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Howard Schwartz, the "librarian for gamblers," is the marketing director for Gambler's Book Club in Las Vegas, a position he has held since 1979. Author of hundreds of articles on gambling, his weekly book reviews appear in numerous publications throughout the gaming industry.

Feb 21, 2007

Murray's Betting Baseball a gem -- Must-read for '07

It doesn't even take all the fingers on one hand to count the number of significant books devoted to betting baseball making an appearance in the past 20 years. Two that come to mind are Mike Lee's Betting the Bases and Robert Ross' Betting to Win on Baseball. Sure we have books with sections, chapters or discussions of betting baseball, but Michael Murray, a full-time devoted researcher has come along like an unexpected comet and in his 2007 edition of Betting Baseball (246 pages, paperbound, $29.95), he gives the handicapper more than expected.

In more than three dozen sections, Murray discusses, offers examples and suggests methods of wagering in regard to money management, betting totals, betting on streaks, the money line, the run line,; tracking bullpens, inter-league play, pitchers switching leagues and home field advantage. He looks at seasonal play before and after the All-Star break, teaches you how to measure consistency in starters, concentrates on betting playoffs, the effects of various ballpark configurations. He looks at factors such as the groundball ratio for pitchers and importantly discusses (65 pages) the impact of umpires on scoring totals.

For example, how do various umpires do in against the league average when it comes to men getting on base via the walk? Some umpires seem to have different temperaments, short fuses, larger or small strike zones that eventually impact the final score because of the number of runners who get on base. Murray has kept records for each of the umpires for as far back as 2000. He indicates how many home and away games each umpire participated in behind the plate and how often the home team won. Also, he lists how often games went over or under the total. Finally, for the past three years, Murray indicates each umpire's BB rateÑthat is, how often a batter walks in comparison to the league average when a particular umpire is behind the plate.

Those interested in the Ques-Tec (a system designed as a tool to help baseball standardize the strike zone) will find excellent explanations and much food for thought in its pros and cons (the umpire's union dislikes it) and in Murray's figures.

The author's analysis of certain umpires should generate some controversy, especially when he isolates names with the words "thin-skinned" or "confrontational" or "nasty temper." There's some fascinating stuff here for those who theorize that temperature plays a factor, along with humidity, wind and even ballpark altitude (we know about Coors FieldÑwhat of the others?) Back to the wind factor again, Murray charts it by the month from April to October for each team. Some interesting observations: "The wind has more of an impact on day games than games in the evening." He adds: "Wind also blows harder in April and May. Once summer hits, the wind doesn't affect nearly as many ball games as it did early in the season."

For those searching for online resources, Murray provides about four dozen of them which he uses daily. His own web site and e-mail address are also listed in the book should you have any suggestions or questions.

Overall, it doesn't get much better for bettors with Murray's bookÑeach year he improves the product. Truly a must-read for anyone betting or researching the sport.

Any item reviewed here is available from Gambler's Book Shop (Gambler's Book Club). The store's web site is www.gamblersbook.com. You may order there using MasterCard, VISA or Discover (no CODs please) or by phoning the store any day except Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time at 1-800-522-1777. Orders usually shipped the next working day. The store, now in its 40th year, is located a mile from downtown Las Vegas, a block west of Maryland Parkway, just off Charleston Boulevard at South 11th Street. You may view the store's complete array of books, videos and software via the Web site or request a hard copy of the catalog be mailed free and first class. The store's address is 630 S. 11th St., Las Vegas, NV 89101.