American Baseball. Vol. 3: From Postwar Expansion to the Electronic Age

The National Pastime has made big news and big money since its Silver Age (1900–1920), but what old-timer would have dreamed of TV networks bidding tens of millions for camera time, of baseballers getting paid like movie stars, or of all concerned—players, managers, owners, even umpires—having their lives exposed in intimate detail by keyhole journalists? So far the great American game has survived media hype, as this book shows, with the same vitality that brought it through the doldrums of World Wars I and II and the Great Depression and that withstood the shocks of racial integration and union organization. Voigt's overview of American baseball at mid-century shows both major and minor league attendance reaching peaks in 1950, then declining under competition from pro football, basketball, and hockey. Although the minors have steadily lost ground, the majors have held on to profitable turf thanks to westward expansion, night games, TV franchises, and new sources of talent. Black players numbered 100 by 1960 after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, while Hispanic baseballers from the Caribbean and Central America became almost as numerous. About half the big leaguers now hail from university and college teams, and platoons of scouts spot the best talent in high schools and on sandlots. Many of the post-World War II players have become baseball stars, and many have become media superstars.New owners took charge in the expansion era, men described by the author as "individualistic, competitive, and mercenary—qualities sometimes gentled by altruism." Walter O'Malley of the Dodgers is presented as a representative expansionist, a "throwback to the robber barons," a glory-seeker intent on erasing Branch Rickey's fame, and yet a modern Barnum devoted to giving fans their money's worth. A showdown between owners of this stripe and the players' hard-bargaining Marvin Miller seemed a no-win game for the fans.Yet, as America enters the 1980s, this book reports, its "vast enthusiasm for major league baseball remains awesome." Despite the modern world's threats to the stability of the National Pastime, the diamond's mythic power justifies cautious optimism.

History

Voigt, David Quentin

Americas

Penn State University Press

Organized baseball from the establishment of the National Commission in 1903 to the period of national expansion in the 1950s and 1960s—buffeted by the winds of two world wars and a Great Depression—is chronicled here in colorful detail.The glories of the Silver Age—Ty Cobb's record-setting, Ed Walsh's pitching innovations, Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance fielding orchestration—might have been eclipsed by World War I and the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal. Instead, the Roaring Twenties boomed for baseball as well as the stock market. Baseball stars like Babe Ruth rivaled movie stars like Valentino, and baseball managers like Barrow, McGraw, and Mack were as famous as Hollywood directors like DeMille.Professional baseball weathered the Depression and World War II, partly thanks to the introduction of night games. Electronic communication, first radio and then television, hurt the already crippled minor leagues but helped the majors. The electronic media also magnified the impact of stardom, both in its rewards and in its psychic costs. Branch Rickey was a step ahead of the civil rights movement when he signed Jackie Robinson in 1946, starting a quick influx of black and Hispanic players.Desegregation brought some strains, as author Voigt recounts, but fewer than did the advent of successful unionization. Growing pains resulted from rapid league expansion into the burgeoning cities of the Far West and South.Constantly accelerating social and economic change, characteristic of the United States in the 20th century, is mirrored in the history of its National Pastime.

American Baseball. Vol. 2: From the Commissioners to Continental Expansion

How did "America's National Game" evolve from a gentlemen's pastime in the 1850s to a national obsession in the Roaring Twenties? What really happened at Cooperstown in 1839, and why does the "Doubleday legend" persist? How did the commissioner system develop, and what was the impact of the "Black Sox" scandal? These questions and many others are answered in this book, with colorful details about early big league stars such as Mike "King" Kelly and pious Billy Sunday, Charles Comiskey and Ty Cobb, Napoleon Lajoie and "Cy" (Cyclone) Young. The author explores historically the four major periods of transformation of the game: the Gentlemen's Era, the Golden Age, the Feudal Age, and the incipient Silver Age. Attention is given to the changing face of the major league spectacle, the evolving style of the game, and the changing interests of players, fans, and owners, along with influential innovators and their innovations. There are a number of surprises in the book. For instance, several black players made the big leagues in the 1880s, only to be driven out by a rising tide of Jim Crowism. For three generations black players were to be confined to their own clubs and leagues. American baseball history reflects the nation's economic and social history, as author Voigt graphically demonstrates. On the fans' side, mass attendance at ball games reflects the rise of cities and the dilution of a work ethic with pursuit of leisure; on the owners' and players' side, organized baseball reflects the developing tension between big business and skilled employees. The result—despite ups and downs—is a typical American success story.

