Review of "Baseball's Game Changers"

As we are getting ready for the announcement of the 2016 Baseball Hall of Fame class, I decided to look through the ever-growing pile of review copies to be read, and I came across this gem that covers all aspects of the baseball throughout its history. This was a good choice for the first baseball read of 2016.  Here is my review of "Baseball's Game Changers." 

Title/Author:

“Baseball’s Game Changers” by George Castle

Tags:

Baseball, business, rules, players

Publish date:

February 18, 2016

Length:

240 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (Very Good)

Review:

When one thinks of a “game changer”, it usually means an event, person or moment that had a profound effect on the game or sport.  This is not always something that takes place during a game or on the field of play. It can be an athlete, coach, owner or maybe a shift in conventional thinking.  All of these types of “game changers” are covered in this book by George Castle, a longtime Chicago baseball reporter.

The book was really a collection of stories about each of these “game changers” and it was impressive in the scope of the game that is covered.  No matter what one wants to read about when it concerns the game of baseball, there are important people or events that are considered important in the history of the game.

If a reader wants to know more about rule changes, the implementation of the designated hitter and the lowering of the pitching mound after the 1968 season are two examples of profound changes that affected the game.  If one is looking for certain players, three examples are Jackie Robinson, Henry Aaron and Barry Bonds.  Does the reader want to read about how the business of the sport has changed? There are plenty of examples here, such as the advent of free agency, television, night games and arbitration.

Most of the stories are short, therefore there is not a lot of detail, but most are filled with information that will help the reader learn why that person, rule or event is important in the game’s history. The information comes from various sources and the timeline is complete, from baseball in the 19^th century up to the 2014 World Series. It is a book that is recommended for any baseball fan as it is easy to read, broken up into short stories that can be put down and picked right back up anytime and filled with good information on the history of the game from all aspects. 

I wish to thank Lyons Press for providing an advance review copy of the book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Book Format Read

E-book (Kindle)

Buying links (pre-order at time of posting):

http://www.amazon.com/Baseballs-Game-Changers-Breakers-Sensational/dp/1493019465/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452042460&sr=8-1&keywords=baseball%27s+game+changers

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baseballs-game-changers-george-castle/1122638519?ean=9781493019465