Ducksnorts Book?
Wed, Aug 9, 2006
by Geoff Young
Tough loss Tuesday afternoon. What are you gonna do? That Mets bullpen is mighty tough.
I know at least one of the Ducksnorts contingent (Ryguy) was out at Shea cheering on the Padres. Anyone going to other games during the series? Y’all should hook up and take some photos.
Not that I’m telling you what to do, of course. 
And while I’m thinking of it, this is a good time to pimp Frappr. That may sound kinky, but it’s just a way to let fellow Ducksnorters know where you are, geographically speaking.
We’re in more places than you might expect, so in theory, Ducksnorts meetups should be possible just about anywhere. If you’re not on the map already, feel free to add yourself.
Ahem, You Said Something About a Book?
Okay, now to the point of today’s entry. I need your help. I recently read something over at Seth Godin’s blog that inspired me. With the 10-year anniversary of Ducksnorts coming up in about a year (September 6, 2007, but who’s counting?), I thought it might be cool to write a Ducksnorts book. This is an idea that’s been swirling around in my head for a while, and I think I’d like to act on it.
Like I said, though, I need your help. Here are two questions we have to answer before moving forward:
- Why would you read a Ducksnorts book?
- Why would I write a Ducksnorts book?
For me, “it might be cool” isn’t a compelling enough reason to actually write a book. It’s a good first step, but I’d like to identify what, specifically, you and I would get out of this.
One of the reasons I started Ducksnorts was that, with a few notable exceptions, things I wanted to read about baseball just weren’t being written (this is also why I create my own music, but that’s another story). After 10 years of examining this stuff fairly carefully, I think I’m in good position to attempt a book. But I also recognize that there’s a lot more information available today than there was when I started, so I don’t want to waste everyone’s time and kill trees needlessly to feed an ego.
Seriously, that would suck.
So, what would you want from a Ducksnorts book? Would it be a retrospective, a collection of previously written works, perhaps with commentary? (I’ve used that format before, in the e-books Best of 2003 and Best of 2005.) Or would it be something different? I don’t know what, but I’m open to ideas.
Oh yeah, this wouldn’t be a freebie like the e-books. There’s actual cost associated with publishing a book, so whatever we come up with would need to be worth your money.
Like I said, I think I have a potentially cool idea here, but I really don’t want to waste your time and mine creating garbage. So, what should we do?
Picking up where last year's version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual provides in-depth analysis of and commentary on the San Diego Padres. Get your copy today.
August 9, 2006 at 8:36 am
Hey not to sound stupid but I like the idea of a book but I’d rather read something new. Like a collection from the past would be nice but I don’t know if I speak for anyone here but this site brings a different perspective and maybe if it was a perspective on the future of the Padres, I mean you guys are out there in Lake Elsinore and people cover the minors in other blogs. I think a look at now and the future would be a good idea. Just my opinion.
August 9, 2006 at 8:44 am
also there was this book ( link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/produ.....oding=UTF8 )
which I have yet to buy but has positive reviews
Bob Chandler’s Tales from the San Diego Padres
that came out last year which I think covered the past, so that’s why I think it’d be good to share some stories of this year (however far we go) and the future
August 9, 2006 at 9:07 am
GY - I think a Ducksnorts book is a great idea, here are a few thoughts.
1. You have to do something new, you have done a great job at making your past blogs available and to be honest I don’t want to have to buy a book to find out that the Pad’s were in last place from 99-03.
2. If you are going to do this, do it right (not saying that you won’t) but whatever topic you pick take your time and do your research, use the resources that you have gathered over the past 10 years, don’t rush.
3. Since Ducksnorts has always done a great job covering the Padres minor-league system it might be nice to have a book that covers the History of the padre’s minor leagues. Maybe try and get interviews with some of the guys who came up thought the padres minor leagues who have moved on to be SD icons (Gwynn, Jones, Flan ect…) and guys who have recently just made it though the system (Barfield, Johnson, Peavy) to see how it has changed over the past 20 years.
August 9, 2006 at 9:11 am
oh and to answer your 2 Quesstions?
Why would you read a Ducksnorts book? - because I like your writing and im a Padres nerd.
Why would I write a Ducksnorts book? - Money
August 9, 2006 at 9:44 am
there’s a website, I don’t know where, that publishes books and puts them on for sale at amazon. I know someone from my school wrote one, her writing talent is very suspect, but regardless it was published. I’ll try to find the link to that.
in the meantime, I’ll tell you that I could think of some things I’d like to see in a Padres book/Ducksnorts book and I might not resist writing them either because I’ve thought about them and wrote a few things on here about them. Also with research it’d take a lot of exhaustive research to do a book and I only speak for myself when I say I’d be willing to help you do what is necessary.
I’d say a book like BP’s “Baseball Between the Numbers” except all Padres is what I’d like to see and there are already ideas you can float about on it like:
-What is More Valuable: an overpaid pitcher or hitter (Nevin v. Park trade)
-Assembling Bullpens and Their value to the Padres
-KT Deadline deals in the past few years
-The choice of fate (throwing Ben Jonhson in over Pujols and seeing how many wins Pujols would have added)
-Trevor Hoffman v. Mariano Rivera (It’d be nice to see a different take, non eastcoast/ESPN bias, let itself out in a section like that)
August 9, 2006 at 9:54 am
GY has an advantage in the research department because he has an army of baseball nerds (us readers) that would be very willing to volunteer time to help research, that’s what I meant by taking advantage of taking advantage of the resources he has built over the past 10 years.
August 9, 2006 at 10:01 am
Ryguy, the entire Pujols “choice” is an urban legend. It’s been debunked many times. We asked for Pujols, and Towers says that Jocketty thought about it but said no. Then we asked for Johnson and the deal was made.
