Reference books for 2008 season... which one(s)?

[Burrow_Dweller]

I was wondering what current baseball guides and reference books people at this board use... I bought the Baseball Prospectus and the Hardball Times 2007 editions around this time last year, only to discover that both of them were about as interesting as reading the phone book... the Baseball America almanac was fairly user-friendly, so I've ordered that one again.
Unfortunately, the old Street & Smith's annual and the Sporting News Dope Book (yes, I know I'm showing my age again) are both long gone, so I hardly know where to turn... and I just got a note from Amazon.com telling me that my copy of Cecilia Tan's Bombers Broadside for 2008 won't be shipped until sometime in May...
So, what guide would anyone recommend to a non stat-rat whose eyes glaze over at the very mention of SABRmetrics, win shares, PECOTA projections and the like?... Thanks in advance!

[philliesfiend55]

Major League Baseball Handbook is a handy guide. Most years they publish lists of statistical career goals with the percentage chance that the player is likely to reach the milestone. (ie: player A: 60 percent chance of reaching 400 home runs, 25 percent chance of reaching 500 home runs) - ETC.
"Baseball America's Top Prospects" gives a summary of each player's career-to-date, of players Baseball America rates to be in the Top 30 minor leaguer prospects in each team's farm system. Top 10 guys for each team features their photos also. Inccludes scouting reports on what each player must improve upon to reach the major leagues.
There's also always the immortal "Who's Who in Baseball", which just published its 93rd consecutive, annual edition (since 1916). Photos and Year-by-Year stats of each player - for about 10 bucks.
Also, Look for a brand new stat-based book by Bill James that is just out (Sorry, I can't help you with the title, but his stuff makes the bookshelves of all the major bookstores, and it shouldn't be hard to find).

-philliesfiend55-
P.S: What in the world is "Cecilia Tan's Bombers Broadside" ???

[Pere]

Burrow, I'll also say you'd like the Baseball America Prospect Handbook, alluded to above. It's good for getting a kind of gestalt view of each organization, a shortcut for seeing who are considered the hot prospects on, say, visiting teams that you may not be familiar with. (BA defines prospects as having no more than 50 IP or 130 AB in regular season major league games. Clay Buchholz and Joba Chamberlain, for example, still qualify.) The book is similar in size and appearance to the Almanac.

I just wish they didn't put "The Secret Weapon For Fantasy League Success!" on the cover.

[Burrow_Dweller]

P.S: What in the world is "Cecilia Tan's Bombers Broadside" ???

https://www.amazon.com/Bombers-Broadside-2008-Yankees-Baseball/dp/1934186090/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1204417517&sr=1-2

[Brian McKenna]

A "broadside" is a poster that hypes upcoming sporting events.

[steve rogers]

Just to let you know, The Bombers Broadside is on news stands. If you can't get a copy where you are PM me and I'll hook you up.

Scott