As someone who gets all kinds of cool stuff from being a Society for American Baseball Research member I feel it’s my duty to let everyone know that SABR is now offering a PDF version of the annual “Emerald Guide to Baseball” absolutely free to members and non-members alike. Edited by Gary Gillette and Pete Palmer, the 570-page book contains ... well, I’ll let them tell you:
The print version costs $24.95, so by downloading the free PDF version you’re basically making money. And you also help SABR accomplish its goal of “providing as much information as possible to as many people as possible.” Seriously, that’s their goal. Great organization, great product, and FREE STUFF.
Developed in the spirit of the classic guides published by the Sporting News, Spalding, and Reach, The Emerald Guide includes all pitching, hitting, and fielding statistics for every player active in the major and minor leagues during 2009.
Other features include team histories, up-to-date team contact information and schedules, an extensive Year in Review essay, team day-by-day game logs, All-Star Game box score and play-by play, post-season box scores and play-by-play, transactions, debuts, first-year player draft, and major and minor league necrology.