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The Only Rule Is It Has to Work: Our Wild Experiment Building a New Kind of Baseball Team Hardcover – May 3, 2016

by Ben Lindbergh (Author), Sam Miller (Author)

1,441 ratings

Goodreads Choice Award nominee

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The New York Times bestseller about what would happen if two statistics-minded outsiders were allowed to run a professional baseball team

It’s the ultimate in fantasy baseball: You get to pick the roster, set the lineup, and decide on strategies -- with real players, in a real ballpark, in a real playoff race. That’s what baseball analysts Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller got to do when an independent minor-league team in California, the Sonoma Stompers, offered them the chance to run its baseball operations according to the most advanced statistics. Their story in The Only Rule is it Has to Work is unlike any other baseball tale you've ever read.

We tag along as Lindbergh and Miller apply their number-crunching insights to all aspects of assembling and running a team, following one cardinal rule for judging each innovation they try: it has to work. We meet colorful figures like general manager Theo Fightmaster and boundary-breakers like the first openly gay player in professional baseball. Even José Canseco makes a cameo appearance.

Will their knowledge of numbers help Lindbergh and Miller bring the Stompers a championship, or will they fall on their faces? Will the team have a competitive advantage or is the sport’s folk wisdom true after all? Will the players attract the attention of big-league scouts, or are they on a fast track to oblivion?

It’s a wild ride, by turns provocative and absurd, as Lindbergh and Miller tell a story that will speak to numbers geeks and traditionalists alike. And they prove that you don’t need a bat or a glove to make a genuine contribution to the game.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller have given us a brutally honest but blissfully funny look at where we really stand a decade into the ‘analytics revolution.’ If you want the insights that statheads and baseball traditionalists still need to learn from one another, start by reading this book.”--Nate Silver, bestselling author of The Signal and the Noise and the founder and editor in chief of FiveThirtyEight

“The Only Rule Is It Has to Work is a terrific read, as Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller – two of baseball’s leading sabermetric writers – put their beliefs on the line by taking over an actual team of actual players and trying to implement their unorthodox theories. The story of their season with the Sonoma Stompers is a fascinating human drama about the give-and-take between the new thinking and the old school.”--Ken Rosenthal, MLB on FOX reporter, FOXSports.com senior baseball writer, and MLB Network insider

“In a phenomenal book that is a fun, breezy, and moving read, Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller invite us into their mad experiment. They show us the trials, travails, and challenges of running an independent league baseball team, and along the way they do something remarkable: they make us care deeply for the players who put their hearts into every point of on-base percentage.”--Jonah Keri, bestselling author of Up, Up, and Away and The Extra 2%

“The Only Rule Is It Has to Work is the happy, improbable spawn of Moneyball and Bull Durham―a relentlessly smart and consistently funny journey into the dregs of the minors that proves one thing above all: No matter how many statistics you apply to baseball, you can never kill its heart.”―Stefan Fatsis, author of Word Freak, A Few Seconds of Panic, and Wild and Outside

About the Author

Ben Lindbergh is a staff writer for FiveThirtyEight and, with Sam Miller, the cohost of Effectively Wild, the daily Baseball Prospectus podcast. He is a former staff writer for Grantland and a former editor in chief of Baseball Prospectus. He lives in New York City.

Sam Miller is the editor in chief of Baseball Prospectus, the coeditor of Baseball Prospectus’s annual guidebook, and a contributing writer at ESPN The Magazine. He lives on the San Francisco peninsula with his wife and daughter.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Henry Holt and Co.; First Edition (May 3, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1627795642
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1627795647
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.41 x 1.31 x 9.58 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,152,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #343 in Sports Industry
- #2,469 in Baseball (Books)

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1,441 global ratings

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Customers find the book engaging and entertaining. They appreciate the anecdotal and analytical insights into life at the lowest end of professional baseball. The book explores the human elements and psychological undertones that occur during the season. Readers appreciate the humor, wit, and whimsical writing style. The story is described as interesting, engaging, and thought-provoking. It provides a unique look at an independent league team and its day-to-day life.

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Readability Insight Human content Humor Enthralling story Look Relationship building Writing style

231 customers mention "Readability"231 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They appreciate the author's ability to convey the storylines and emotions effectively. The book is well-paced and interesting for baseball fans.

