along the lines of 'this should never have happened', well, I'm afraid it will reduce my enjoyment of The Book (not The Season).

It'd be like waiting a long time - years and years - for your favorite band's next album, and then when it comes out instead of being something you were hoping for or even expecting, it is a bunch of tepid show tune covers. Or like when REM released Out of Time.

2006-03-03 17:18:52

13. Will Carroll

Chuck -- you're right, it is about luck. That said, I think you'll like it just the same. It's a great attempt at taking away the next time someone says a team got "lucky" and quantifying and clarifying what has become a lazy cliche.

2006-03-03 22:25:29

14. Ruben F Pineda

I live in San Francisco, and I got mine yesterday...just perusing it, but I thought listing minor league levels (A-, AAA) was a smart move over the league.

I've only read a couple of essays, but once again, interesting stuff...

2006-03-04 16:31:20

15. Blah Blah Blah

Great writing as always, fair number of typos...did you outsource the spellchecker?

2006-03-10 07:08:31

16. Blah Blah Blah

I gotta tell you guys, not that anybody is reading this thread, anymore, but the 2006 BP is the worst-proofread professional publication I've ever seen. Misspelled words, run-on sentences, even sentences typed twice in a row. And they are more than occasional in appearance.

Great publication but to keep the ol' professional veneer, you have got to hire better proofreaders next time around.

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