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The Lords of the Realm: The Real History of Baseball
"The ultimate chronicle of the games behind the game."— The New York Times Book Review
Baseball has always inspired rhapsodic elegies on the glory of man and golden memories of wonderful times. But what you see on the field is only half the game.
In this fascinating, colorful chronicle—based on hundreds of interviews and years of research and digging—John Helyar brings to vivid life the extraordinary people and dramatic events that shaped America's favorite pastime, from the dead-ball days at the turn of the century through the great strike of 1994. Witness zealous Judge Landis banish eight players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, after the infamous "Black Sox" scandal; the flamboyant A's owner Charlie Finley wheel and deal his star players, Vida Blue and Rollie Fingers, like a deck of cards; the hysterical bidding war of coveted free agent Catfish Hunter; the chain-smoking romantic, A. Bartlett Giamatti, locking horns with Pete Rose during his gambling days of summer; and much more.
Praise for The Lords of the Realm
"A must-read for baseball fans . . . reads like a suspense novel." — Kirkus Reviews
"Refreshingly hard-headed . . . the only book you'll need to read on the subject." — Newsday
"Lots of stories . . . well told, amusing . . . edifying." — The Washington Post
Baseball has always inspired rhapsodic elegies on the glory of man and golden memories of wonderful times. But what you see on the field is only half the game.
In this fascinating, colorful chronicle—based on hundreds of interviews and years of research and digging—John Helyar brings to vivid life the extraordinary people and dramatic events that shaped America's favorite pastime, from the dead-ball days at the turn of the century through the great strike of 1994. Witness zealous Judge Landis banish eight players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, after the infamous "Black Sox" scandal; the flamboyant A's owner Charlie Finley wheel and deal his star players, Vida Blue and Rollie Fingers, like a deck of cards; the hysterical bidding war of coveted free agent Catfish Hunter; the chain-smoking romantic, A. Bartlett Giamatti, locking horns with Pete Rose during his gambling days of summer; and much more.
Praise for The Lords of the Realm
"A must-read for baseball fans . . . reads like a suspense novel." — Kirkus Reviews
"Refreshingly hard-headed . . . the only book you'll need to read on the subject." — Newsday
"Lots of stories . . . well told, amusing . . . edifying." — The Washington Post
640 pages, Paperback
First published April 26, 1994
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
January 29, 2024
I have had a fondness for "behind the scenes" baseball books ever since I read Bill Veeck's autobiography as an adolescent. Veeck had little affection for his fellow owners and John Helyar does not seem to think much of them either. In a way, this book takes the reader back to a simpler era (not to be confused with ERA) when eccentric and/or mean-spirited multi-millionaires bought baseball teams rather than run for president. In this sense George W. Bush was a transitional figure, since he did both.
This book explains how and why baseball players became extremely well-compensated and describes the process through which Marvin Miller dragged the owners by their wallets into the twentieth century. This book was written 25 years ago so the transition to the 21st century will have to be documented elsewhere. In Helyar's telling the story of baseball owners becomes a morality play about how refusing to consider any change leads to changes much worse than could have made with a little adaptability and willingness to cooperate. However, if you're still mad about all the money Alex Rodriguez made, you may read the story differently.
This book explains how and why baseball players became extremely well-compensated and describes the process through which Marvin Miller dragged the owners by their wallets into the twentieth century. This book was written 25 years ago so the transition to the 21st century will have to be documented elsewhere. In Helyar's telling the story of baseball owners becomes a morality play about how refusing to consider any change leads to changes much worse than could have made with a little adaptability and willingness to cooperate. However, if you're still mad about all the money Alex Rodriguez made, you may read the story differently.
March 11, 2017
A thorough look at the history of MLB's treatment of players and the rise of its union (the Player's Association), as far as it goes. Lords of the Realm takes a mostly non-partisan look at the owner treatment of players and eventual player response to owners as Helyar chronicles decade after decade, year after year, and ultimately meeting after meeting of the rise of, perhaps, the most powerful union in North America.
