Change Up

February 1, 2008
Through roundtable discussions drawing on comments by former and present major leaguers and sports writers, the authors highlight the phenomena that they believe formed baseball as we know it today: the Mets bringing the National League back to New York, the rise of Latino and Japanese ballplayers, Jim Bouton's Ball Four, the player's union, the designated hitter, the first black major league manager, and Cal Ripken's streak of consecutive games. Recommended for general libraries

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2008
Burke and Fornatales baseball creds are impressive: from senior editor at Sports Illustrated to ESPN.com and most points in between. They have chosen eight key events in baseball history and provide first-person commentary from players, coaches, managers, and other observers directly or indirectly involved. The core premise is that the game has changed more in the last 50 years than it had in its previous history and that these events were significant catalysts of that change. Among the events discussed are the influx of Latin players; the birth of the players union; the introduction of the American Leagues designated-hitter rule; and the hiring of the first African American manager (Frank Robinson). In each section, Burke and Fornatale provide context as needed and then step back for comments from their interviewees. The most revealing section may be the one dealing with the players union. Its a riveting oral history that provides context for the acrimony that endures between players and owners to this day. Serious fans of the game will find this one of the most eye-opening and fascinating baseball books of the year.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)