Leveling the Field

Who are the all-time greatest and why? This groundbreaking new method for ranking players and teams rewrites the record books and sets forth bold new answers to the age-old debates of baseball.

It is nothing less than a revolution in baseball statistics. G. Scott Thomas has developed a series of mathematically precise, computer-generated formulas that adjust the statistics of every team. The results "level the field," creating a fair basis of comparison among generations of players-and the new picture that emerges is staggering. Here are just a few of the book's conclusions:

- Babe Ruth hit ninety-four home runs in a single season, shattering Bonds' record (Maris, McGwire, and Bonds don't even make the list).

- Pete Rose has still played more games than anyone in baseball history.

- Ricky Henderson never really broke Ty Cobb's record of runs scored.

- Cy Young holds the record for most wins (and most losses) of any pitcher.

- Lou Gehrig made the equivalent of $48,300,000 in 1931.

Leveling the Field adjusts the statistics in all the major categories in which fans make comparisons, including the best performances, the best players, the best teams and adjusted career stats for 254 hitters and 177 pitchers. Thomas even assembles his twenty-six-man "dream team" of the sport's greatest players since 1901, and takes them through a simulated 162-game season.

Easy to follow and use, this book is sure to become a must-have for every die-hard baseball fan, and will undoubtedly change the nature of baseball debate forever.