In doing so, the author makes sure that we understand the the points of view of the players and their chosen representatives (especially Marvin Miller) and, to the best of his ability, that of the owners. However, it seems that perspective of management (frequently referred to in the text as "the Lords") may be a bit hidden. Because while the players were out and about (and in the press), many owners took a high-handed approach to publicity so there were fewer texts on which to draw. Still, their actions speak as loud as any words could.
Through the decades, we meet and get to know players, owners, and commissioners. The evolving positions of advertising, free agency, television, etc. are both known and interesting. I found the information on Faye Vincent particularly interesting as I was not aware of his overly authoritarian take on his role.
The weakness in this book just comes from the happenstance of timing. It was published with the history leading up/into 1993. As baseball fans know, the following year their was a calamitous strike. That, and the subsequent decades are, of course, not included. While modern readers may be aware of what happened, a follow-up (much like Ken Burns' 10th Inning documentary) would be a welcome option for a new edition of this book.
Overall, I found this an engaging, educational, and entertaining walk through baseball history.
In doing so, the author makes sure that we understand the the points of view of the players and their chosen representatives (especially Marvin Miller) and, to the best of his ability, that of the owners. However, it seems that perspective of management (frequently referred to in the text as "the Lords") may be a bit hidden. Because while the players were out and about (and in the press), many owners took a high-handed approach to publicity so there were fewer texts on which to draw. Still, their actions speak as loud as any words could.
Through the decades, we meet and get to know players, owners, and commissioners. The evolving positions of advertising, free agency, television, etc. are both known and interesting. I found the information on Faye Vincent particularly interesting as I was not aware of his overly authoritarian take on his role.
The weakness in this book just comes from the happenstance of timing. It was published with the history leading up/into 1993. As baseball fans know, the following year their was a calamitous strike. That, and the subsequent decades are, of course, not included. While modern readers may be aware of what happened, a follow-up (much like Ken Burns' 10th Inning documentary) would be a welcome option for a new edition of this book.
Overall, I found this an engaging, educational, and entertaining walk through baseball history.
March 10, 2019
I read 'The Lords of the Realm' by John Helyar decades ago, it was good then but dated now. At the time it was one of the few baseball books with a thorough historical perspective of the business from the genesis of the game through the 1980's. I remember that the chapters covering the late 70's and 80's, when I was a serious fan, were not particularly enlightening. Of course this book was also written too early to recognize the ongoing steroid crisis of the '90s.
3.5 stars
3.5 stars
January 5, 2013
The book takes a long time to get fro the history to the reporting. The history, although good, is stale and well-known if you've read any of it before. The focus on the Brooklyn Dodgers only makes sense given the author's belief that O'Malley was a dominant owner.
The reporting is much more interesting. The 70's and 80's are kind of an underserved baseball era. The author clearly knows what's going on.
When the book ends, a labor dispute is avoided, the Orioles are the richest team in baseball, and the fans are extremely forgiving. Amazing how much has changed in 20 years and also how little.
Also very strange that this author only wrote Lords of the Realm and Barbarians at the Gate -- opposing titles, bit 1980's topics, bestsellers -- and then vanished.
Even though I liked it a lot, I think I will always remember the following passage: "[Marvin Miller] had removed himself from the negotiations. It was as though Thomas Jefferson was a no-show for the Constitution's drafting, as though Churchill had skipped the Yalta Coneference." (p. 265).
The reporting is much more interesting. The 70's and 80's are kind of an underserved baseball era. The author clearly knows what's going on.
When the book ends, a labor dispute is avoided, the Orioles are the richest team in baseball, and the fans are extremely forgiving. Amazing how much has changed in 20 years and also how little.
Also very strange that this author only wrote Lords of the Realm and Barbarians at the Gate -- opposing titles, bit 1980's topics, bestsellers -- and then vanished.
Even though I liked it a lot, I think I will always remember the following passage: "[Marvin Miller] had removed himself from the negotiations. It was as though Thomas Jefferson was a no-show for the Constitution's drafting, as though Churchill had skipped the Yalta Coneference." (p. 265).
