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One of the great bards of America's Grand Old Game gives a rousing account of baseball, from its pre-Republic roots to the present day. Vecsey casts a fresh eye on the sport, illuminates its foibles and triumphs, and makes a classic story seem refreshingly new. This book is a narrative of America's can-do spirit, in which stalwart immigrants could transplant cricket and rounders in the fertile American culture and die-hard unionist players could later become the tightfisted avatars of the game's big-money establishment. It's a celebration of champions and underdogs. But most of all, it is a testament to the unbreakable bond between our nation's pastime and the fans, who've remained loyal through the fifty-year-long interdict on black athletes, the Black Sox scandal, franchise relocation, and the use of performance-enhancing drugs by some major stars.--From publisher description.Blends insights and anecdotes into a detailed history of baseball, capturing the iconic events, players, and games, as well as the sport's integral role in American history, culture, and society, from the Civil War era to the big business and drug scandals of the present day.
