Orator O'Rourke - The Life of a Baseball Radical (Paperback)

As a player, manager, team captain, umpire, owner and league president, Jim O'Rourke (1851-1918) spoke for the players in the emerging game of baseball. O'Rourke's career paralleled the rise of the game from a regional sport with few strategies to the national pastime. Nicknamed ""Orator"" for his booming voice and his championing of the rights of professional athletes, he was a driving force in making the sport a profession, bringing respectability to the role of professional baseball player. From contemporary sources, O'Rourke's own correspondence, and player files available through the National Baseball Library, a rounded portrait of Jim O'Rourke emerges. Quick to speak his mind, the outfielder played on nine pennant-winning teams, but his playing career was overshadowed by his work in organizing baseball's first union. After his playing days ended, O'Rourke attempted to establish the Connecticut League, becoming the circuit's president, secretary, and treasury. Though the league failed to fully materialize, his Bridgeport Victors did play several games and were one of the few racially integrated teams - a fact emblematic of O'Rourke's efforts to change the national pastime. In those efforts, he attempted to wrest control of the game from the owners and empower the players. This work provides a behind-the-scenes look at the growth of the national pastime from the Civil War through the deadball era.

General

Imprint:	McFarland & Company
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	March 2006
First published:	2006
Authors:	Mike Roer
Dimensions:	229 x 160 x 19mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	342
ISBN-13:	978-0-7864-2355-2
Categories:	Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Ball games > Baseball Promotions
LSN:	0-7864-2355-2
Barcode:	9780786423552

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!