May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy [Hardcover]

Bob Costas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2003

After the 1994 strike Major League Baseball experienced a period of distinct uncertainty. Average game attendance fell and Congress called into question baseball's presumed antitrust exemption. Broadcast rights disputes for popular teams created complications for fans. However, new stadium facilities and the renewed excitement brought to the game by shatteried batting records and the blazing pitchers of the late 90s brought fans back. A strike was narrowly averted at the end of the 2002 season, a campaign that saw the unlikely Anaheim Angels claiming the coverted World Series trophy. Beneath these encouraging developments, however, deep problems persist within Major League Baseball. This book explores the abuses and the inefficiencies in the functioning of the baseball industry and how these problems are directly connected to the Major League Baseball's monopoly status, its presumed exemption from antitrust regulation, and public policy. Andrew Zimbalist spares no criticism for baseball's leadership in the 21st century. He asserts the biggest problem for baseball remains the economic realities of its monopolistic practices. The absence of competitive pressure has arrogance, laxity and inefficiency in Major League Baseball, according to Zimbalist. Among other recommendations, he argues that lifting the presumed exemption would allow government and judicial oversight, with an eye toward ending the abuses. This volume offers a solid analysis of the state of one of America's favourite pastimes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Zimbalist, professor of economics at Smith College, is arguably the leading authority on sports economics in the country. His Baseball and Billions (1992) was one of the first books to take an educated look at the business of baseball, and since the release of that book, Zimbalist has spent thousands of hours researching and writing about the industry. His conclusion in his latest work, that baseball is in trouble, is not a new idea, but the reasons behind baseball's problems and Zimbalist's solutions combine to create an absorbing, provocative discussion. Zimbalist is no friend of baseball owners or baseball commissioner Bud Selig, and he devotes much space to tearing down arguments about the poor financial health of most teams and the need for cities to subsidize teams by paying for new stadiums. Expansion, not contraction, for example, would help spread out talent. The root cause of baseball's problems, Zimbalist argues, is its monopoly, and his most radical idea is for Congress to lift baseball's antitrust exemption and to force divestiture into two competitive leagues. But failing that, Zimbalist has a number of suggestions to improve the status of the game, including attracting younger fans by starting some World Series games at an earlier time; lowering ticket prices; and creating an owner/player partnership to study baseball's problems. At the very least, this volume provides baseball fans with enough material to allow them to engage in one of their favorite pursuits-arguing over what should be done to save the national pastime.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"...the ultimate book on the economics of professional sports." -- Pat Williams, senior vice president, Orlando Magic

"An absorbing, provocative discussion." -- Publishers Weekly

"Especially revealing." -- The Boston Globe

"Exhilarating . . . . Combines an academic’s precision with a fan’s passion." -- Allen Barra, Newhouse Newspapers

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 198 pages
• Publisher: Brookings Inst Pr (March 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815797281
• ISBN-13: 978-0815797289
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #45,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Law > Administrative Law > Antitrust
  • #53 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Baseball
  • #81 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > MIS

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific work on the state of baseball, June 1, 2003

By 

C. Mclemore (Law School) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy (Hardcover)

Bob Costas's popular "Fair Ball" was an examination of baseball from the fan's perspective. "May the Best Team Win" is a similar work, but is written from the point of view of a professor of economics. Mr. Zimbalist's writing style is often just what you would expect from an economist; the text is very dense and may turn off some readers. Luckily, the book's fault is also its strength. The well-researched analysis provides irrefutable arguments in favor of making changes in the game, and educates the reader far better than other authors' attempts.

This deeply probing work uncovers the abuses and inefficiencies in the baseball industry, and concludes that baseball's monopoly is the devil in the details. Team owners use their monopoly power to "derive higher returns, misallocate resources, and take advantage of consumers." Any fan who has paid $5 for a ballpark hot dog will definitely empathize with his findings.

"May the Best Team Win" addresses the competitive balance (or competitive imbalance), the myth of non-profitability, the collective bargaining agreements, and how teams convince cities to foot the bill for new stadiums.

In the end, Mr. Zimbalist outlines some possible solutions to help improve the game. Some of his ideas seem workable, while others seem idealistic and unrealistic. However, all of his suggestions are well worth reading. This is an ambitious effort, and fans with serious concerns about the future of the sport will definitely appreciate this analytical endeavor. Zimbalist has taken on a difficult issue, and shown that he has more than just warning track power.

Highly recommended.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great insight.., July 29, 2003

By 

R. Bronson, Jr. (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews

This review is from: May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy (Hardcover)

This was a great view into the inner workings of baseball's front offices. Not only does it give the reader a foundation for understanding the complexities of baseball labor negotiations, but it also gives insight into foundations of free agency and many of the arcane laws that give the sport its monopoly status.

Its a quick read and a great reference for any student of the financial aspects of the game, especially those interested in reform.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book, January 31, 2006

By 

Adam Ainbinder "Student at Heart" (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: May the Best Team Win: Baseball Economics and Public Policy (Hardcover)

I work for a professional sports franchise (but not baseball), and this book really helped me understand the issues surrounding a professional team. This covers some major subjects, such as labor agreements, stadium financing, and broadcasting deals, by using major league baseball as an example. Anyone wanting to further their knowledge of how the economics of a professional sports league should grab this book.