{"product_id":"the-farmers-game-david-vaught-9781421407555","title":"The Farmers' Game: Baseball in Rural America","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHow rural America shapes America's favorite pastime.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWinner of the SABR Baseball Research Award of the Society for American Baseball Research\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnyone who has watched the film \u003ci\u003eField of Dreams\u003c\/i\u003e can't help but be captivated by the lead character's vision. He gives his struggling farming community a magical place where the smell of roasted peanuts gently wafts over the crowded grandstand on a warm summer evening just as the star pitcher takes the mound. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBaseball, America's game, has a dedicated following and a rich history. Fans obsess over comparative statistics and celebrate men who played for legendary teams during the \"golden age\" of the game. In \u003ci\u003eThe Farmers' Game\u003c\/i\u003e, David Vaught examines the history and character of baseball through a series of essay-vignettes. He presents the sport as essentially rural, reflecting the nature of farm and small-town life. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVaught does not deny or devalue the lively stickball games played in the streets of Brooklyn, but he sees the history of the game and the rural United States as related and mutually revealing. His subjects include nineteenth-century Cooperstown, the playing fields of Texas and Minnesota, the rural communities of California, the great farmer-pitcher Bob Feller, and the notorious Gaylord Perry. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough--contrary to legend--Abner Doubleday did not invent baseball in a cow pasture in upstate New York, many fans enjoy the game for its nostalgic qualities. Vaught's deeply researched exploration of baseball's rural roots helps explain its enduring popularity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e David Vaught\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1421407558\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781421407555\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Johns Hopkins University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 01\/03\/2013\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 232\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.85lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 06\/01\/2013","brand":"David Vaught","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":48088210342143,"sku":"9781421407555","price":35.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_46c1dc51-d6c6-4027-8592-cc0a54686359.jpg?v=1769103667","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-farmers-game-david-vaught-9781421407555","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}