Lords of the Realm:: The Real History of Baseball

by John Helyar

Book Overview

"The ultimate chronicle of the games behind the game."--The New York Times Book Review Baseball has always inspired rhapsodic elegies on the glory of man and golden memories of wonderful times. But... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0679411976
• ISBN13: 9780679411970
• Release Date: April 1994
• Publisher: Villard Books
• Length: 576 Pages
• Weight: 2.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.8" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

great look at greed and stupidity

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.

Truly insightful

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.

FINALLY: A Real, factual History of Baseball

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.

The best book I have ever read on the subject.

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.

Terrific insight into the player/owner relationship.

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.