A.G. SPALDING AND THE RISE OF BASEBALL: The Promise of American Sport

by Peter Levine ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1985

Thoughtful but tedious coverage of the symbolic importance and practical impact of the career of Albert Goodwill Spalding (1850-1915). Summing up the earlier achievements of his unlovable subject, Levine (History, Michigan State) writes that, ""A.G.'s flamboyant personality, insatiable ego, and knowledge of baseball marked him as the chief promoter, spokesman, and enforcer of the [National] league's position on all matters regarding the professional game."" Born in rural Ogle County, Illinois, Spalding pitched at age 15 for a club called the Forest City's (Rockford), became a big star with the Boston Red Stockings (1871-75), jumped to the Chicago White Stockings (1876) for more money, then served as manager, secretary, and president of the team. In 1876 he and his younger brother Walter founded what would develop into the world's largest sporting goods store. His ultimate claim to fame, obviously, is as a capitalist and bureaucrat, not as an athlete. In fact, he ruthlessly fought for owners' rights over players, and in 1890 he crushed the attempt by the ""Brotherhood"" of major-leaguers to bolt from their clubs. Otherwise, he was instrumental in cleaning up and professionalizing baseball's image (uniform rules and schedules, well-trained umpires, punishment of drunken or rowdy players, prohibition of Sunday games where that offended local sensibilities). More broadly, he put baseball on a firm business footing, mastered the art of manipulating the press and creating publicity (e.g., his 1888-89 round-the-world tour with the White Stockings), preached the gospel of recreation--and consecrated the legend that Abner Doubleday invented baseball. Levine's thesis makes sense: like P.T. Barnum and Henry Ward Beecher, Spalding ""satisfied the demands of [his] audience and also allayed its fears."" It's just too bad he couldn't breathe more life into this socio-cultural icon.

Pub Date: April 1, 1985

ISBN: 0195042204

Page Count: -

Publisher: Oxford Univ. Press

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1985

Categories: NONFICTION