Like many baseball books, The Last Nine Innings uses the framework of a specific baseball game to expound on various baseball issues.  Author Charles Euchner picked a good one to use in the seventh game of the 2001 World Series, which had one of the most exciting game finishes ever.  But unlike other baseball books, the quotes that Euchner provides from the various personnel surrounding that game seven serve to drive the narrative just as much as the events of the game do. 

 

Great game, great fun, great revelations

It’s telling about the quality of that 2001 match that everyone involved in it remembers its details as though it hadn’t taken place nearly five years ago.  Guys like Joe Torre, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Craig Counsell have all certainly had seminal baseball moments before and since, but the 2001 World Series manages to stick out.  It’s fascinating to read Steve Finley discussing his revolutionary conditioning program that led to his breakout seasons, and Jorge Posada explaining how he improved from an awful defensive catcher to being respected by his teammates.  You would think that Euchner would have found a quote from someone dispelling the myth that Luis Gonzalez became a power hitter after having opened his stance (he’d had an open stance since his initial years in Houston), but Charles does fall into this trap of conventional thought. 

 

In addition to all of these prominent figures in that game seven, Euchner brings in ex-players, coaches, and management to discuss many of the issues he raises.  Just among ex-catchers, we’re treated to Carlton Fisk and Johnny Bench discussing the importance of calling a good game, and Randy Johnson’s ex-battery mate Scott Bradley bemoaning the difficulties of catching the Big Unit’s pitches.   

 

These quotes help set the book’s most admirable quality: its balance.  Euchner never betrays a bias towards the statistical analysis of baseball or the traditional appreciation of the game. 

 

This is never more apparent than in his analysis of Derek Jeter’s defense.  Euchner begins by citing specific examples of great plays by Jeter, most notably his famous assist on Jeremy Giambi earlier that postseason, and provides quotes from several characters around baseball who know that Jeter is a plus fielder from seeing his athleticism every day.  He follows that with a chart of nine different statistical measures that Jeter ranks below average in, and explains how that could show Jeter’s initial positioning and reaction to a batted ball supersedes any athleticism that he shows at the end of a play.  Rather than conclude that one interpretation is correct, Euchner steps aside and lets the reader pass judgment for himself.

 

My favorite moment in the book is when Curt Schilling talks about how he holds a meeting with his fielders prior to each start and tells them exactly where he wants them to play for each hitter.  Schilling has so much confidence in his pinpoint control that he knows exactly where the opposition will hit his pitches.  His defense has so much confidence in Schilling’s command that they put all egos aside and follow his direction.  This would have been the perfect time to point out that no pitcher in baseball history has allowed fewer unearned runs per game than Schilling.  This would have further solidified Euchner’s balance between empirical and statistical analysis.

 

For it is this balance that makes The Last Nine Innings accessible and enjoyable for everyone.  Sabrmetricians won’t find the very latest in statistical analysis and groundbreaking methodology, but they will find explanations of the limitations of current data collection methods and statistical analysis.  Traditional baseball analysts won’t find complex formulae that they cannot grasp, but rather a highly digestible introduction to some of the basic statistical tools adapted over the past decade, and how they directly apply to specific baseball situations.  Whoever reads this book develops a more holistic and balanced appreciation of baseball.  

 

So you can read this book just to know Grace’s approach leading off the ninth inning, or Rivera’s explanation of his throwing error to second base on that sacrifice bunt, or Jeter and Posada’s reasoning behind bringing the infield all the way in, or Gonzalez’s thoughts surrounding the most important moment in his baseball career, and you would come away from The Last Nine Innings feeling satisfied.  But this is more than just a sentimental romp.  It’s a compilation of the most important factors in baseball today, from body mechanics to playing percentages to mind games.  You’ll come away from The Last Nine Innings with both a greater understanding of the game and a smile on your face.  Enjoy it!

 

 

The Last Nine Innings is available from Amazon.com and at bookstores nationwide.

Publisher: Sourcebooks