July 2, 2014
This is an incredible book. If you are a serious baseball fan and a student of the game (as well as the game behind the game), you can't miss out on this book. I had heard many of the baseball analysts on ESPN speak highly of Helyar's book and after reading it, I can see why. I just wish it went deeper into the issues that the book covered (as well as explore other central issues) but that would be tough considering the book is already 550ish pages long. I beg John Helyar to write a follow up and recount the years of baseball between 1993-2013 as there is so much to explore (cancelled world series, Expos move to Washington, DC, wild card World Series winner, steroid era, Bud Selig's continued reign as commish, etc...). Again, a highly recommended book for the serious baseball fan.
April 11, 2008
Nothing better has ever been written about the confederacy of dunces that was the owners of Major League Baseball at the dawn of the free agent era. An often-hilarious picture of hubris and ignorance. Find out how people so otherwise smart become so stupid when they buy a baseball team.
April 17, 2017
Really great book on the relationship between baseball owners and the players. A must read for anyone interested in baseball.
May 20, 2017
The history of baseball owners and the carnage they left behind is interesting and depressing at the same time.
September 10, 2019
This is essential inside-baseball for those just as interested in baseball as an industry as they are in any one particular team. The focus is on the post-war changes of baseball as a paternalist industry operating on 19th-century standards to a more modern enterprise with robust labor laws. The transition was neither direct nor was it painless, and the behind-the-scenes approach successfully demonstrates just how much of the change (and absence thereof) was driven as much by personality as policy.
What was most interesting to me was seeing the evolving collective psyche of the owner-class. Early owners were deeply paternalistic, wanting to control their players' fortunes for life, rewarding and punishing them based on whims as much as analysis. The club was theirs, and they wanted the players to be theirs too. It wasn't total domination that they sought; oftentimes owners wanted to be appreciated and made to feel like one of the boys. What riled them up about the rise of labor rights was that they did not like being told by anyone else how to pay their players. They insisted that they would do right by their players. While they sometimes did, just as often owners used their broad latitude of their power to punish anyone who stepped out of line to an incredibly petty degree.
As players' rights caught up with their value, the relationship changed. Owners began to resent the players, blaming every financial or political shortfall on the greed of their own employees. For decades, the players and, especially, the union were seen as "the enemy." Each negotiation was a demonstration of manhood, virility, and power. The absence of collaboration set the stage for the deep distrust that fueled the intermittent strikes, as well as the great strike of 1994. Although my edition of the book cuts off before the strike, it's easy to see where the story was going.
It's possible there's a bit too much here. So much backroom dealing and gossip that it's easy to lose the thread and the theme.
I'm glad for what's here as a picture of an era, though I wonder how it would be written in an era where strikes and strife are often seen as part of the past, or are at least kept more successfully behind closed doors.
What was most interesting to me was seeing the evolving collective psyche of the owner-class. Early owners were deeply paternalistic, wanting to control their players' fortunes for life, rewarding and punishing them based on whims as much as analysis. The club was theirs, and they wanted the players to be theirs too. It wasn't total domination that they sought; oftentimes owners wanted to be appreciated and made to feel like one of the boys. What riled them up about the rise of labor rights was that they did not like being told by anyone else how to pay their players. They insisted that they would do right by their players. While they sometimes did, just as often owners used their broad latitude of their power to punish anyone who stepped out of line to an incredibly petty degree.
As players' rights caught up with their value, the relationship changed. Owners began to resent the players, blaming every financial or political shortfall on the greed of their own employees. For decades, the players and, especially, the union were seen as "the enemy." Each negotiation was a demonstration of manhood, virility, and power. The absence of collaboration set the stage for the deep distrust that fueled the intermittent strikes, as well as the great strike of 1994. Although my edition of the book cuts off before the strike, it's easy to see where the story was going.
It's possible there's a bit too much here. So much backroom dealing and gossip that it's easy to lose the thread and the theme.
