Baseball's New Frontier: A History of Expansion, 1961-1998 (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780803239944)

When Major League Baseball first expanded in 1961 with the addition of the Los Angeles Angels and the Washington Senators, it started a trend that saw the number of franchises almost double, from sixteen to thirty, while baseball attendance grew by 44 percent. The story behind this staggering growth, told for the first time in Baseball's New Frontier, is full of twists and unexpected turns, intrigue, and, in some instances, treachery. From the desertion of New York by the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants to the ever-present threat of antitrust legislation, from the backroom deals and the political posturing to the impact of the upstart Continental League, the book takes readers behind the scenes and into baseball's decision-making process.

Fran Zimniuch gives a lively team-by-team chronicle of how the franchises were awarded, how existing teams protected their players, and what the new teams' winning (or losing) strategies were. With its account of great players, notable characters, and the changing fortunes of teams over the years, the book supplies a vital chapter in the history of Major League Baseball.

Author: Fran Zimniuch
ISBN-10: 0803239947
ISBN-13: 9780803239944
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
Language: English
Published: 06/01/2013
Pages: 232
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.62lbs
Size: 8.34h x 5.68w x 0.51d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 10/01/2013