"...It's simply a good story." Read more

"...low level minor league team on a shoestring budget, this story will interest baseball fans who share an interest in the game beyond the major leagues..." Read more

"...does set itself apart from the standard baseball story with its unique premise, the book somehow still manages to encapsulate the full experience of..." Read more

"...The authors also do a great job of conveying the storylines and emotions associated with the team...." Read more

72 customers mention "Insight"72 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides insightful anecdotes and analytical content about professional baseball. They appreciate the insights into strategic planning, financial impact, marketing, and community benefits. The book is well-written and informative without boring readers with technical details. Readers appreciate the intelligence, wit, and humility in the writing style.

"...predictions and offers insights about baseball based on crazy in-depth statistics (called sabermetrics)...." Read more

"...influence over lineups and batting orders, and deploy several novel in-game strategies such as a five-man infield...." Read more

"...Finally, I found this book inspiring as a personal story of humility and frustration, combined with some great insight into how to "make friends..." Read more

"...’s a lot to chew on with regards to outsiders versus insiders; new ideas versus old; and the difference between observers and actors...." Read more

44 customers mention "Human content"44 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's human content. They find it explores the psychological undertones of baseball, revealing personal realities and emotions. The book is described as heartfelt, funny, and engaging.

"...There is vulnerability here, and heart. And you don't need to know baseball or statistics to recognize it...." Read more

"...Nonetheless, the authors do a great job of making them feel, well, human...." Read more

"...I thought the book does what great books do: reveal something about people that is true, and heartfelt, and worthy of the time...." Read more

"...But even more interesting than the baseball parts are the psychological undertones: how Ben and Sam's relationship changes during the season, the..." Read more

34 customers mention "Humor"34 positive0 negative

Customers find the book humorous with witty writing and insight into the past. They appreciate the humorous scenes and heartbreaking player stories. The writing is described as whimsical, lively, and thoughtful. Readers appreciate the writers' personalities and contrasting writing styles that make each chapter feel unique.

"...offers (a) good writing; (b) intelligent analysis of the sport; (3) humor (really!);..." Read more

"...You pump your fist when the team comes through. It's funny, it's dramatic, it's gripping...." Read more

"...It isnt. It's entertaining, smart,funny and educational if read with an open mind." Read more

"...It hooks you from the very beginning. It is funny, suspenseful, and told with some of the best writing that I have read...." Read more

32 customers mention "Enthralling story"25 positive7 negative

Customers find the story engaging and thought-provoking. They describe the writing as colorful and exuberant, with depth and insight into baseball organization from the front office. The book provides an interesting recap of the internal workings of a baseball organization from the front desk.

"...It's an interesting experiment...." Read more

"...Nerdy, quirky, and committed, we see how the stats and culture of baseball get messy when mixed together. Good weekend read...." Read more

"...of the new wave of baseball strategies, but they will get a classic baseball story about the most unpredictable metric in the game: the emotion that..." Read more

"...about the fortunes of the players (and executives) because of the engaging and brilliant way the story was told...." Read more

15 customers mention "Look"15 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's intimate look at an independent league baseball team. They find it interesting and unique, with a nice inside view of raw baseball culture without being too hokey. The writing styles alternate between writers, preserving their distinct styles. Overall, readers describe the book as funny, well-written, and highly original.

"...Ben and Sam are both tremendous writers and I really enjoyed their style in this book...." Read more

"...For the most part, this is an entertaining look at the attempt to influence a roster, a team and a season of baseball using that 'newfangled'..." Read more

"...are detailed to the same degree as the successes, and it's a fascinating look at the day-to-day life in independent baseball as much as it is a..." Read more

"...book is exceedingly well written and entertaining, while giving a fascinating inside look at the day-to-day process of running an independent league..." Read more

10 customers mention "Relationship building"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful about working relationships and building trust among 22 players and management. They appreciate the author's full-hearted engagement in trying to help the Sonoma team. The chapters on group dynamics are riveting, and readers like meeting the players and following the writers-turned-GMs during the season. The story of leaders grappling with uncertainty using stats is terrific.

"...This isn't just a baseball story. It's a story about people, about relationships, about finding your way...." Read more

"...I loved it for Ben Lindbergh and Sam Miller's curiosity and full-hearted engagement in trying to help the Sonoma Stompers...." Read more

"...planning, financial impact, marketing, community benefits, relationship building, good old fashioned luck and psychology of social situations...." Read more

"...What I didn't expect were the insights into leadership...." Read more

9 customers mention "Writing style"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing style. They find the two narrators' voices unique and clear. The writing styles blend seamlessly from chapter to chapter, making for an enjoyable read. Readers appreciate the different perspectives and communication skills of the authors.