I'm glad for what's here as a picture of an era, though I wonder how it would be written in an era where strikes and strife are often seen as part of the past, or are at least kept more successfully behind closed doors.
June 13, 2023
It's remarkable that this book could become the definitive read on MLB labor relations and ownership despite coming out in the spring of 1994, just before a kind of big thing happened. The reporting and anecdotes are tremendous, with inside intel from seemingly every corner of baseball, making it a really fun read (especially in the later years).
Things I learned:
- MLB players didn't know anything about peers' salaries (even anonymized) until Marvin Miller became head of the MLBPA and set up informal data-sharing programs (later getting access to official records)
- The one-year "reserve clause" loophole that opened up free agency wasn't really a surprise to anyone -- Rick Barry had won free agency from his NBA contract that had the exact same wording, and owners aggressively raised salary offers to players who were in position to test it in the early 70s so they wouldn't go through with it
- Catfish Hunter's nickname was given to him (along with a completely fake backstory) when he was signed as an amateur by Charlie Finley, who thought it would make the player more marketable
- In the mid 1970s Ted Turner was afraid the Braves moving out of town would hurt TNT (which owned the team's TV rights), so he went out and bought the whole team
- Every MLB expansion was largely caused by politicians in cities that didn't have a team (or had lost a team) complaining and threatening to challenge the league's antitrust exemption
Things I learned:
- MLB players didn't know anything about peers' salaries (even anonymized) until Marvin Miller became head of the MLBPA and set up informal data-sharing programs (later getting access to official records)
- The one-year "reserve clause" loophole that opened up free agency wasn't really a surprise to anyone -- Rick Barry had won free agency from his NBA contract that had the exact same wording, and owners aggressively raised salary offers to players who were in position to test it in the early 70s so they wouldn't go through with it
- Catfish Hunter's nickname was given to him (along with a completely fake backstory) when he was signed as an amateur by Charlie Finley, who thought it would make the player more marketable
- In the mid 1970s Ted Turner was afraid the Braves moving out of town would hurt TNT (which owned the team's TV rights), so he went out and bought the whole team
- Every MLB expansion was largely caused by politicians in cities that didn't have a team (or had lost a team) complaining and threatening to challenge the league's antitrust exemption
August 27, 2020
Full disclosure: reviewing a 554 page book about the history of labor relations in the MLB can be a tough sell. That being said, this being in my wheelhouse, I found it to be very interesting and accessible. Much like how "Only the Ball was White..." is a great entry into the history of the Negro Leagues, Lords of the Realm really does a great job describing the contentious (and that's putting it lightly) relationship between the two parties. Baseball definitely has one of the more perplexing relationships between the labor union and the owners. Having read this in the wake of Marvin Miller making the hall of fame (and to a lesser extent Ted Simmons), it can't be understated how important he was to the MLBPA as a whole. From the beginning of Miller's tenure, leading up to the infamous '94 strike, this book tells, in great detail, the history of the evolution of the player's contract in a fascinating way. Again, the length and subject matter can be a bit of a niche subject. That being said, being a fan of the niche subject, it's definitely as engaging as it is educational. I certainly recommend this to anyone interested.
August 6, 2022
A very interesting book on the evolution of Major League Baseball from a feudal system of lifetime player ownership to the high salary free agent game it is today. As an NFL fan, I’ve always wondered why baseball doesn’t institute a salary cap in order to maintain competitiveness across the entire League. Football has shown it is good for the teams, the fans, and the game in general. The answer is the players unions do not support it for fear that veteran free agents may become cap casualties (as does occur in football from time to time) and the MLBPA is much more powerful than their basketball and football siblings. This was essentially the cause of the 1994-95 strike, which led them to settle on the far less effective “luxury tax” system.
