I was in Walgreen’s the other day and saw the book on the magazine rack. I had to buy it.

I figure I probably purchased my first Who’s Who in Baseball in 1970 or 1971. Now it is an annual rite of spring for me.

Much like it was during 70s, and much earlier than that, Who’s Who hasn’t changed. I am thankful for that.

While I enjoy the advances in new statistics, there’s something refreshing, if not comforting, about the simplicity of Who’s Who.

You won’t find stats like WAR or even in on-base percentage in Who’s Who. Rather, it’s still the basics: Batting average, HRs, RBIs, and the other staples that have been around forever.

Each player has a thumbnail picture and personal information like date of birth, height and weight. There isn’t a bio about the player. Instead, the stats tell the story and the arc of a player’s career.

When I get the issue, I’ll look for my favorites and the big names. The collection of Albert Pujols’ numbers are awesome, especially with the myriad of asterisks that denote league leader.

You can see how all the 200-hit seasons added up to 3,304 hits for Derek Jeter. You look at Paul Konerko’s body of work–422 homers coming into the season–and you realize he might be the most underrated player in baseball.

When Roy Halladay was good, he was very good, earning two Cy Young awards. Andy Pettitte’s line in postseason (19-11) is truly impressive.

However, most of the time, I will open the book to a random page. Wow, LaTroy Hawkins has 18 seasons in the big league. Page 132, and there’s Juan Pierre, who had 2,141 going into the season. Page 216, and you can see that Chris Carpenter, who may be done, had an impressive career.

In essence, these are mini baseball cards. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy the book so much.

It takes me back to a time when baseball, not to mention my life, was a simpler endeavor. A time when I loved baseball for the pure joy of the game. Perhaps Who’s Who reminds of that 12-year-old who used to count down the days to the White Sox season opener.

This is the 98th season for Who’s Who, a remarkable record in its right. I looked forward to buying the 100th edition and more.