"...Ben and Sam are two extremely bright guys with great communication skills...." Read more

"...Ben and Sam's voices are clear and enjoyable making for a fun, breezy read." Read more

"...The decision to alternate narrators by chapter was smart, as you really gain an understanding of Ben and Sam's different perspectives on..." Read more

"...The two voices complement each other beautifully, each writer giving us his perspective on the team and the way it functions as well as a look at..." Read more

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Ladybug
An honest and entertaining book about (so much more than) baseball.
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2016
Verified Purchase

Full disclosure: Sam Miller is my cousin. I don't think I've seen or talked to him in maybe a decade-ish (?), but we are related. Well, not technically, like, "blood related," since we are cousins through my stepdad's side. But, yes, growing up, we saw each other at family get togethers twice a year. So there you go.

Sam Miller and Ben Lindbergh cohost Effectively Wild, a podcast that makes predictions and offers insights about baseball based on crazy in-depth statistics (called sabermetrics). Both have also been editor-in-chief of Baseball Prospectus, which, in their words, is "the leading media outlet devoted to data-driven baseball analysis." So, yeah. These nerds like baseball--a lot--and examining all the teeny tiny variables of the game in the hopes that they might accurately predict which players and teams will succeed and which won't is their idea of a pretty good time.

Amazingly, after so many years of sharing their predictions, criticisms, and insights on air and online, they are offered the opportunity of a lifetime when they are asked to help run baseball operations for the Sonoma Stompers, an independent minor league in Sonoma California. Guided only (well, mostly) by statistics, they'll have the freedom to eliminate players, reposition players, switch up outfield positions, you name it...so long as they have the statistical evidence to support their decisions.

Of course, Miller and Lindbergh jump at the opportunity, and The Only Rule Is It Has to Work is the story of their experience. They start the season with good intentions, ambitious goals, and perhaps slightly naive expectations. The learning curve is steep, however, and they are forced to absorb and adapt quickly, all while making fast, creative, and (hopefully) correct decisions, despite limited access to data. Sometimes they get it right. Many times they don't. In the end, they learn that running a team--and especially building a team--is complicated. Sabermetrics may be cold, hard, objective FACTS, but people are messy.

I surprised myself by loving this book. I mean, I love baseball. I love watching baseball. I love playing baseball. But baseball stats? Ick. No thanks. And I thought that was what this book was going to be: just a bunch of numbers and spreadsheets. But it's not. Yes, there is a lot of number talk in here, but numbers aren't the main focus. The people are. The players, the coaches, and, of course, Miller and Lindbergh.

What makes this book so powerful is the honesty with which the story is told. Miller and Lindbergh hold nothing of their experience back--even when it makes them look bad, even when they are so unsure, even when they struggle to make their team feel like, well, a team. It's so obvious that they care about the game, about the players, about getting it right--but they don't hesitate to admit when they screw up. There is vulnerability here, and heart. And you don't need to know baseball or statistics to recognize it. In the end, The Only Rule Is It Has to Work is more than a book about baseball, and certainly more than a book about sabermetrics. It's simply a good story.

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M.G.
It's easier to be a GM on paper than it is in real life
Reviewed in the United States on July 14, 2016
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Most baseball fans know new approaches to statistical analysis have revolutionized certain aspects of Major League Baseball over the past 20 years. We see teams deploying more defensive shifts than ever. Some GMs have learned to value WAR and RC+ over batting average and earned run average. And Joe Buck even made reference to OPS and BABIP during the broadcast of the 2016 MLB All-Star Game.

In The Only Rule Is It Has To Work, a pair of sabermetric partners write alternating chapters to give us a unique, behind-the-scenes perspective as they take on the role of co-GMs for the Sonoma Stompers, an independent minor-league team. Their goal is to leverage numbers-driven insights to see if they can create a superior team at the lowest level of professional baseball.

It's an interesting experiment. They have a certain amount of success using nothing more than a spreadsheet of college baseball statistics to find several promising players who have been overlooked by literally every other baseball organization in the country. We also follow along as they eventually gain influence over lineups and batting orders, and deploy several novel in-game strategies such as a five-man infield. More interesting, however, is the authors' abrupt realization of the difficulty implementing a scientific approach to the game when you have to deal with real, live relationships between between GMs, manager and players. Their account of the difficulties they have getting their ideas onto an actual lineup card and implemented on the field goes a long way toward explaining why, even in Major League Baseball, where access to information is virtually unlimited and careers depend on gaining every possible advantage, we still see semi-destructive strategies in use every day. Often, it's not ignorance that leads managers to deploy sub-optimal lineups, waste precious outs with ill-timed sacrifice bunts, or leave their best reliever in the bullpen during high-leverage situations. These, and a dozen other blunders occur every day at least in part because it's easy to play the game one way on paper but, when real people, real egos and real emotions are involved, it's sometimes hard to put new ideas into practice.

