Description
Book SynopsisBaseball is much more than the national pastime. It has become an emblem of America itself. From its initial popularity in the mid-nineteenth century, the game has reflected national values and beliefs and promoted what it means to be an American. Stories abound that illustrate baseball's significance in eradicating racial barriers, bringing neighborhoods together, building civic pride, and creating on the field of play an instructive civics lesson for immigrants on the national character.In A People's History of Baseball, Mitchell Nathanson probes the less well-known but no less meaningful other side of baseball: episodes not involving equality, patriotism, heroism, and virtuous capitalism, but power--how it is obtained, and how it perpetuates itself. Through the growth and development of baseball Nathanson shows that, if only we choose to look for it, we can see the petty power struggles as well as the large and consequential ones that have likewise defined our nation.By offering a f
Trade Review"Chronicles the historic power struggles among those seeking to define and regulate pro baseball. . . . A fine book."--
Library Journal"
A People’s History of Baseball provides vigorous and fascinating challenges to the ways in which fans have related to a game that [Nathanson] says has been ‘virtually synonymous’ with America for well over a century.”--
The Boston Globe"Nathanson's arguments are intriguing throughout."--
The Journal of American History"Nathanson has researched thoroughly, writes persuasively, and does not shy away from challenging even the most revered narrative in baseball: Branch Rickey, Jackie Robinson, and the integration of Major League Baseball."--
Journal of Sport History"A valuable and vibrant contribution to an expanding scholarly literature on American baseball."--
The Historian"Mitchell Nathanson's
A People's History of Baseball is a historical corrective. It examines Major League Baseball (MLB) through an "alternative lens" (219), one that provides a useful, critical perspective. The book's six chapters cover a lot of ground. A thoughtful, substantive exploration of some aspects of MLB's unsavory past and present,
A People's History of Baseball is a welcome alternative to the far more numerous baseball romances published every spring."--
Nine"An excellent social critique that tells provocative and overlooked back stories about baseball in American history and culture.
A People's History of Baseball goes beyond the game itself and examines larger issues of nationalism, mass media, legal history, and race relations."--Robert Elias, author of
The Empire Strikes Out: How Baseball Sold U.S. Foreign Policy and Promoted the American Way Abroad"Armed with convincing and creative arguments that challenge the many myths surrounding America's national pastime,
A People's History of Baseball provides ample fodder for debate among sport history scholars as well as general readers interested in exploring the game's meaningful role in shaping the American identity."--Samuel O. Regalado, author of
Viva Baseball! Latin Major Leaguers and Their Special HungerTable of ContentsAcknowledgments ix
Prologue xi
1 A Game of Their Own 1
2 The Sovereign Nation of Baseball 28
3 Rickey, Race, and "All Deliberate Speed" 67
4 Tearing Down the Walls 108
5 "Wait 'Til Next Year" and the Denial of History 146
6 The Storytellers 180
Notes 221
Bibliography 261
Index 271
