"The book's objective is to define, implement and enforce a working model for the business of baseball management discipline and classic baseball philosophy that is supported by economics, finance, and baseball sabermetrics instead of the currently popular replacement of the discipline and philosophy with rotisserie-like use of sabermetrics." - p.8

In recent years there has been a great deal of discussion about the economics of baseball. For most of that time, the assumption inside and outside the game has been that there is simply too much disparity between “the haves” and “the have-nots,” especially in terms of salaries and team payrolls. The top five teams (Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros) and bottom five teams (Florida Marlins, Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers) over the past ten years are analyzed here. The author considers many factors in his evaluation of each team’s performance, among them team philosophies and business models as shown through trades and free agent acquisitions, general managers’ moves and personnel decisions, and player performance.

This ambitious study of major league managers since the formation of the National League applies a sabermetric approach to gauging their performance and tendencies. Rather than focusing solely on in-game tactical decisions, it also analyzes broader, off-the-field management issues such as handling players, fans, and media, enforcing team rules, working with the front office, and balancing pressure versus performance.

What do Hall of Fame baseball managers like Connie Mack and John McGraw have in common with today's business leaders? Why are baseball managers like Joe Torre and Dusty Baker better role models for business, government, and non–profit management than respected corporate giants like Jack Welch and Bill Gates? And just what does Peter Drucker have to do with Oriole ex–manager Earl Weaver? Management consultant, baseball writer, and columnist for InformationWeek, Computerworld, and InfoWorld, Jeff Angus shows how anyone can become a better manager by taking lessons from the leaders and nuances of the one game that is the truest test of managerial prowess. As proven by Angus' highly popular blog, Management by Baseball is a fun, story–filled guide that gives managers and anyone in business practical, actionable, understandable tools they can use to improve performance: How do you start an organization from scratch? Take a page from baseball's 19th century origins. How do you adapt to changing markets and social conditions? Learn from the man who invented Babe Ruth. What are the simplest ways to turn around a weak department? Pick up Dick Williams' proven tactics. How do you redesign corporate strategy in response to your competitors? Learn Joe Torre's secret advantage. How do you develop emotional intelligence as a leader? Find out how Ichiro Suzuki made his transition from Japan to the Major Leagues a historic success

"Consider the fact that although more than fourteen thousand men have appeared in a lineup of at least one major league baseball game, fewer than six hundred have managed one. Small though that number is, it is inflated by dozens of skippers with only a few weeks or months at the helm of a club. If we were to define "real" managers as those who have managed a thousand games - not, after all, a terribly high bar to hurdle, fewer than seven full seasons - we would find that fewer than one hundred men qualify." "Now Bill James, "the guru of baseball" (Newsweek), takes on the challenge of chronicling that history, including a decade-by-decade snapshot of baseball strategy from the 1870s through the 1990s."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

With this volume, David Nemec completes his remarkable trilogy of 19th-century baseball biographies, covering every major league player, manager, umpire, owner and league official. It provides in-depth information on many figures unknown to most historians. Each detailed entry includes vital statistics, peer-driven analysis of baseball-related skills, and an overview of the individual's role in the game. Also chronicled are players' first and last major league games, most important achievements, movements from team to team, and much more. By bringing attention to these overlooked baseball personalities, this reference work immeasurably enriches our knowledge of 19th century major league baseball.