This was the year that the national pastime underwent an extreme makeover. &

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1973--the year the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Vietnam--was not only a highly entertaining baseball season populated by some of the game&'s greatest stars, it marked a number of endings and beginnings that changed the face of the national pastime forever.&

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George Steinbrenner bought the Yankees for $10 million, beginning his influential, big money reign as king of America&'s team. The American League introduced the designated hitter, adding offense to games and extending the careers of aging stars such as Orlando Cepeda and Tony Oliva. The owners and players&? association averted a strike by reaching an agreement in February that guaranteed a minimum salary of $15,000 and gave players with ten years of major league experience, five with its current team, to veto a trade. Ernie Banks became the first black manager when he filled in for the Cubs&? ejected manager, Whitey Lockman. Nolan Ryan threw the first no-hitter of his career, then his second, and finished the season with a record 383 strikeouts, besting Sandy Koufax&'s mark. &

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The season itself provided plenty of drama served up by a colorful cast of characters. The Mets, managed by Yogi Berra, performed another near miracle, rising from last place in the National League East to win the division and take the A&'s to seven games in the World Series. Pete Rose edged Willie Stargell as the National League&'s MVP in a controversial vote. Hank Aaron chased Babe Ruth&'s landmark 714 record in the face of racial threats. Reggie Jackson, the World Series MVP, solidified his reputation as Mr. October. Willie Mays, arguably the bestplayer of the &?50s and &?60s, hit the final home run of his career and retired, no longer able to keep pace with the younger players of the next generation. Future Hall of Famers Dave Winfield and George Brett played in their first major league games; Luis Aparicio and Mays played in their last.&

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"While many baseball fans likely have a casual knowledge of the subjects Rosengren explores in his latest effort, the depths to which the author travels gives new insight into the 1973 baseball season. Rosengren follows the season chronologically from opening day to the Oakland Athletics' dramatic victory in the World Series, and while he discusses the issues that shaped the game, such as the advent of the designated hitter, more time is given to the personalities of the era. Plenty of fans can tell you that Willie Mays hit 660 career home runs, but Rosengren portrays a different side of the man whose arms and knees ached every time he set foot on the ball field. Rosengren also analyzes the Athletics, notorious for superstar Reggie Jackson but also Charlie Finley, an owner 'famous for his megalomania.' And as for Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, Rosengren shows that the more things change, the more they stay the same. The author's style is overexplanatory at times, and excessively breezy at others. However, the book is exhaustively researched, and for baseball fans not alive in 1973, an enjoyable history lesson." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

That one memorable summer changed baseball forever.