Conversation so far:
What are the Bill James Baseball Abstracts about?
James began self-publishing an annual book titled The Bill James Baseball Abstract beginning in 1977.
Where did he write the baseball abstracts?
Many of his first baseball writings came while he was doing night shifts as a security guard at the Stokely-Van Camp's pork and beans cannery.
Why was he writing about baseball?
An aspiring writer and obsessive fan, James began writing baseball articles after leaving the United States Army.
How many did he write?
The first three editions of the Baseball Abstract garnered respect for James's work.
What reviews did he get?
a very favorable review by Daniel Okrent in Sports Illustrated.
Did he sell many of them?
By 1982 sales had increased tenfold.

Question: Why were his Baseball Abstracts successful?
Self-contained rewrite: Why were Bill James' Baseball Abstracts successful?