With plenty of insight into some of the details of running a low level minor league team on a shoestring budget, this story will interest baseball fans who share an interest in the game beyond the major leagues, especially those who appreciate the way statistics are changing how the game is played. It's a different view of the game, from a perspective that we haven't seen before. The only drawback is the use of alternating chapters; it's a little choppy at times and it sometimes becomes hard to follow whose perspective we're getting.

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Willsy
A longer version of Moneyball and a great view of Minor League Baseball
Reviewed in Australia on May 5, 2017
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If you liked Moneyball you will love this.

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Amazon Customer
Read a preview chapter and immediately ordered. Glad I did.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
I read a preview chapter online, where Sam & Ben turn up at a tryout and sign their first player (not altogether fairly!), and was immediately interested, intrigued and ordered. If you have any interest in baseball, especially with regard to sabermatrics, I would highly suggest this book. You get to a side of baseball I've never seen before - the weekend, town-baseball, no-money independent leagues that is almost like a different sport from Major League baseball.

Seeing real players become characters in their own right throughout the book, in a similar manner to how it must have felt to Ben & Sam; coming in as outsiders to a team - Feh, Baps, Sean. It actually reminded me of sports management games like Football Manager and OOTP, whenever you take on a team you've never heard of. Complete strangers that you come to love, to share in their successes and failures.

The preview excerpt I read was from deadspin - search for 'How Two Online Baseball Writers Won An Indie-League Draft By Finding Talent And Stealing It' (I'm unsure if Amazon likes direct links in reviews).

It was funny, informative, interesting, and thoroughly enjoyable.

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christian schneider
Great Book
Reviewed in Germany on May 27, 2016
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Ich habe keinerlei Ahnung von Baseball. Das Buch entdeckte ich auf einer Seite für Eishockey-Statistiken. Innerhalb kürzester Zeit war ich fasziniert, weil es das Thema betraf, welches wohl jeden Fan eines Sportvereins interessiert. Was würde passieren, wenn ich einen Verein leiten darf und die Entscheidungen treffen muss?

Insgesamt ein großartiges Buch, vor allem für Sportfreunde und Freunde der Advanced Analytics jeder Sportart.

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Lucas M
Awesome book
Reviewed in Brazil on September 9, 2023
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Had a wonderful time reading this book, such a fun adventure through indie-ball!

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Matthew W
It's simple.. You like books? You'll love this book!
Reviewed in Canada on June 11, 2016
Verified Purchase
With years of writing, as well as hundreds of hours of podcasting together the quality of Sam and Ben's work is unquestionable. This book just adds a 100lb. cherry on top, and answers the question I have had for at least the last 800 episodes..why don't these guys write a book already??
Well, it's here, and its excellent.
If you love baseball, you will really enjoy this novel. If you don't really like baseball? Buy it anyway. From the start you are swept up in the authors' passion for baseball, and love of puzzle solving at its finest. This book would have been excellent as a work of fiction, but as a true story?? I was carried along with them from the first glimmer of an idea of running a pro baseball team, to actually imposing an intelligent "fact based" approach to winning on men who neither wanted or respected them initially. I felt the loss when one of their spreadsheet "targeted" players walked, and the exhilaration of victory when the shift works for the first time!
There are wins and losses, ups and downs, blunders and eurekas, this book has everything you could want.. Not to mention the great baseball stories, "insider" info, and for me? I love that I can follow the authors and the players into the future(already some cool news!).
I'm no reviewer.. And I'm just rambling at this point, but I enjoyed this book so much, I actually logged on to review it! That says it all folks.

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5.0 out of 5 stars An honest and entertaining book about (so much more than) baseball.

4.0 out of 5 stars It's easier to be a GM on paper than it is in real life

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars A longer version of Moneyball and a great view of Minor League Baseball

5.0 out of 5 stars Read a preview chapter and immediately ordered. Glad I did.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book

5.0 out of 5 stars It's simple.. You like books? You'll love this book!

An honest and entertaining book about (so much more than) baseball.

It's easier to be a GM on paper than it is in real life

A longer version of Moneyball and a great view of Minor League Baseball

Read a preview chapter and immediately ordered. Glad I did.

Great Book

Awesome book

It's simple.. You like books? You'll love this book!