Numbers Don't Lie: Behind the Biggest Numbers in Mets History details the numbers every Mets fan should know by heart. Authors Russ Cohen and Adam Raider tell the stories behind the most memorable moments and achievements in Mets history, including 6: the number of Gold Gloves Keith Hernandez earned in his career; 480: the distance in feet Tommy Agee's home run traveled on April 10, 1969; and 696: the record number of at bats Jose Reyes had in in 2005 to set a franchise record. With over 50 entries that span more than a half-century of Mets magic, this resource is an engaging, unique look back at the history of one of baseball's most entertaining franchises.

Tigers fans have witnessed improbable feats, extraordinary achievements, and unmatched performances during the team's 100-plus seasons. Numbers Don't Lie: Behind the Biggest Numbers in Tigers History details the numbers every Tigers fan—from the rookie attending his first game at Comerica Park to the veteran who recalls Denny McLain's days on the mound—should know. Author Danny Knobler tells the stories behind the most memorable moments and achievements in Tigers history, including 2: the number of no-hitters Justin Verlander has in his career; .366: Ty Cobb's career batting average, the highest in MLB history; and 1,918: the number of games played together by Alan Trammell and Lou Whitaker as a record-setting, double-play combination. Featuring over 50 entries that span more than a century of Tigers magic, this fan book is an engaging, unique look back at the history of one of baseball's most entertaining franchises.

A typical NBA game can yield approximately 2,800 statistical events in thirty-two different categories. In Numbers Don't Lie Yago Colás started with a simple question: How did basketball analytics get from counting one stat, the final score, to counting thousands? He discovered that what we call "basketball"--rules, equipment, fundamental skills, techniques, tactics, strategies--has changed dramatically since its invention and today encompasses many different forms of play, from backyards and rec leagues to the NBA Finals. Numbers Don't Lie explores the power of data to tell stories about ourselves and the world around us. As advanced statistical methods and big-data technologies transform sports, we now have the power to count more things in greater detail than ever before. These numbers tell us about the past, present, and future that shape how basketball is played on the floor, decisions are made in front offices, and the sport is marketed and consumed. But what is the relationship between counting and what counts, between quantification and value? In Numbers Don't Lie Colás offers a three-part history of counting in basketball. First, he recounts how big-data basketball emerged in the past twenty years, examines its current practices, and analyzes how it presents itself to the public. Colás then situates big data within the deeper social, cultural, and conceptual history of counting in basketball and beyond and proposes alternative frameworks of value with which we may take fuller stock of the impact of statistics on the sport. Ultimately, Colás challenges the putative objectivity of both quantification and academic writing by interweaving through this history a series of personal vignettes of life at the intersection of basketball, counting, and what counts.

After working as a minor league hitting instructor, Charley Lau Jr. began his quest to resolve the myths and misunderstandings on how to hit a baseball in the most effective way possible. This book not only includes the secret ingredients to building the most dynamic swing possible, but he shows, step-by-step, how to teach yourself or your students.

An oral history of the New York Mets, by the New York Times bestselling baseball writer of Bums and The Bronx Zoo. From Tom Seaver to Gary Carter, Ron Swoboda to Al Leiter, from the team's inception to the current day, the New York Mets' road to success has been a rutted and furrowed path. Now, with the help of New York Times bestselling author Peter Golenbock, the complete story of one of the most controversial teams in baseball history comes to life. Told from the voices of the men who experienced it firsthand, this compulsively readable account gives baseball fans the inside scoop on one of baseball's most popular teams. This is the true story of a group of men who won the hearts and shattered the dreams of generations. Utilizing dozens of personal interviews with players, coaches, fans, and sportswriters, Amazin' takes readers on a journey from the Mets' bumbling days as a new team in 1962, to their stunning World Championships in 1969 and 1986, right up through to today. In time for the anniversary of the New York Mets, Amazin' is rich with unforgettable personalities and wondrous stories both funny and poignant.

Despite the big market, bright lights and World Series rings, many Hall of Fame level players from the Mets and Yankees have been passed over by voters, often by good margins. The biggest reason: they didn't accumulate those traditional lifetime stats in hits, home runs or wins that typically punch Hall of Fame tickets. New York fan favorites Keith Hernandez, Ron Guidry, David Cone and others had the misfortune of playing before today's accepted measurement tools like on-base percentage, slugging percentage and ERA-plus (adjusting a pitcher's earned run average to the league norm in a given year) became commonplace. Some players were overshadowed by bigger personalities who were better able to take advantage of the New York spotlight. This book makes an in-depth case for the induction of seven Mets and Yankees, and evaluates many more who have been passed over for a spot in the Hall of Fame. Giving these players a fresh look, it uses advanced stats that weren't around when these men were playing and places traditional stats in the context of their era.

No origin story of the New York Mets is complete without Ed Kranepool. The lefty first baseman known as "Steady Eddie" made his major-league debut at age 17 during the team's inaugural season and would eventually depart, nearly two decades later, with his name written throughout the franchise's record books. In this definitive autobiography, Kranepool shares a remarkable life story, including early years playing stickball in the streets of the Bronx, the growing pains the Mets endured as an expansion club, his offseasons working as a New York stockbroker, and of course the miracle 1969 season that ended in an unforgettable World Series victory. He also opens up about the personal miracle which came 50 years after that famous championship: a lifesaving kidney transplant made possible by a Mets fan donor. A month after the surgery, Kranepool threw out the first pitch at Citi Field and boldly offered his services as a pinch hitter. Affable, open, and brimming with knowledge of the game, this thoroughly New York tale will delight baseball fans in Queens and beyond.