Read
February 20, 2024There's a ton of absolutely essential baseball and labor history here with amazing access and reconstruction of so many ownership and labor meetings that I do not know how Heylar got inside of. Also is for the most part impressively clear-eyed for its time about assigning blame where it belongs with ownership and also depicting how consequential the petty bickering and divisions in their ranks have been in shaping the game today. Towards the end drags a little bit with some of the deeply in the weeds stuff with TV rights and the specifics of salary arbitration and revenue sharing but that isn't to say those things aren't important. Would love to read a sequel that covers all the same shit but in the last [redacted amount of years I've been alive].
July 23, 2021
DEEP, DENSE book on the history of baseball from the origin of the game to the strike of 1994. The book spares no detail on everything labor in baseball, getting into the nitty gritty details of all that goes into the league. Recommended for all major sports and baseball fans to really understand the intricacies of the business and the fascinating details of the league.
July 29, 2020
An essential read for any baseball fan. Baseball history keeps repeating itself and the owners never seem to change.
August 22, 2019
Ugly side of baseball
Great stories about major league players up until the 94 strike however it should have kept going through the strike and finished with the steroid era, otherwise decent read
Great stories about major league players up until the 94 strike however it should have kept going through the strike and finished with the steroid era, otherwise decent read
April 9, 2020
1994 CASEY Award Winner
#60 Sports Illustrated Top 100 Sports Books of All Time (2002)
Briefly: Sprawling historical epic
If the title Lords of the Realm was intended to evoke the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the naming is apt. Lords of the Realm provides a large, moving cast of characters acting in the epic world of baseball off the field. The book presents the financial history of baseball, including the establishment of the Players Association, the birth of Free Agency, the evolution of arbitration, the impact of TV money—and, of course, a look at the major player strikes. The story begins in the 19th century but quickly advances to the 1960s and the formation of the Players Association. Major characters include team owners, baseball commissioners, and heads of the union, and the book unfolds as a meticulously researched tale of the decisions made off the diamond that shape the way teams are formed. In fact, the most major knock against the book is that it ends in the midst of the 1994 baseball strike, published months before details of the terms under which the strike ended were available. But for anyone who’s daydreamed about owning a baseball team or wondered how the complex rules governing Super Twos and the Free Agent market came into place, this book is a must-read.
Lords of the Realm represents a page-turner offering the background insight necessary to truly understand what it is that’s happening on the field and what economic factors have created both the modern team and the modern ballpark experience.
#60 Sports Illustrated Top 100 Sports Books of All Time (2002)
Briefly: Sprawling historical epic
If the title Lords of the Realm was intended to evoke the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the naming is apt. Lords of the Realm provides a large, moving cast of characters acting in the epic world of baseball off the field. The book presents the financial history of baseball, including the establishment of the Players Association, the birth of Free Agency, the evolution of arbitration, the impact of TV money—and, of course, a look at the major player strikes. The story begins in the 19th century but quickly advances to the 1960s and the formation of the Players Association. Major characters include team owners, baseball commissioners, and heads of the union, and the book unfolds as a meticulously researched tale of the decisions made off the diamond that shape the way teams are formed. In fact, the most major knock against the book is that it ends in the midst of the 1994 baseball strike, published months before details of the terms under which the strike ended were available. But for anyone who’s daydreamed about owning a baseball team or wondered how the complex rules governing Super Twos and the Free Agent market came into place, this book is a must-read.
Lords of the Realm represents a page-turner offering the background insight necessary to truly understand what it is that’s happening on the field and what economic factors have created both the modern team and the modern ballpark experience.
March 15, 2016
This is a wonderful book. It's a history of the evolution of Major League Baseball through the owners of the teams, and the players's growing discontent with the unfair terms of their contracts.
I wanted to know why players negotiated for such huge contracts--and we, the fans always grouse about that.
This book explains--no, not merely telling us--that would be dull! Through anecdotes, quotes from owners, players, labor leaders, agents, we learn about the gritty greenback-side of America's Pastime. Here's this quote from the Don Fehr of the Players's Union: “Major league baseball players ought to have the same rights as other Americans, who, after an employment contract expires, are free to seek work elsewhere, on the best terms they can negotiate, without any new employer being required to pay ‘compensation’ to the former employer.… Ownership of property is consistent with the principles of our society; ownership of people is not.”
