Synopses & Reviews
Baseball is in trouble. Yes, revenue has never been higher, attendance has never been better, and baseball has never had a stronger international presence. But the game has rarely faced more significant problems: Steroid scandals, management-labor rifts, self-centered superstars, a dramatic decline in the number of African American players and fans, constraints on youth baseball fields and resources, and competition from other sports and entertainment options all threaten the foundations of our national pastime.
Dave Winfield knows and loves the game and he believes baseball can be rescued and revitalized. A respected role model and ambassador of the sport, Winfield outlines his strategy for making baseball the game he knows it can be: inclusive, empowering, and entertaining. He focuses on how to make the game more fan-friendly, and especially how to reach out to the African American community. From the commissioner's office to the kids on the street, Winfield examines the game from every perspective, offering ideas and solutions for diversifying front offices; marketing the game; developing community-based programs; and working out fair, creative, and lucrative parameters for the business of baseball. Making the Play inspires readers to get out of the armchair and into the action.
Review
"If you love the game of baseball as much as Dave Winfield does, attention must be paid to his poignant and heartfelt words...full of common sense and wisdom." -- New York Daily News
Review
"Still a gamer, Dave Winfield's play was compelling -- and so, it turns out, are his opinions." -- The New York Times (Play Magazine)
Review
"An eloquent plea for decency and loyalty from one of today's premier ambassadors of the game." -- The Boston Globe
Review
"This is a must-read book and one that I feel has something for everyone." -- Hank Aaron
Review
"Only a former ballplayer who possesses the astute ability to look beyond race, power, and money in confronting the long-term issues that are certain to continue to plague baseball could have written
Dropping the Ball. Dave Winfield is such a former player. He offers up a solution in his Baseball United plan -- a plan in which we can all, in some way, contribute, thereby guaranteeing that baseball forever remains America's favorite pastime!"
-- George M. Steinbrenner III
Review
"Dave is not only a Hall of Fame baseball player but a Hall of Fame human being who deeply loves the game of baseball."
-- Earvin "Magic" Johnson
Review
"Dave Winfield's genuine concern for the game he played so well and loves so much is evident on every page. Along the way he makes telling points and offers valuable suggestions for baseball's future."
-- Bob Costas
Review
"This is not your ordinary book about America's pastime. Dave dissects every aspect of baseball to reveal a lot of unanswered questions about what is hurting the game. This book is not only for the avid baseball fan but for everyone!"
-- Torii Hunter
Review
"Dave has always shown great respect for the history of the game and concern for the game's future. He has done a great job of combining the two. When Dave speaks, I listen."
-- Joe Morgan
Review
"Fueled by his love for baseball, Dave has some great ideas for strengthening it and reengaging African Americans in the game."
-- Sharon Robinson, author and educational consultant, MLB
Synopsis
Baseball is in trouble. Yes, revenue has never been higher, attendance has never been better, and baseball has never had a stronger international presence. But the game has rarely faced more significant problems: Steroid scandals, management-labor rifts, self-centered superstars, a dramatic decline in the number of African American players and fans, constraints on youth baseball fields and resources, and competition from other sports and entertainment options all threaten the foundations of our national pastime.
Dave Winfield knows and loves the game and he believes baseball can be rescued and revitalized. A respected role model and ambassador of the sport, Winfield outlines his strategy for making baseball the game he knows it can be: inclusive, empowering, and entertaining. He focuses on how to make the game more fan-friendly, and especially how to reach out to the African American community. From the commissioner's office to the kids on the street, Winfield examines the game from every perspective, offering ideas and solutions for diversifying front offices; marketing the game; developing community-based programs; and working out fair, creative, and lucrative parameters for the business of baseball. Making the Play inspires readers to get out of the armchair and into the action.
About the Author
Dave Winfield is best known as a New York Yankee and won a World Series ring with Toronto in 1992. Currently an executive with the San Diego Padres, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. He lives in Los Angeles, California.Michael Levin
Table of Contents
Contents
Prologue: The Game I Love Is Hurting
1. Major League Baseball
2. The Owners
3. The New Color Line
4. The Last Black Major Leaguer
5. The Players
6. The Agents
7. The Media and Corporate Partners
8. The Fans
9. The Parents
10. Community Outreach
11. The Government: Federal, State, and Local
12. Colleges and Universities
13. Youth Coaches
14. Kids
15. Baseball in the Twenty-first Century The Baseball United Plan