August 9, 2006 at 10:05 am
Great idea about the book, GY. It would be nice to see someone else’s reflections about how difficult it is, and has been, to be a Padres fan. Take last night as an example. [SIGH!]
August 9, 2006 at 10:08 am
You can write about how the padres have had a string of owners who donate a lot of money to the community (Krock and Moores) but would not spend money on their team.
August 9, 2006 at 10:17 am
Tom but both were relatively low A guys at the time.. it’s just a hypothetical idea.
Also LaMar, it’s difficult sometimes but you have to admit it was a well played game. Like it is difficult to watch a game like that but it’s also hard to finagle your way around drunken met fans. but it was also funny to see people heckling at me because I was one of the few Padre fans there last night.
August 9, 2006 at 10:21 am
Ryguy the only problem is that the padres would have never signed Puljos to a big contract after his 3rd year. That would be just after they signed Klesko and Nevin and they would cry poor.
August 9, 2006 at 11:07 am
RY GUY: It was a well-played game last night. I subscribe to Leitner’s theory, even if it is Leitner’s, that you can’t let the score screw up a good evening watching a game.
Woody finally got some defensive support, except for his own miscue when he couldn’t pick up the bunt. My compliments to you on your bravery, facing the Mets fans in you Pad gear. You’d have been fine, though, had you had on a Piazza Padre jersey.
Given the number of times Woody got out of a jam with RISP, combined with our leaving 12 men on, the frustration likely evened out on both sides, although we did end up on the short end.
August 9, 2006 at 11:11 am
Geoff,
I’d buy your book. Probably different format than the recap PDFs you’ve published. Maybe best of collections with some recap of the comments from readers.
I do like your analysis of players, how KT builds his bullpen from season to season. Also monthly recaps are nice to read.
I’d read a Ducksnort book because your writing is very good and it’s about the Padres. And it provides different insights than the beat writers’. As to why you would write one, how about money….or fame….or just because you have the passion to write and we, your readers, are hungry for more.
August 9, 2006 at 11:11 am
And now for something different and interesting look at RBI:
http://www.hardballtimes.com/m.....i-fanatic/
August 9, 2006 at 11:46 am
I’d definitely buy a hard copy book with original writing. A lot of good ideas have been suggested, I particulary like the idea of exploring general concepts through a Padres-centric view. Park vs Nevin, Johnson vs Pujols are both good ideas. I’d love to see something like the old Baseball Abstracts, a mix of essays and player analysis. There’s so many stats now that a lot of what passes for analysis is just regurgitating stats. How about a discussion of what makes Chris Young unique or what Dave Roberts has done to make such a dramatic improvement, comparing their subjective observations with statistical data?
If you could get interviews with players and coaches that would be terrific. I’d love to hear what they have to say when it’s not filtered through the standard media questions and cliched answers.
Why write the book? Because you have something to say about this team and other fans want to hear it. Because there are dozens of books about the Red Sox, Yankees, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, etc, but very few about the Padres and to my knowledge none that actually talk about things we talk about here and on the other excellent Padres blogs. I’m talking about a “real” book, with a real publisher, not just a self published book. I think there’s a very good chance you could get a publisher interested in a Ducksnorts book and get it into bookstores.
August 9, 2006 at 11:47 am
Thanks Didi, that was a cool read. I wonder if someone out there would do this for the current Padres and see how well (or poorly) they stack up.
August 9, 2006 at 12:45 pm
Well in other news…
Wilson Betemit went 3-4 with a home run and a stolen base last night. It’s only his 3rd HR since the trade . I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t make that deal huh?
It;s kinda starting to smell like 2004 when the Dodgers got Finleyand we didn’t.
August 9, 2006 at 1:54 pm
Ryguy-
My Dad gave me Chandler’s book after he got done with it and, with a few exceptions of a good line or a funny incident retold, I think you’ll be disappointed. I was expecting MUCH more from someone of his calibre.
Send me your address and I’ll mail it to you.
August 9, 2006 at 3:12 pm
I’d buy a Ducksnorts book … while I am in *total* agreement about being more interested in something that’s “looking forward” and “new writing”, I gotta admit that my first thought was this … what would have been blog’d and comment’d during 1984? In other words, a work of fiction based upon a walk thru 1984 … that would be a fun memory lane to walk down!
On the practical front … I love the ideas of something BBTN and/or Abstract like … essays and analysis of Padres players and issue relavant to the team “now”.
Another idea … I’ve not read Dan Okrent’s “9 Innings”, but as I understand its concept, it sounds intriguing … takes 1 game and disects it … in the context of a franchise’s history and the season in which the game was played …
How about “If I were GM …”?
GO FOR IT!
(and ask Richard/Lance if you could publish their Top 100 Padres in the Appendix
)
August 9, 2006 at 8:55 pm
Brian G, what’s your e-mail contact? or can Geoff give it to me through the contact thing on the site?
August 9, 2006 at 9:05 pm
I like BBTN because you’ve got the 27 essays and different styles. a format like that I think would work.
August 10, 2006 at 7:48 am
Awesome, guys! Great suggestions here. I’m going to mull over these and my own ideas over the weekend. Then we’ll come up with a plan of action for actually making this happen. I don’t know that I want to burden the entire Ducksnorts readership with details of a book project so I’ll probably create a virtual workspace where interested parties can share ideas, etc. Give me a few days to figure out the best course of action, and I’ll post something further on this next week.
August 10, 2006 at 1:34 pm
Hey if you need any help at all I’d be more than willing to help you out with ideas or writing anything.