Ahead of the Curve

Inside the Baseball Revolution

By: Brian Kenny

Narrated by: Brian Kenny

Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Most people who resist logical thought in baseball preach "tradition" and "respecting the game". But many of baseball's traditions go back to the 19th century, when the pitcher's job was to provide the batter with a ball he could hit and fielders played without gloves. Instead of fearing change, Brian Kenny wants fans to think critically, reject outmoded groupthink, and embrace the changes that have come with the "sabermetric era". In his entertaining and enlightening book, Kenny discusses why the pitching win-loss record, the Triple Crown, fielding errors, and so-called battling titles should be ignored.

Kenny also points out how fossilized sportswriters have been electing the wrong MVPs and ignoring legitimate candidates for the Hall of Fame; why managers are hired based on their looks; and how the most important position in baseball may just be "director of decision sciences".

Ahead of the Curve debunks the old way of analyzing baseball and ushers in a new era of straightforward logic. Illustrated with unique anecdotes from those who have reshaped the game, it's a must-listen for fans, players, managers, and fantasy enthusiasts.

©2016 Brian Kenny (P)2016 Tantor

Brian Kenny brings baseball into the 21st century

Railing against the "herd" mentality of old basemen men and stodgy sports writers, Brian Kenny passionately exposes a new way of competing in baseball, enjoying the sport, and analyzing its results. He makes a good case why the sacrifice bunt is the "smallball" tactic it's made out to be, and why "bullpenning" can be a successful strategy in games. He wrote the book in 2016, and fans can already see that his ideas have influenced innovative baseball managers like Joe Madden of the Cubs, Craig Counsell of the Brewers and Kevin Cash of the Rays. Kenny debunks the tired old common statistics of batting average and pitchers' wins, and espouses more saber metric stats such as OPS and WHIP. The book is more of a series of essays, and some of the chapters can get a bit long and tedious, but Kenny's engaging and energetic narration in the Audible audio book makes this an interesting "read" for baseball fans.

Bud

This was an excellent book which makes tons of sense. If I were to coach again I would implement many of the principles . I wish some MLB manager would have the guts to do the pitching plan in 2017, I know it work work well but nobody has the guts to be so different ! I am available to manage any team! I would!

Bravo!

Simply the best. Thank you for amazing work through out the years Mr. Kenny. I can not wait to see how the game continues to evolve.

Great book

Great book about sabermetrics and evaluating players. Interesting how sabermetrics can be used to evaluate players from the past.

Great listen for baseball fans - big data rules!

Would you consider the audio edition of Ahead of the Curve to be better than the print version?

Kenny was wise to narrate it himself. Engaging enthusiasm throughout.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ahead of the Curve?

Most of topics are familiar ground for baseball geeks. Yet, Kenny covered them in a way that was stimulating for those that already have been "baptized" as well as inviting for the serious fans who are skeptics.

Which scene was your favorite?

I really like the last chapters that focused on organizational development -- the challenge of thoroughly integrating big data into strategic management in the front office and managerial tactics in the dugout. I am awed by the courage of the Astros to stay the course!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Broad historical sweep of the sabermetrics revolution

Any additional comments?

Putting Bill James and other path-breaking sabremetricians in Hall of Fame is long overdue.

Wow!

The only thing bad about this audiobook is that it had to end. Brian Kenny's enthusiastic reading made it a fun listen.

A fun listen

I really enjoyed Brian’s narration. Had no idea he was a sabremetrics geek as I’m not subscribed to MLBN. The “herd” is so true in baseball and I’m so many other facets of our lives. Dare to be yourself.

Groundbreaking

I have grown up in the age of saber metrics but this book allowed me to understand it in a more comprehensive way. The narrating is done by Brian Kenny and he does an amazing job at it. The book has long chapters that don't just give a form of thinking, but gives many facts and statistics to back it up. The book doesn't tell you that saber metrics is the only way to look at things, it's just that it is a new way which allows teams to have a competitive advantage over ones hat don't. Great book.

An Intelligent Entertaining Baseball Conversation

This is not anything like the typical reading of a book. This is a live conversation with a really smart guy that is highly informative and entertainingly told. Simply excellent all the way around.

Thought Provoking Book by Baseball Lover

I liked this book much better than I expected. Kenny can be overbearing at times on the MLB Network. But this extended look at Kenny's approach to baseball is terrific. I too grew up on Bill James Abstracts. Carries on the tradition.