From his perspective as a journalist and a true fan, Bob Costas, NBC's award-winning broadcaster, shares his unflinching views on the forces that a...
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Nov 07, 2010
Linda
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"The same pull could be felt September 8, 1998, when Mark McGwire homered his way into baseball history, with Roger Maris' family in the stands, and his competitor and compatriot Sammy Sosa out in the field. Or in the superb Game 5 battle between the Braves and Mets in the National League Championship Series in 1999. That pull, unique in each particular, but ultimately familiar, is what baseball is all about. And it is for moments like this that we keep returning to the game, why
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Jun 29, 2010
Mark
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Bob Costas is one of America's best-known baseball, and for that matter, sports broadcasters. He has called numerous World Series, All Star, and League Championship games His book, Fair Ball: A Fan's Case for Baseball offers up thought-provoking and holistic solutions to help restore and maintain competitive balance in Major League Baseball. The 2001 book has some parts which are dated, but many of Fair Play's points remain relevant today.
MLB players, the Players' Union, and base More...
MLB players, the Players' Union, and base More...
Feb 07, 2009
Kevin
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Bob Costas is a fan of baseball. He appears numerous times in Ken Burns' "Baseball" series. He knows baseball. This book is his attempt to show what is right about our national pastime, what is wrong, and where it went wrong. It also gives good solid arguements on how to fix it.
According to Costas, baseball's problems started in 1993 when the owner's shook up the leagues to try to generate popularity. This only made it worse. Baseball was turning into hockey, football, and More...
According to Costas, baseball's problems started in 1993 when the owner's shook up the leagues to try to generate popularity. This only made it worse. Baseball was turning into hockey, football, and More...
Feb 19, 2009
Pete
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I love baseball, and I love books about baseball. I am also a Bob Costas fan, inasmuch as anyone is a fan of someone like Bob Costas. The guy is, for the most part, brilliantly vanilla. He is so inoffensive--a trait that is normally cause for dismissal due to boredom inducement--that it is interesting. In reading this book--boring, obvious, well written, outdated--I realized something. Costas is a genius interviewer, and a superb sportscaster, precisely because he has no personality (or, if we'r
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Jan 08, 2012
Kyle
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While this is not quite a novel that will go down as one of the greats, it is definitely interesting in a time when sports is such a major part of our society. Even those people who are not major fans recognize that baseball, “America’s pastime” has changed over the last few years and is no longer the sport that many grandfathers and fathers remember from their youths. This book gives a good, well-presented, argument on how baseball needs to change if it wants to stay “America’s pastime.” As a p
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Sep 24, 2011
William
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This book gives some good suggestions on needed improvement in the MLB organization. During his speech at the Speaker Series he mentioned that a lot of the points that he brings up have been fixed since he wrote it back in 2000. I don't know baseball well enough to know what has changed, but I think that it is still obvious that there are franchises that cannot compete because of the amount of money demanded by the superstar/high quality players. Even though I am not a huge fan I remember when t
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Sep 14, 2008
Jorge
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Classic Costas. Well thought out, ideas clearly presented, creative. I love his cases for MLB realignment, different scheduling, and revenue sharing.
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Aug 10, 2011
Mike
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If you consider baseball to be an administrative/business model mess but still love the game, this is the book for you. Though some of his ideas are now dated, Costas puts forward a new business model that would right the policies that are slowing strangling the game. A couple of these ideas were adopted already, most will probably never be adopted even though they should, and a few may be adopted in the future. I don’t agree with everything in this book, but Costas’s ideas are worth considering
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Dec 07, 2011
Dan
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I should have read this book about 10 years ago, but it was still intriguing. The only problem is that some of the things that Costas identifies as baseball problems don't exist anymore. One of his biggest concerns was parity and fairness, but we have seen a whole bunch of different teams do well and compete for their fans. Of course I would still love to see baseball implement some changes in capping salaries, but overall it was a fun read.
Jul 05, 2010
Robert
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I read this during the summer of 2000 while on vacation in Florida. I didn't agree with all of Costas' positions (he makes a case for expansion while I am in favor of contraction), but he is highly reasoned in his thoughts. He solidified for me that he would make a wonderful commissioner. Yes, he has both the owners' and the players' interests at heart. In addition, he knows what is best for the fans.
A must read for all baseball fans.
A must read for all baseball fans.
Mar 12, 2010
Brugge
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Very quick read, well written from a guy who really knows baseball and obviously loves baseball. This book is only for baseball fans but if I had any say in who the MLB commissioner would be I would vote for Bob Costas in a second. I really think he would do a great job in getting baseball to a point that is the most enjoyable for the fan.
May 03, 2009
Todd
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One of the best books on sports I have ever read. Bob Costas takes some excellent topics in baseball and offers his opinion on how the handle. I thought his ideas were spot on, although I agree with him that many of them will never be considered. A must read for any baseball fan, even if you are not a big fan of him as a broadcaster.
May 09, 2011
Gregory
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One of my favorite sportscasters of all time. He knows his baseball better than just about anyone this side of Peter Gammons. The book is a little dated, but it is amazing to read his insight.
Jul 25, 2011
Kevin
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I thought this was a good book and Costas makes good sense with most of his issues and solutions. Again, a 3.5.
Dec 02, 2010
Darlis
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Interesting look at some of the business end of baseball. The book is a little old, but still applicable.
Dec 10, 2010
makes some interesting and compellings arguments in a straightforward, frank manner
Aug 17, 2010
Bethany
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Most of what Bob Costas said I agree with. A good read for a baseball fan.
Jul 07, 2008
Dave
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Costas takes on the problem of how to bring fans back to America's game. He made some decent points, especially about playing some playoff games during the day to lure the next generation, but for the most part his words are dated. As it was written in 2000, nowhere does the word "steriods" appear, and in the years since he wrote that has been the thing most purists find most offensive about the game. Costas' heart is in the right place but at this point there's little the game can do
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Dec 09, 2008
Ryan
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I'm torn on this book. A good read, all about policy, which isn't too exciting. But interesting. Some of his concerns have been addressed, and I wonder how he would react to the recent string of low payroll teams in the playoffs... overall I'm glad I read it and got the perspective on the game and the changes as the century turned.
Jan 11, 2008
Mike
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Costas is so obviously a fan of the game that it's easy to so how much it means to him. And he makes some strong arguments as to how to bring the national pasttime back to the prominence it once had.
Sep 27, 2010
Courtney
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The book definitely doesn't stand up over time and the points could have been made in 100 less pages. Costas is a purist who likes to hear himself talk and doesn't like change.
Jul 01, 2008
Ak
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only got a few chapters in...his writing voice (unlike his real voice, which I enjoy) is irritating
Nov 05, 2007
Richie
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Bob Costas whines about the good ol' days of baseball, but makes a few good points along the way.
Dec 03, 2007
Joe
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Costas is god (lower case 'g'). If you hate the Wild Card you'll love parts of this book.
Aug 06, 2010
Elizabeth
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Bob makes his case... but too slowly to hold the reader's interest.
Jun 28, 2010
Chrissy
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"By the reckoning of those who defend the wild card, you'd somehow have twice as much drama if twice as many teams qualified for the playoffs. Those who accept that line of reasoning could just as well think that Casablanca would have been a better movie if there had been two Ingrid Bergmans. That way, one of them could have gone with Paul Henreid and the other could have stayed with Humphrey Bogart, and everyone would have been happy. (After all, both men "deserved" to win her
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