Taking on the Yankees: Winning and Losing in the Business of Baseball, 1903 to 2003

Rating:
Summary: Fetter Taking on the Other CASEY Award Finalists!
Review: Henry Fetter does a great job in dissecting what has enabled the loved & hated Yankees to establish and maintain their unparalleled dominance of a professional sport; in so doing, he has produced a CASEY Finalist that is battling nine other nominees for the coveted Award representing the Best Baseball Book of the Year.

Rating:
Summary: Fetter Taking on the Other CASEY Award Finalists!
Review: Henry Fetter does a great job in dissecting what has enabled the loved & hated Yankees to establish and maintain their unparalleled dominance of a professional sport; in so doing, he has produced a CASEY Finalist that is battling nine other nominees for the coveted Award representing the Best Baseball Book of the Year.

Rating:
Summary: A great read for baseball fans
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I head about it reading a review in the Wall Street Journal. When I first saw the phrase "the business of baseball" in the title I was fearful. But this was no review of accounting ledgers. It was instead a lively tour though the history of baseball with a focus on its most successful, and colorful team. It debunked many myths that I always carried around in my head (e.g. that my beloved Red Sox sold the Bambino to finance a play), and constantly got me thinking about the role of baseball in society and society in baseball. I thought it just as good in discussing free agency and the labor agreements of the last few years as it was covering the early history of the game. The author had a point of view, but it didn't get in the way of a clear and objective telling of the story. Best of all, it was just fun to read.

Rating:
Summary: Informative and lively
Review: This book offers a lively and original take on baseball history--the mighty Yankees from the viewpoint of their three great historical rivals, the Giants, the Cards and the Dodgers. Easy to read, full of interesting anecdotes, yet offering real insight into the development of baseball as a business.