Excerpt From: Helyar, John. “The Lords of the Realm.” Ballantine Books, 2011-07-06. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
So throughout--and I'll admit, I'm left of center when it comes to workers's rights--we get to hear from both points of view, but the owners come off pretty badly.
All I have to say is, read this entertaining book and if you find yourself incensed at some guy getting paid more than you think he's worth, think of that quote above.
I wanted to know why players negotiated for such huge contracts--and we, the fans always grouse about that.
This book explains--no, not merely telling us--that would be dull! Through anecdotes, quotes from owners, players, labor leaders, agents, we learn about the gritty greenback-side of America's Pastime. Here's this quote from the Don Fehr of the Players's Union: “Major league baseball players ought to have the same rights as other Americans, who, after an employment contract expires, are free to seek work elsewhere, on the best terms they can negotiate, without any new employer being required to pay ‘compensation’ to the former employer.… Ownership of property is consistent with the principles of our society; ownership of people is not.”
Excerpt From: Helyar, John. “The Lords of the Realm.” Ballantine Books, 2011-07-06. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.
So throughout--and I'll admit, I'm left of center when it comes to workers's rights--we get to hear from both points of view, but the owners come off pretty badly.
All I have to say is, read this entertaining book and if you find yourself incensed at some guy getting paid more than you think he's worth, think of that quote above.
May 28, 2019
I enjoyed this book for the most part. I grew up loving baseball, and being largely unaware of the business behind it. This is effectively the story of Baseball’s slow march towards unionization. The evolution of the relationship between owners and players is fascinating. How the owners represented the last vestiges of American robber barons, seemingly operating completely above the law via a warped sense of national identity, and a strain of pastoral mythology is a remarkable tale.
It gets a bit stodgy at times, the cast of characters is fairly large, and Helyar strays into the weeds with the details of peripheral characters too often. The history of baseball as a narrative is a tall order, and I think he gives too many fringe characters too many pages. But he does cover over 100 years of baseball, so all things considered he does it in a concise [550pp] and absorbing manner. If you’re interested in the business of baseball this book is a must read.
It gets a bit stodgy at times, the cast of characters is fairly large, and Helyar strays into the weeds with the details of peripheral characters too often. The history of baseball as a narrative is a tall order, and I think he gives too many fringe characters too many pages. But he does cover over 100 years of baseball, so all things considered he does it in a concise [550pp] and absorbing manner. If you’re interested in the business of baseball this book is a must read.
October 11, 2014
Overall a very interesting book about the off-the-field history of Major League Baseball. The subjects seem to be treated fairly. Both owners and players come across at various times as the villain of the piece. The overarching reaction though is one of shaking one's head that two groups so invested in the success of an industry cannot play nice and make decisions that are to everyone's benefit. Two drawbacks to the book. Like a lot of historical studies of this nature, the narrative gets more detailed as the events become more recent. In some cases, there is too much detail. A second drawback to this edition is that it was published before the 1994 season started. The 94 strike would have been the logical climax to everything written in the book. I understand that a subsequent edition included a chapter on the strike, which would be a very interesting conclusion.
September 9, 2019
Well written, thoroughly researched book with everything you ever wanted to know (up to the 1990s anyway) about the demise of the reserve clause, baseball labor relations, the emergence and evolution of free agency, collusion, and the incredible importance of Marvin Miller. Why Marvin Miller is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is a complete mystery, for few men affected the game in more significant ways. (It's actually hard to take the HOF seriously without Miller in it.)
Given the level of detail, "Lords of the Realm" runs a little long. To this reader's general amusement, no baseball commissioner, with the possible exception of Bart Giamatti, comes out looking very good in this tale. Bowie Kuhn, in particular, seems ridiculous. This is a good baseball book for people who want to understand the business of baseball.
