Baseball

The pastime from its origins to analytics, now in an updated new edition

 

Long celebrated as a classic, Baseball returns in a new fourth edition that follows the game from its murky origins to the current era of unprecedented prosperity.

 

Benjamin G. Rader updates the text with a portrait of baseball's new order. He charts an on-the-field game transformed by analytics, an influx of Latino and Asian players, and a generation of players groomed for brute power both on the mound and at the plate. He also analyzes the behind-the-scenes revolution that brought in billions of dollars from a synergy of marketing and branding prowess, visionary media development, and fan-friendly ballparks abuzz with nonstop entertainment. The result is an entertaining and comprehensive tour of a game that, whatever its changes, always reflects American society and culture.