Customer Reviews

The Lords of the Realm

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

One of my biggest complaints about the sports section of most newspapers these days is that it has more crime and business news than sports. I normally don't like reading about the business of sports, but this book is outstanding. It's a history of labor negotiations through the history of baseball, and exposes the owners as some of the greediest and stupidest people you'll ever read about.

Marvin Miller made them all pay for their stupidity, getting exactly what he wanted from his negotiations with them. The book is full of great anecdotes. One of my favorites was when Jimmy Foxx won the American League Triple Crown and they tried to cut his salary the next season, because he hadn't hit as many homers as he did the year before. He actually had to hold out just to get the same pay he made the year before.

All baseball fans should read this book.

Heylar has written a detailed, sometimes complicated, book that fully explains the state of baseball in 2000. Perhaps, some readers will find the narrative slow and plodding but if you are interested in baseball, the rich detail, of the book, that omits no information that would help explain a particilar point is most welcome.

Heylar weaves the familar of baseball history such as Cobb, Ruth, Mantle, and the major historic games of the sport with the economics that really drove the game but was kept out of sight until Marvin Miller stepped onto the stage of baseball.

The book is valuable and unique because of the coverage of the economic underside of baseball and how the power structure within the game has shifted since the early 1970s.

The book is a must read for someone who is interested in the real "history" of baseball.

If you want to know about baseball, this is the one book you MUST read. From the early days of robber-baron owners, to the formation of the most powerful union in the world, this book tells it all in great detail. I cannot recommend it enough to fans of the game as well as anyone interested in the history of business in America. It has been said that to know the history of America, you must know the history of baseball. This book exemplifies that thought. Its out of print, but try as hard as you can to find a copy. You will not be dissapointed.

Maybe one of the best books I have EVER read. If you are a basbeall fan and have NOT read this book, you only know half of the story. This book contains all of the history that explains the present. Get past the dogma of "greedy ballplayers" and understand how baseball got to where it is.

How the individual owners in major league baseball on a continual basis constantly lose out to the MLB Players Union in the collective bargaining process. This book lucidly details how the owners plans are constantly frustrated by the Union and also the Commisioner of Baseball. Who is the employee of the owners, but until recently had independent powers. This book does not cover the Bud Selig Years as commisioner of Baseball. A must read for the baseball fan who gets frustrated with the work stopages. Another must read book is Marvin Millers' Whole Different Ball Game: A History how the Union taught the players to be discontented about their salaries and the terms of employment. How one man worked tirelessly to make athletes well informed about the business side of baseball and the lies of the owners, in so doing improved the lives of all profesional athletes.

Starts slowly -- the first century of baseball history is covered in just one chapter. May be initially disappointing if the reader expects stirring on-field accounts rather than baseball in the boardroom. But read on to find a fascinating, epic history full of strategy, tactics and colorful characters. Marvin Miller the saint, Peter Ueberroth the genius and Fay Vincent the politically incompetent are just a few who march across its stage. For one thing the owners and labor reps are more intelligent than the jocks out there on the field so their thoughts and reflections are more interesting as well. Overall, one draws the conclusion that no one ever really owned a baseball team to make money, a reflection on the intelligence of the owners. Ironically, the book ends in 1994, just before what we know now was to be the most incredible labor action of them all, and its subsequent rejuvenation courtesy of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and the new-style ballparks. A supplementary volume would be great to see.

This book gives the reader great insight into the century-old history of the baseball owners' stormy relationship with their players. Through the 1960's, the owners would do virtually anything for their players but pay them well. In the 1970's, players won the major victory of free-agency. Then, through the 80's and 90's, players have been avenging their past suffering with a vengeance.

After reading this book and reviewing the history of the player/owner relationship it is apparent to even the casual baseball fan how baseball has always been a selfish business instead of the game we all remember as children. Helyar details the labor struggles between the employer and the employee with humor and facts bringing out the bitterness and cynicism which has built up throughout the century. Read it and tell a friend, it will not dissapoint

Helyar's book dives into the long, tumultuous history of the business of baseball. He shows the evolution of the game from a sport completely dominated by the owners to a struggle between the owners and the labor union. Most chapters show an evolution from this standpoint, with a few asides about popular baseball issues during their time (i.e. the suspension of George Steinbrenner and Pete Rose). Lots of interesting tidbits can be found in this book, such as why Dodgers Stadium serves only Miller beer products and how Catfish Hunter got his nickname. One downside is the book is slightly lengthy (over 600 pages), but a large majority of it is relevant, interesting, and easy to read. I strongly recommend this for any fan of baseball.

This is the best baseball book I ever read. For a book mostly about "supposed" history, it kept me hooked to the very end. Great for any baseball fan.