Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual

Picking up where last year’s version left off, the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual features a foreword by Padres TV broadcaster Matt Vasgersian, a recap of the 2007 season, graphical displays of key players’ statistical output, a detailed report on the farm system, a first-hand account of Tony Gwynn’s Hall of Fame induction, and more.

• From Matt Vasgersian’s Foreword:
  

  Looking toward the 2008 season, I plan on keeping a copy of this book with me in the broadcast booth all year — and you can bet it will look as worn out as an Adrian Gonzalez’ batting glove by October.

• Connor Doyle (Two guys who, like, never agree):
  

  …unquestionably the most entertaining and edifying team-centric annual publication in sports (I know this sounds like faint praise, but really, I’ve already purchased a copy for myself and one as a gift; it’s great stuff).

• Derek Snyder:
  

  Geoff’s writing is informative and factual, but also entertaining. I recommended it to anyone who is a fan of the Padres, or just baseball in general.

• Eric J. Seidman (Statistically Speaking):
  

  I’ve read through the book three times and feel there is still more I can learn and take away from it.

• John Conniff (MadFriars):
  

  In his book, as in his blog, Geoff demonstrates that one can be keen observer of the game as well as a passionate fan. Ducksnorts already is a must-stop destination for any Padres fan on the World Wide Web and the ‘Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual’ should be by everyone’s favorite chair for every game.

• Tom Tango (The Book):
  

  Its clear to me in reading BP, THT, and this book, that this format is the best way to talk about a team. If you try to condense something, then you really need to pick as few topics as you can, and just focus on those.

  He’s also devoid of sounding like he’s got “expertise,” which is good, since most people sound like yappers when they talk about stuff, and there’s little yapping in this book.

Download free excerpts of the Ducksnorts 2008 Baseball Annual or order yourself a copy (or three).

Ducksnorts 2007 Baseball Annual

Featuring a foreword by Padres CEO Sandy Alderson, the Ducksnorts 2007 Baseball Annual will make an excellent companion for any fan of the Padres throughout the ’07 season and beyond. It will also be of interest to general baseball fans who want to learn what makes one organization tick.

• From Sandy Alderson’s Foreword:
  

  I expect to return to Mr. Young’s book frequently — for information, perspective and the occasional history lesson. I suspect others who read this book will find their own reasons for keeping it within arm’s reach for handy reference.

• David Pinto (Baseball Musings):
  

  Geoff Young, long time blogger at Ducksnorts presents the material in his usual fascinating way. His mix of opinion and numbers makes for an enjoyable read throughout.

• Lee Panas (Tiger Tales):
  

  Geoff is an excellent writer who does a great job of incorporating both sabermetrics and baseball observation into his book. I found it to be a very good read even though I’m not a Padre fan

• Bill Ferris (BaseBlogging):
  

  Now I’m not particularly a Padres fan, but you don’t really need to be. Young paints a picture compelling enough that any fan of baseball will enjoy it. He also writes in an easily digestable style where it’s easy to quickly rip through a section.

  There are stats in the book, but it isn’t a book of statistics. Geoff uses the graphs and tables to enhance and clarify, but not to tell the story. Because of this it the book is accessible to a wide audience.

  I was going to say this is a great first effort, but it’s a great effort regardless.

• Corey Brock (Padres.com):
  

  Geoff — who has presided over the blog “Ducksnorts” since 1997 or before anyone really knew what a blog was — has authored a great read that covers not only the 2006 season in-depth but a multitude of other topics, relying on statistical information, Geoff’s exhaustive research and, well, his sense of humor.

  By far my favorite section is the one that covers general manager Kevin Towers’ defining deals, his best trades, his worst ones. I also like how Geoff looked at how the 1998 Padres were built and his look at the best players by position in Padres’ history.

Learn more about the Ducksnorts 2007 Baseball Annual, or order yourself a a copy.