Bill James and STATS, Inc. Announce 2002 MLB All-Win Shares Teams and Ratings; Innovative Analysis Reveals Barry Bonds Enjoyed 10th Greatest Season of All-Time.

Sports Editors/Baseball Writers & Columnists

MORTON GROVE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 31, 2002

STATS, Inc., the world's leading sports information provider has released their All-Win Shares team for the 2002 Major League Baseball season based on the unique ratings formula of Bill James, renowned baseball historian.

Last year's World Series participants lead the way on this year's All-Win Shares team with four New York Yankees and three Arizona Diamondbacks on the squad. The All-Win Shares team consists of: first basemen Jason Giambi and Jim Thome (tie); second baseman Alfonso Soriano; shortstop Alex Rodriguez; third basemen Edgardo Alfonzo and Eric Chavez (tie); catcher Jorge Posada; left fielder Barry Bonds, center fielders Bernie Williams and Lance Berkman (tie); right fielder Shawn Green; designated hitter Ellis Burks; righthanded starter Curt Schilling; lefthanded starter Randy Johnson and reliever Byung-Hyun Kim. Other notes from the Win Shares ratings include:

-- Barry Bonds' incredible production resulted in a Win Shares total that tied for the 10th highest over the past century. In fact, only one player since 1960 has exceeded the Win Shares figure that Bonds generated this season - and that was Bonds himself in 2001. Bonds' 2001 total tied for the third-highest figure since 1900.

-- Alfonso Soriano received a lot of attention as an MVP candidate this past season. However, he may not have been even the best player on his own team. Jason Giambi and Bernie Williams also accumulated an equal amount of Win Shares in 2002, giving voters something to think about when choosing the player who helped the Yankees, or any other team, the most.

-- Eric Hinske of the Toronto Blue Jays proved to be the top American League rookie in 2002, while Brad Wilkerson of the Pittsburgh Pirates was the most valuable first year player in the National League.

For a more detailed listing of various 2002 Win Share ratings, factoids and All-Star teams, please visit www.stats.com/winshares.

Earlier this year, James and STATS Publishing introduced Win Shares, a landmark publication that allows for Major League Baseball player evaluation across positions, teams and eras. In essence, Win Shares estimates the number of wins created by players in one clean number. While doing so, it puts pitchers and fielders in the same context as hitters, while trying to eliminate park illusions.

Dubbed the "Sultan of Stats" (The Boston Globe), James is known for his intelligent and innovative style of analytical writing. TIME magazine calls Mr. James "a rare combination of amateur logician and sociologist, stylist, humorist and stern moralist."

Win Shares is available from STATS Publishing in both digital and traditional print formats at www.stats.com or 800-63-STATS.

About STATS, Inc.

STATS, Inc. is owned by News Corporation (NYSE:NWS). With more than 20 years of experience in sophisticated sports data collection, processing and distribution - STATS is the world's leading sports information and statistical analysis company. STATS provides exclusive information and data from its proprietary databases to fans, professional teams, print and broadcast media, software developers and interactive service providers around the globe. STATS is also the industry's leading fantasy sports game management firm. STATS, Inc.'s business partners include FOX Sports, ESPN, CBS Sports, YES Network, WGN Sports, Dish Network, AOL, The Sporting News, EA Sports, Topps and the Associated Press. (http://biz.stats.com)