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SSS Book Review: White Sox Outsider 2009

There are quite a few baseball season reviews/previews out there. If you’re more a fan of an individual team, however, and don’t really care about how some anonymous BP author evaluates the 2008 Seattle Mariners or what somebody thinks the Washington Nationals will do in 2009, you can end up paying for a 600 page book that may provide twenty pages on your team. Or sort of the reading value equivalent of the Barry Zito contract.

Stepping in to remedy this situation for White Sox fans is White Sox Outsider 2009 by Jim Margalus. Margalus is a long-time White Sox blogger at his site Sox Machine and is also well-known to SSS readers for posting here under the name of site.

The 226 page book is logically organized into six sections: Transaction Register, 2008 Season in Review, Down on the Farm, Batting Cleanup (player departures), Stories of the Season, and Looking Forward.

Transaction Register provides an introduction to some of more notable “characters” we’ll be reading about in the ensuing pages – such as Orlando Cabrera or Ken Griffey Jr. – while also giving some of the “extras” – such as Jim Brower or Ray King – their moment in the sun. The section uses the official White Sox transaction register from the end of the 2007 season to January 2009 to tell the stories of the players appearing on it.

2008 Season in Review is exactly what it purports to be: a month by month look at the 2008 season. Unlike some other season reviews, the length of the book and the team-specific nature allows Margalus to provide a more narrative style of review, which likely will appeal to Sox fans interested in re-visiting the highs and lows of the season. While also including the numbers that any baseball book requires, the color added from the re-telling of infamous/famous plays such as Mark Teahen’s inside the park home run or Griffey’s throw to the plate in Game 163 sets the book apart.

Down on the Farm gives the reader a recap of the organization’s players in the minor leagues using a “winners and losers” format, then introduces the 2008 draftees, and concludes with prospect rankings for both this season and a take on what the ranking might look like in 2010. For someone unfamiliar with the youngsters, this section provides a handy reference in one place for the names to keep an eye on in the future.

Batting Cleanup eulogies the players who have left the organization, from Joe Crede on down to Paul Phillips. Here, Margalus cleverly engages in one of the best ways to get a positive review: favorably utilize larry’s The Law of Conservation of Masset. Well-played, Jim. Well-played.

Stories of the Season goes into even greater depth on some of the major talking points of the 2008 season. The dissection of the brief stay of Nick Swisher, the “personality issues” that led to his departure (and the departure of other players), and the questions this all raises regarding player evaluation by the front office marks a high point of the book.

Looking Forward wraps up the book. The lengthiest section supplies a 2008 recap and a 2009 outlook for all the players on the 40 man roster. Like the Down on the Farm section, this provides a useful one-stop reference, especially for players, such as Brent Lillibridge or Dayan Viciedo, with whom the reader may not be familiar.

Overall, White Sox Outsider 2009 is a well-researched, well-written book with a good bit of wit that any diehard Sox fan (read: reader of this site) would find engaging. Further, unlike the more general season review/preview books, the depth with which Margalus examines the memorable 2008 season causes me to suspect that a reader will occasionally take it off the shelf long into the future to re-live some of the magic. The book may be purchased here.

0 recs  |  Comment 21 comments |

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Comments

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solid review

But Frank Thomas was always his own guy, he always lived by some sort of code that wasn’t especially clear to anyone but him.

by U-God on Feb 28, 2009 12:20 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

also

is the doomerang story in there?

But Frank Thomas was always his own guy, he always lived by some sort of code that wasn’t especially clear to anyone but him.

by U-God on Feb 28, 2009 12:34 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

no. i think the book tries to avoid that level of satire.

southsidesox.com - now the best place on the interwebs for chicago white sox analysis and discussion.

by larry on Feb 28, 2009 12:38 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

How can you review a book that doesnt exist

written by an imaginary person on a fake site?