American Baseball. Vol. 1: From Gentleman’s Sport to the Commissioner System

<p>Organized baseball from the establishment of the National Commission in 1903 to the period of national expansion in the 1950s and 1960s-buffeted by the winds of two world wars and a Great Depression-is chronicled here in colorful detail. The glories of the Silver Age-Ty Cobb's record-setting, Ed Walsh's pitching innovations, Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance fielding orchestration-might have been eclipsed by World War I and the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal. Instead, the Roaring Twenties boomed for baseball as well as the stock market. Baseball stars like Babe Ruth rivaled movie stars like Valentino, and baseball managers like Barrow, McGraw, and Mack were as famous as Hollywood directors like DeMille. Professional baseball weathered the Depression and World War II, partly thanks to the introduction of night games. Electronic communication, first radio and then television, hurt the already crippled minor leagues but helped the majors. The electronic media also magnified the impact of stardom, both in its rewards and in its psychic costs. Branch Rickey was a step ahead of the civil rights movement when he signed Jackie Robinson in 1946, starting a quick influx of black and Hispanic players. Desegregation brought some strains, as author Voigt recounts, but fewer than did the advent of successful unionization. Growing pains resulted from rapid league expansion into the burgeoning cities of the Far West and South. Constantly accelerating social and economic change, characteristic of the United States in the 20th century, is mirrored in the history of its National Pastime.</p>

American Baseball. Vol. 2: From the Commissioners to Continental Expansion (American Baseball Series)

The panorama of baseball is unfolded in this book's sprightly words and lively photos—many published for the first time—against a background of historical turning points. From primitive stickball games played in village squares during the American Revolution to the refined professional sport of the mid-1980s, baseball has continually mirrored the American scene.Baseball's triumphant moments are featured here: the high spots of every season from the 1858 contest between the New York Knickerbockers and the Brooklyn Atlantics, to the 1985 world championship campaign of the Kansas City Royals; the constant setting of new records, including Hank Aaron's overtaking of Babe Ruth, and Pete Rose's outnumbering of Ty Cobb; and the brilliant leadership of the game's statesmen such as Ban Johnson and Branch Rickey. But baseball's headaches and coping strategies, successful or unsuccessful, get due attention. The game has weathered wars, depressions, and such social changes as immigration, urbanization, unionization, and integration that have called for agonizing but finally effective adjustments. Technological changes like floodlighting and AstroTurf® have required even tougher adjustments by players, and the staggering riches brought by television are a bonanza that players, managers, and owners are still learning to live with.Unlike some pessimistic observers, Voigt remains convinced that organized baseball will meet its current challenges with its historic fortitude. In this book he offers entertainment and food for thought to both new and seasoned fans.

Baseball: An Illustrated History

American baseball (v. 2)

Sports & Outdoors

University of Oklahoma Press

<p>Socky is a brand new soccer ball. He looks like a lot of other soccer balls, but with one big difference... Socky has feelings. When a bully threatens the little kids' soccer team, can Socky stand up for them and save the day?</p>

Socky, The Soft-Hearted Soccer Ball

Children's Books

Voigt, Grady

Growing Up & Facts of Life

Aperture Press

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Voigt, David Quentin. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Voigt, David Quentin

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Voigt, David Quentin. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

American Baseball. Vol. 3: From Postwar Expansion to the Electronic Age

American Baseball. Vol. 2: From the Commissioners to Continental Expansion

American Baseball. Vol. 1: From Gentleman’s Sport to the Commissioner System

American Baseball. Vol. 2: From the Commissioners to Continental Expansion (American Baseball Series)

Baseball: An Illustrated History

Baseball: An Illustrated History

American baseball (v. 2)

Socky, The Soft-Hearted Soccer Ball