During the baseball strike of 1990, Zimbalist's disillusioned
11-year-old son suggested that his dad write a book on the
economics of baseball. The happy result is this grand-slam study of
America's only "self-governing, unregulated monopoly," standing
head-and-shoulders above Neil J. Sullivan's similar The Diamond
Revolution (p. 661). Although baseball is booming (revenues doubled
to $1.4 billion from 1985 to 1990), Zimbalist believes that danger
looms, the result of a shrinking TV audience, ballooning salaries,
and other woes brought on by "commercialism, greed, and poor
management." He points a well-aimed finger at team owners as the
major culprits; while George Steinbrenner "stands out in his
zaniness and mismanagement," few owners escape Zimbalist's acid
remarks. The sport's commissioners also take their lumps: Zimbalist
doubts current boas Fay Vincent's claim that many teams are losing
money, and he notes that franchise values are skyrocketing. The
author explores hidden sources of revenue (like luxury boxes, some
with marble-and-gold bathrooms) and the inflated salaries of
superstars as clues to baseball's hidden economy, and he slams the
treatment of minor leaguers, subject to pitiful pay and no job
protection, as "scandalous." Leapfrogging of teams from city to
city also draws fire. As to how to heal our national pastime,
Zimbalist offers no panaceas, although he returns time and again to
the idea of expansion to 35 or 40 teams, a move that will relieve a
number of problems, including an underused labor pool. A
"minimalist" fix-up might also include guaranteed free access to
special games like the World Series, revenue sharing among teams,
and a baseball labor act. A "maximalist" cure would mean government
regulation through the creation of a federal commission. A
near-miracle - a nimble, exciting unknotting of a horribly tangled
business - that's also a public service, as Zimbalist presents
workable proposals that put the fan's interests first. (Kirkus
Reviews)
With updated financial data throughout, this book exposes
baseball's secret financial statistics. A postscript chapter
presents recent events such as the dismissal of Fay Vincent as
baseball's commissioner, the multimillion-dollar suit over
decisions by the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco, a joint
economic study report by the players and owners and the House and
Senate hearing on Baseball's exemption from antitrust laws.
General
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