I don't need to look at fancy stats

to see if a guy is good or not. You might have to.

by Where Triples Go to Die on Nov 30, 2008 4:16 PM CST

by omnipotent grab on Feb 28, 2009 12:58 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

you know, i was hoping for some constructive criticism

jim covers the law of conservation of masset, and you get all hawk lovey on him

by onlysoxfaninboston on Feb 28, 2009 1:22 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

almost bought the book

twice … lulu.com was able to convince me both times to just fuck it and not get it. I will keep on trying.

by LT_sox_fan on Feb 28, 2009 2:13 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

* tear*

I don't need to look at fancy stats

to see if a guy is good or not. You might have to.

by Where Triples Go to Die on Nov 30, 2008 4:16 PM CST

by omnipotent grab on Mar 1, 2009 12:45 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Shill.

the post wasn't for you. fuck off.
by larry on Feb 10, 2009 12:43 PM EST

by winningugly on Feb 28, 2009 6:07 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Is this being distributed by anyone?

Is it available from Ingram? I’d love to carry a few copies at the bookstore I manage. There are a few Sox fans who work with me who’d probably push this on customers.

If you have nothing to add to the discussion. Continue sniffing glue.

by defensive indifference on Mar 1, 2009 10:57 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

it's a print on demand book. so it's only available through the link.

maybe if you talk to jim, though, something can be worked out to make the cost work for a bookstore.

southsidesox.com - now the best place on the interwebs for chicago white sox analysis and discussion.

by larry on Mar 1, 2009 11:06 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Damn.

I was afraid of that. Unfortunately, that’s not something I can do.

If you have nothing to add to the discussion. Continue sniffing glue.

by defensive indifference on Mar 1, 2009 11:13 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

i thought you were a manager. show some fucking initiative.

southsidesox.com - now the best place on the interwebs for chicago white sox analysis and discussion.

by larry on Mar 1, 2009 11:15 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, I'm not the owner.

I wouldn’t want Jim to have to hire you as his lawyer when he never gets paid for three copies of his book!

If you have nothing to add to the discussion. Continue sniffing glue.

by defensive indifference on Mar 1, 2009 11:17 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

don't you make recommendations for what to carry?

i dunno how things work at your place (doesn’t sound like a borders or something) but that’s how it was when i was working at a bookstore. and i wasn’t even a manager.

southsidesox.com - now the best place on the interwebs for chicago white sox analysis and discussion.

by larry on Mar 1, 2009 11:21 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Of course!

But we don’t do consignments anymore. I can only get stuff through distributors we deal with now.

If you have nothing to add to the discussion. Continue sniffing glue.

by defensive indifference on Mar 1, 2009 11:27 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

sure, sure.

but lulu works with ingrams (for a cost to the author). something like $40, iirc. meaning, if jim opts in, the book would be available through ingrams. but i imagine he hasn’t done that because he’s unsure if there’s interest enough for it to be worth. letting him know there would be interest, at least from you, could change that.

southsidesox.com - now the best place on the interwebs for chicago white sox analysis and discussion.

by larry on Mar 1, 2009 11:32 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

(the cost isn't just for ingrams soley - also for online retailers like barnes and nobles, iirc)

southsidesox.com - now the best place on the interwebs for chicago white sox analysis and discussion.

by larry on Mar 1, 2009 11:34 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Hmmm...

I don’t think I could make it worth his $40, honestly. Me recommending the book to people won’t move enough copies for him to recoup that cost. However, if he does have some people looking to buy it from a store (not likely, since readers of his site and this one clearly know how to use the internet), then we can talk.

If you have nothing to add to the discussion. Continue sniffing glue.

by defensive indifference on Mar 1, 2009 11:45 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I don't want to speak around my lawyer

But I’m working on tackling distribution soon, so I’ll see what I can figure out.

Shoot me an email.

EVERYBODY PICK US FOR 3RD OR 4TH SO I DINK WE DOIN POOTY GOO
Sox Machine

by Sox Machine on Mar 2, 2009 2:01 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

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