The Minors: The Struggles and the Triumph of Baseball's Poor Relation from 1876 to the Present [Hardcover]

Neil J. Sullivan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1990

This impressive history of baseball in the smaller towns and cities of the U.S. is divided into three sections. The first covers the years from 1877 to 1920, when the modern game was evolving and the general outlines of major and minor leagues were taking shape; the second treats the period from 1920 to 1950, the golden age of the minors; the third is devoted to the expansion of the majors and the rise of television, both of which all but destroyed the minors, reducing the number of leagues from 59 to 21.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This impressive history of baseball in the smaller towns and cities of the U.S. is divided into three sections. The first covers the years from 1877 to 1920, when the modern game was evolving and the general outlines of major and minor leagues were taking shape; the second treats the period from 1920 to 1950, the golden age of the minors; the third is devoted to the expansion of the majors and the rise of television, both of which all but destroyed the minors, reducing the number of leagues from 59 to 21. Sullivan ( The Dodgers Move West ) has done his research well, examining not only the so-called "high" minors like the International League and the American Association but also lower-profile teams like those in Shamokin, Pa., and Calumet, Mich. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Sullivan, author of The Dodgers Move West (LJ 6/1/87), has written a history of minor league ball that is intended to present a sampling of memorable minor league players, teams, and games. Sullivan's thesis is that despite the fact that the minors have always been considered secondary to the majors, the minors have a rich history of their own, and many minor league teams (e.g., the Pacific Coast League) could have become major league clubs if the owners of first the National League and then the American League (itself created from minor league teams) had allowed them to. Instead, major league teams were for decades confined to the Northeast until the Athletics, Dodgers, and Giants moved west at the expense of strong minor-league franchises. Sullivan argues that the minors are still where the beauty of the game can be rediscovered. Recommended for public and academic libraries.
- Jeffrey R. Herold, Bucyrus P.L., Ohio
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 307 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (April 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031203864X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312038649
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,597,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Historical Look at the Minors, October 14, 2000

By 

Todd Hawley (San Francisco CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Minors (Paperback)

Baseball's minor leagues, like the major leagues have had a long and storied history. This book details its history and shows how greed and paranoia among major league baseball owners denied the minors their chance to bask in the major league sun.

Many major league teams around today, like the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers were originally long-time minor league teams which should have had an opportunity to become major league teams on their own. The book devotes a chapter to the original Baltimore Orioles who had a dynasty of their own in the 1920s, and another chapter to the Newark Bears' dynasty of the 1940's and early 1950s. Chapters are also devoted to the American Association, the Texas League and Branch Rickey. Rickey revolutionized minor league baseball with his idea of developing major league talent by "farming out" new players to minor league teams.

Sullivan also talks about the PCL's attempt to become the third major league in the late 1940s. Alas, many minor leagues before had attempted this and all were 'shot down' in their attempts. The last section of the book details the fall and subsequent rise of the minor leagues.

Although it's a bit dated now, this book does an excellent job cataloging the history of the minors.