I finally got around to reading "Moneyball" by Michael Lewis. If you're a sports fan in general, you should read this book, but if you're a baseball fan, this is a must read. Even non-sports fans who have an analytical mind should consider reading this book; the principles Billy Beane brought to Major League Baseball are applicable in many fields, and Lewis has a breezy writing style that makes for an easy, engaging read. He shows us an insider's look into the workings of a major league ballclub.

"The Cheater's Guide To Baseball" by Derek Zumsteg (one of the proprietors of the U.S.S. Mariner website, and a contributor to Baseball Prospectus) is an in-depth look at the vast history of cheating in the game of baseball. Brawling, gambling, steroids, corking bats, the spitball, and other methods of cheating, both tacitly approved and patently illegal are examined. Zumsteg writes with an irreverent and humorous voice, and does a great job of illustrating where the line is drawn for most hardcore baseball fans with respect to cheating. All in all, a fun read, though probably less so for someone completely uninterested in baseball.

And one last thing - the Cubs are going to give me a coronary by the end of September: