Intangiball (The Subtle Things That Win Baseball Games) - 9781451696035

In “an absolute must-read for any fan…a grand slam” (The Christian Science Monitor), sportswriter and fan Lonnie Wheeler explains how the unquantifiable elements in the game of baseball—intangibles—can bring success both to individual players and to teams.

Intangiball is an ode to the “little things” that represent baseball’s heartbeat, as Joe Torre once put it. While baseball tradition involves revering such noble abstractions as chemistry, grit, and character, many fervent fans now find that an article of faith is required to buy into their practical value. Through anecdote, testimony, and an admitted rooting interest, Lonnie Wheeler sets out to demonstrate that playing the game the right way, sure enough, has its rewards.

While Michael Lewis’s Moneyball touted the value of statistics in baseball, Intangiball fills in the blanks, tracking the progress of the Cincinnati Reds through five years of culture change, beginning with the trades of decorated veterans Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey, Jr. It also draws liberally from such character-conscious clubs as the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, and Tampa Bay Rays to identify the performance-enhancing qualities (PEQs) that together comprise the “communicable competitiveness” that Wheeler calls “teamship.” From the encouraging words of the veteran who drapes his arm around a struggling rookie’s shoulders to the ambient contributions of David Eckstein, Marco Scutaro, or the battered Scott Rolen, intangibles, as it turns out, not only ennoble the game; they help win it.

Even though there is no statistic that can quantify the value of inspiration, Lonnie Wheeler’s “most enjoyable book” (The Washington Post) provides a provocative, debate-stirring argument.