Sabermetric Book(s)

[Tyrus4189Cobb]

I dabble in the higher mathematics of baseball (WAR, OPS+, ERA+), but I can't say I've come to a full comprehension of sabermetrics.

I hope this stays in this forum as opposed to the literature one, but are there any good sabermetric books for a beginner like me to pick up?

[Dick Groat's syndrome]

I dabble in the higher mathematics of baseball (WAR, OPS+, ERA+), but I can't say I've come to a full comprehension of sabermetrics.

I hope this stays in this forum as opposed to the literature one, but are there any good sabermetric books for a beginner like me to pick up?

Baseball Between the Numbers by Jonah Keri and the rest of the Baseball Prospectus team is a good start. It was the first saber-heavy book that I read. I've heard good things about Beyond Batting Average by Lee Panas, but I haven't read it myself. The Hidden Game of Baseball by John Thorn and Pete Palmer is a cornerstone of the saber movement, but it seems to be out of print. I keep meaning to buy it off eBay. If you like any of these books, then I would recommend The Book by Tom Tango, Mitchel Lichtman, and Andy Dolphin. It's more more math intensive than Baseball Between the Numbers, but it is the best saber book I've ever read. The Hardball Times Annuals are excellent as well. They are much more varied, featuring a variety of articles from the site's many contributors. The 2012 edition is coming out in the next week or so, and I suspect it will be as good as the other volumes. The Baseball Prospectus Annuals are good, but I've been less impressed the with the more recent editions.

If you are looking for something light and incredibly readable, then I would recommend the New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. It's very light on sabermetrics and some of its content is outdated, but it is immensely enjoyable featuring a great deal of material with a saber slant.