Stumbling Around the Bases
Andy McCue
(Author)
Description
The American League's trip to the bottom involved bad decisions by both individual teams and their owners. The key elements were a glacial approach to integration, the choice of underfinanced or disruptive new owners, and a consistent inability to choose the better markets among cities that were available for expansion. The American League wound up with less-attractive teams in the smaller markets compared to the National League--and thus fewer consumers of tickets, parking, beer, hot dogs, scorecards, and replica jerseys.
The errors of the American League owners were rooted in missed cultural and demographic shifts and exacerbated by reactive decisions that hurt as much as helped their interests. Though the owners were men who were notably successful in their non-baseball business ventures, success in insurance, pizza, food processing, and real estate development, didn't necessarily translate into running a flourishing baseball league. In the end the National League was simply better at recognizing its collective interests, screening its owners, and recognizing the markets that had long-term potential.
Product Details
| Publisher | University of Nebraska Press |
| Publish Date | April 01, 2022 |
| Pages | 208 |
| Language | English |
| Type |  Hardback |
| EAN/UPC | 9781496207036 |
| Dimensions | 9.3 X 6.3 X 0.8 inches | 1.0 pounds |
About the Author
Reviews
"McCue demonstrates that he is not only a skilled researcher but also a skilled storyteller with a prosecutorial knack for building a case. The tale he weaves in Stumbling around the Bases adds a unique perspective on the history of Major League Baseball in the '60s and '70s."--David M. Pegram, NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture
"Readers who enjoy books on the business side of the game and its politics will enjoy this one immensely. . . . It will be hard to find another book that tells of the infamy of the American League brass in the 1960's and 1970's."--Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports Books-- (6/13/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"McCue packs in a great deal of information and insight, armed with his customary attention to detail and deep research. MLB may seem like one big happy family now, but it was not too long ago that there was intense competition."--Bob D'Angelo, Sports Bookie-- (6/7/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"When it comes to baseball research, author Andy McCue is in a league of his own. What an absolute joy it is to read McCue's latest book. . . . If you're a baseball junkie, this is a book for you."--Don Laible, Bradenton Times-- (4/24/2022 12:00:00 AM)
"As integration and expansion pushed baseball into the modern era, it's a wonder the bumbling American League owners could even open their gates. With comprehensive research and a clean, crisp style, Andy McCue chronicles all the behind-the-scenes stumbling and scheming that was just as fascinating as the play on the field."--Tyler Kepner, New York Times national baseball columnist and author of K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches
Earn by promoting books
