Ebbets to Veeck to Busch: Eight Owners Who Shaped Baseball [Paperback]

Burton A. Boxerman (Author), Benita W. Boxerman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 2003

Of baseball there have been countless books, but, surprisingly, relatively few about the owners, the men and women who invested their time—and, frequently, their fortunes—in baseball teams. What has been written tends to concentrate on the financial aspects of ownership or individual owners and their private lives, and pays less attention to the enduring contributions certain owners have made.

Eight owners and their lasting influences on the game are the focus of this book. Charles Ebbets, Barney Dreyfuss, Helene Britton, Clark Griffith, Walter O’Malley, Bill Veeck, Charles Finley and August Busch were chosen for inclusion not only because of their larger contributions but also because they were hands-on owners who ran their teams decisively. For instance, Helene Britton proved that a knowledgable woman could successfully run a ball club, even if she couldn’t vote; Bill Veeck hired the first black player in the American League, introduced exploding scoreboards and was the first owner to put his players’ names on the backs of their uniforms; Walter O’Malley relocated his Dodgers to the West Coast and convinced Giants owner Horace Stoneham to bring his team out too.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Excellent book for young people to read to get a better understanding of baseball’s roots in America" -- 1190 KEX News Radio

"Extensively researched and vastly informative...a wealth of data" -- Gateway: The Quarterly Magazine of the Missouri Historical Society

"Intelligent and entertaining...a superb and timely book" -- St. Louis Jewish Light

"Intelligent...entertaining...superb and timely book on baseball and the owners who have preserved, protected and defended the game" -- St. Louis Jewish Light

"Much new knowledge on a neglected group" -- Sports Collectors Digest

"Well researched...good bibliography...very good index...a book that should be in every sports section of every public library" -- Public Library Quarterly

"a grand survey...remarkable and highly commended study of influence and the fruits of hard labor -- Midwest Book Review

"excellent book for young people to read to get a better understanding of baseball’s roots in America" -- 1190 KEX News Radio

"well researched...good bibliography...very good index...a book that should be in every sports section of every public library" -- Public Library Quarterly

About the Author

SABR member Burton A. Boxerman taught history for 30 years and contributes to numerous historical journals. Writer and researcher Benita W. Boxerman works for Fleishman-Hillard, one of the largest public relations firms in the United States. They live in St. Louis.

Product Details

• Paperback: 258 pages
• Publisher: Mcfarland & Co Inc Pub (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786415622
• ISBN-13: 978-0786415625
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,676,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Account of Several Key MLB Owners, September 6, 2010

By 

Roger D. Launius "Historian" (Washington, D.C., United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Ebbets to Veeck to Busch: Eight Owners Who Shaped Baseball (Paperback)

For anyone interested in the business of baseball this is an interesting and informative collective biography of several of the owners of major league baseball teams throughout the history of the sport. Taking the approach, with which I agree, that the real action of the MLB takes place off the field, this husband and wife team of authors profile the careers of eight significant figures in MLB history. Taking a chronological approach these include Charles Ebbets of the Brooklyn Dodgers, Barney Dreyfuss of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Helene Britton of the St. Louis Cardinals, Clark Griffith of the Washington Senators, Walter O'Malley of the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, Bill Veeck of the Chicago White Sox/St. Louis Browns/Cleveland Indians, Charlie Finley of the Kansas City/Oakland A's, and Augie Busch of the St. Louis Cardinals.

All of the individual chapters are well researched and offer a solid biographical assessment of the individual owner. They also emphasize various aspects of the ideas at play in the game and its ownership. This is an interesting collection and well worth reading.

The choices of who is profiled here is probably one of the most interesting points to debate. The Boxerman's eight owners is not the same that I would have chosen, and among the missing are such notables as anyone from the most successful of all of the teams in baseball, the New York Yankees, Tom Yawkey from the Boston Red Sox, Connie Mack from the Philadelphia A's, Ted Turner of the Atlanta Braves, anyone from the New York/San Francisco Giants, or anyone from any of the expansion teams created since the 1960s.

So what do we learn from this collection of baseball owners' biographies? Each person made unusual and above the norm contributions to the game as played at the major league level. Bill Veeck was a showman and tried to entertain. Charlie Finley was an innovator who argued for the designated hitter and night playoff games. Walter O'Malley moved the Dodgers to Los Angeles.

This is an enjoyable and sometimes insightful exploration of a complex and interesting subject.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Especially focusing on the contributions that each one made, April 14, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ebbets to Veeck to Busch: Eight Owners Who Shaped Baseball (Paperback)

The collaborative effort of Burton and Benita Boxerman, Ebbets To Veeck To Busch: Eight Owners Who Shaped Baseball is a grand survey of eight remarkable individuals whose time, fortunes, and effort invested in the baseball teams they owned helped shape the course of this great American sport throughout the 20th Century. Especially focusing on the contributions that each one made to their respective teams, as well as to the sport as a whole (rather than centering upon their financial or personal lives), Ebbets To Veeck To Busch is a remarkable and highly commended study of influence and the fruits of hard labors at the highest level of athletic team management and baseball club ownership.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for the baseball fan!, May 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Ebbets to Veeck to Busch: Eight Owners Who Shaped Baseball (Paperback)

I've been a baseball fan for years, and have always enjoyed stories that provided insight into the players, coaches and managers in the game. However, I didn't realize how little I knew about baseball owners until I read this book. I found a wealth of knowledge about eight of the most influential baseball owners, with enough information and anecdotes to give me a feel for their personalities. This is a great book for fans that want a better perspective on the history of the game of baseball.