He’s called it “a hobby gone wild,” but now Davis baseball fan — and author/analyst — Joe Taxiera has seen his passion find a serious place in the hearts of Major League Baseball.

“A Unique Look at Big League Baseball: Broadcaster Edition” has been released and later this month will be available in an e-edition. Taxiera says he also has a limited number of printed copies for sale.

Taxiera’s labor of love has been a decade-long look at how baseball has evolved, how players from different eras stack up against each other, how equipment and a variety of baseballs used have come into play and how fortunate — or unlucky — some players have been to play in certain ballparks.

Trends are analyzed and players compared in relationship to environment and hardships.

Taxiera has always said his book doesn’t “necessarily settle arguments, but provides fuel” to back up claims — or start new debates.

A dozen Major League broadcast teams, including Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow of the San Francisco Giants, use Taxiera’s tome (374 pages) and the powers-that-be in MLB are in discussion with the 57-year-old local man “as to how baseball can partner with me in getting the book out to as many baseball fans as possible.”

Taxiera says the spiral-bound print edition offered is self-published and costs $39.95. When available, his e-book will be $14.95.

“Therein lies the problem,” Taxiera explains. “This book is evergreen. There is a new version each year. With all the pictures, changing statistics and many pages, it is expensive to publish and distribute in hard copy.

“MLB and I are exploring the best way to get it to as many fans as possible.”

To order a hard copy of the book, fans can write to [email protected] or visit http://uniquebaseball.com.

————

While Taxiera’s book — and the story of its evolution — has been reported in this newspaper before, exploring the life-long Northern Californian’s take on Barry Bonds, stadiums, uniforms and players is also an interesting journey.

Here’s a Q&A with the author and avid Giants fan:

Q. What are your thoughts on the Barry Bonds situation: guilty of perjury and did he knowingly use?

A. “The catalyst for him using any performance-enhancing drugs was the adulation that (Sammy) Sosa and (Mark) McGwire were getting in 1998, when it was obvious that they, and others, were using.

“I think he had to know that he was getting something illegal (at least by law). He and his lawyers were saying in 2003-04, as things were coming out, that Bonds always told Greg Anderson not to give him anything ‘illegal.’ I believe his trainer intentionally didn’t give him specific details … or gave him minimal information, allowing Bonds to say he didn’t know.

“Out of all the details, his initial testimony that he never received a shot from anyone besides his doctor could come back to hurt him. He could have said in his original testimony that he got shots for vitamins — or he didn’t know what it was for. But to say he never got shots …”

Q. Who is your all-time favorite player?

A. “Willie Mays, hands down. He could hit, field, had a great arm, speed. He had it ALL. He was exciting and surrounded by a lot of other talent, making the team a contender every year.”

Q. Most memorable moment as a kid growing up with baseball?

A. “Listening to the games on the radio and keeping a score sheet, calculating the stats in advance of the next-day’s newspaper. Juan Marichal’s no-hitter … But Willie Mays’ home run in the 16th inning when Marichal beat (Braves pitcher Warren) Spahn 1-0, was the highlight of them all.”

Q. Best uniform in baseball?

A. “New York Yankees pinstripes. They’re just classic. I also liked the Giants’ uniforms in the 1960s.”

Q. Best ballpark? Why?

A. “Fenway Park. It’s got a great feel and I like the unusual dimensions of the field, and the various fence heights. You feel the history there. The best NEW ballpark is AT&T because … it’s intimate and you feel close to the field. It’s also got the varying field dimensions that give it character. And I’ve got a lot of good memories from all the games I’ve seen there.”

Q. What do you hope is the ultimate fate of your book?

A. “To get it into as many baseball fans’ hands as possible, regardless of whether it’s e-books or hard-copy editions. And I’ll continue to update it and improve it every year, just as I have the last decade.”

Notes: In the most recent edition, Taxiera says he “took the plunge” and added a new era for the 2008-10 seasons. He knew he couldn’t continue with the Long Ball Era (as his book calls it), but “I haven’t given this era a name yet.” … A handful of “A Unique Look…” editions made their way into libraries of more MLB broadcasters at Spring Training and Taxiera expects a recommendation from MLB soon. … Taxiera, who works in the software industry, and his wife Connie have two grown kids, Amber, 24, and Mike, 27.

— Reach Bruce Gallaudet at [email protected] or (530) 747-87047

BookW

The most recent edition of Davis resident Joe Taxiera’s book “A Unique Look at Big League Baseball: Broadcaster Edition.”

Comments

comments