The Hall of Nearly Great is an ebook meant to celebrate the careers of those who are not celebrated. It’s not a book meant to reopen arguments about who does and does not deserve Hall of Fame enshrinement. Rather, it remembers those who, failing entrance into Cooperstown, may unfairly be lost to history. It’s for the players we grew up rooting for, the ones whose best years led to flags and memories that will fly together forever. Players like David Cone, Will Clark, Dwight Evans, Norm Cash, Kenny Lofton, Brad Radke, and many others.

This is not a numbers-driven project (although our contributors lean analytical in their views). Our plan isn’t to be overbearing with stats and spreadsheets to convince you that these players are worth remembering. What we aim to do, instead, is accomplish that same task through stories. Think of your favorite players growing up: they have their moments, games, seasons, quirks, personalities, and legends worth remembering and sharing. Now, combine the best of everyone’s forgotten favorites, and you’ve got a Hall of Nearly Great. Ask the people who have those memories and love for these players to write essays about them, and you have The Hall of Nearly Great ebook.

It takes a talented writer to give these players their due honors, and we’ve collected forty-two talented writers to do just that. These are All-Star writers, some of our favorite must-reads in today’s expansive baseball coverage landscape. They have diverse voices, diverse backgrounds and diverse interests, but they all love baseball and have a passion for the players they’re writing about. You already love some of these players, and you’ll come to love the rest.

This is an ebook, available in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI formats, suitable for reading on a computer, iPad, Kindle, Nook, other e-reader, or smart phone. It is DRM-free, not because we want people to steal it, but because we’d rather put our efforts into making better products than limiting their convenience. Buy now for immediate download for only $12.

That’s over 97,000 words and 300 pages about 43 legendary players. Here’s what some folks have said about The Hall of Nearly Great:

Fans love to argue about who are the greatest players. In this splendid book some of the game’s top writers give a nod to players who have no plaques in Cooperstown, but were undeniably great. “Let us now praise famous men … all these were honored in their generations, and were the glory of their times.” – John Thorn, official MLB historian

Allow me to be the nth person to say how fantastic The Hall of Nearly Great is. Probably just gonna sit here reading all day instead of working. – Pat Lackey, Where Have You Gone Andy Van Slyke

This is a great book by talented people, and you should buy it. – Joe Sheehan, Sports Illustrated & The Joe Sheehan Newsletter

Still not convinced? We have two book excerpts available. One is at Deadspin and features Grant Brisbee writing about Will Clark. The second is at The Classical and features Josh Wilker writing about Luis Tiant. Not all chapters have the same tone and style, but if you enjoyed these, you’ll enjoy the 41 others.

Feel free to contact hallofnearlygreat@gmail.com with any questions.