Lipsyte (The Contender
) structures this lively history of the National Pastime as a collective biography of, as the subtitle states, "The Men Who Made It America's Favorite Game"—including some of its biggest stars, and a few lesser-known, but equally influential players. He begins with "Big Al" Spalding, a premier pitcher, team owner and sporting goods titan, who spearheaded the early campaign to elevate baseball from just a game into a virtuous and "uniquely American" pursuit. The author contrasts Ty Cobb's style of play ("mean") with Babe Ruth's ("larger-than-life") to chart changes in how the game is played—from "small ball" to an emphasis on Big Bats. Recent congressional hearings may lead some to quibble with his choice to include Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, but Lipsyte makes a persuasive case that their record-busting "Summer of Swat" reinvigorated fan interest in a sport that had been mired in labor turmoil for two decades. (Indeed, the best selection is on Curt Flood, the St. Louis outfielder who kicked off baseball's labor disputes with his legal challenge to the "reserve clause," which had allowed teams to trade veteran players without their consent.) Much of this material will be familiar to young baseball junkies—Mickey Mantle playing through pain, Jackie Robinson breaking the game's color barrier, Ichiro Suzuki's thrilling "rookie" year in Seattle—but Lipsyte crafts these elements into an engaging social history of 20th-century America, with bite-size sidebars about baseball cards, funny nicknames, wackiest mascots, Yogisms and a nifty timeline. Not to mention glorious, often full-page photos. Lots to pore over, and it goes down like lemonade on a hot day at the ball park. All ages. (Mar.)