Given the level of detail, "Lords of the Realm" runs a little long. To this reader's general amusement, no baseball commissioner, with the possible exception of Bart Giamatti, comes out looking very good in this tale. Bowie Kuhn, in particular, seems ridiculous. This is a good baseball book for people who want to understand the business of baseball.
September 30, 2017
An important book for anyone interested in why baseball is no longer "just a game." This dense, information-packed volume that took me forever to get through spans the formation of the MLBPA in the 1960s through free agency through baseball-as-a-brand marketing and mega media deals of the '80s and ends on the eve of the 1994 strike--it was published that year, after all, and its overtones--focusing pretty squarely on the greediness, stubbornness, ignorance, and self-centeredness of the owners--eerily foreshadow what readers now are aware is to come. (It appears that the paperback edition did include an additional chapter detailing the strike, but I read the original hardcover.) Not much has changed in the quarter-century since, only the numbers have become even more inflated.
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August 14, 2013The story of the business of baseball. How did I miss this gem when it came out in the mid 1990s? After a brief survey of player-owner relations in the early years Helyer starts the history for real in the mid 1960s. It's all here; the building up of the union by Marvin Miller, the Curt Flood case, Andy Messersmith, and ownership collusion at the end of the 1980s. Helyer takes us into the meetings with all the backbiting nastiness. Excellent portraits of Miller, Walter O'Malley, Charlie Finley and the surprisingly vicious Fay Vincent. Published in 1994 it finishes just before baseball's lost season and Helyer's take on that would be worth reading.
January 8, 2019
Wanted to get through this because for the first time in decades, it feels as though labor relations in baseball are coming to a head. This is a deep dive on the history of labor relations in baseball and is impressively thorough. Unfortunately it ends right as the '94 strike is beginning, so how that was resolved isn't covered. Still a compelling read if you're interested in this specific topic and learning about how awful ownership once was and the tricks they still use to make it seem like the players are the greedy ones.
October 4, 2013
Really well-written history of baseball from the business side, which does not flatter the owners and the commissioners they have chosen to lead them. Kept my interest throughout the entire (500+ pages) book as it is filled with so much action related to the struggles between the players and owners. Also helps provide historical perspective on why baseball is run the way it is today and all that has happened to get to this point. So many entertaining and colorful characters in this book.
August 20, 2014
Perhaps the most insightful book on sports I've ever read. Layered with hysterical stories documenting the unbridled avarice of major league ballclub owners and their longtime campaign to suppress unions (and players). Took me from the 19th century up through the infamous 1994 strike -- uses baseball as a lens to examine culture, capitalism, labor, race, media, and politics, all the while documenting some of the world's most immature and vain human beings.
June 13, 2015
This is fascinating history of the workings of the business end of baseball. Behind the scenes looks at the personalities from Walter O'Malley to George Steinbrenner to Fay Vincent to Bud Selig reveal why the players make what they do as salaries. It makes you wonder how baseball has survived so long with the idiots, divas, egomaniacs that have been at the helm. You'll no longer say how the big salaries have screwed up baseball. The "lords" got what they deserved.
December 17, 2015
Absolutely a classic. Extremely knowledgeable and well-told account of the economic revolution in Major League Baseball during the second half of the twentieth century. Helyar illustrates the internal debates of both players and owners, and at least tries to give a sympathetic hearing to all. He also draws deft portraits of the main actors throughout. My one problem with this book was stylistic - lots of clunky metaphors or cutesy language that simply wasn't necessary.
May 2, 2012
As with "Barbarians at the Gate", Helyar makes what could be a boring topic into an enlightening read. A walk through baseball's past from a business perspective, looking at the issues that shaped the game we watch today. If you're a true baseball fan, check out this book. (originally posted on Amazon.com)
March 12, 2012
A meticulously researched economic history of baseball from the mid-50s to 1994, focusing on labor relations. It was interesting and I certainly learned some things, but given the sprawling scope I'm left wondering what it all means. Bumping it up an extra star in retrospect because it seems like some of the lessons are applicable to all sports, and I enjoy knowing how things work.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews