Book Review: John Sickels’ Prospect Book
John Sickels, as far as I’m concerned, knows more about minor leaguers than any other single person on the planet. Instead of keeping this knowledge cubby-holed away in the dark recesses of his mind, he pours it into book form every winter for the past five years.
Sickels was the minor league expert for ESPN for nearly a decade, but after being let go — for reasons I can’t really fathom — he started MinorLeagueBall.com, and began to self publish the definitive guide to prospects.
I got my 2007 edition today, and I’ve already started to dive in. He has a full rundown of the top 30+ prospects from each system, with stats, commentary and a grade. That’s 1,049 total players that have a shot at making the majors in the next few years.
I referenced last year’s book countless times while watching games last season. I took it to the ballpark with me in Arizona, so I could get the inside info on the dozens of “no-names” that every team would run out there in the late innings. While I watched games on TV this past summer, I’d make certain that I had the prospect book handy, so I could write intelligently about the kids who were called up in mid-season.
I can’t give this book a higher endorsement than this: I’m a college student with little money, but the day that Sickels announced his book could be pre-ordered, I paid for one without even thinking twice about the cost. Luckily for me, it’s only $24, a bargain for the sheer mass of information it contains that you’re really not going to find anywhere else.
Seriously, buy this book. You can thank me later. It will open your eyes to the minors.