Baseball  (2d ed.): A History of America's Game (Illinois History of Sports)
Although the book does not attempt comprehensiveness, this short survey of the development of America's national pastime has merit. Rader ( American Sports ) discusses the origins of the game, separating fact from mythology, then relates the role of the Civil War in spreading baseball from New York to the rest of the nation, the rise of professional teams and leagues, the crushing of the players' revolt of 1890, the "Age of Ruth," the building of dynasties such as the New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals, the racial integration of the sport, the modifications in the reserve clause and the contemporary scene. Rader covers each phase accurately and with elan, as when he writes, "In a world of seething change, baseball continues to offer comfort and reassurance; it remains America's Game." Photos not seen by PW.Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.