The panorama of baseball is unfolded in this book's sprightly words and lively photos-many published for the first time-against a background of historical turning points. From primitive stickball games played in village squares during the American Revolution to the refined professional sport of the mid-1980s, baseball has continually mirrored the American scene.

Baseball's triumphant moments are featured here: the high spots of every season from the 1858 contest between the New York Knickerbockers and the Brooklyn Atlantics, to the 1985 world championship campaign of the Kansas City Royals; the constant setting of new records, including Hank Aaron's overtaking of Babe Ruth, and Pete Rose's outnumbering of Ty Cobb; and the brilliant leadership of the game's statesmen such as Ban Johnson and Branch Rickey. But baseball's headaches and coping strategies, successful or unsuccessful, get due attention. The game has weathered wars, depressions, and such social changes as immigration, urbanization, unionization, and integration that have called for agonizing but finally effective adjustments. Technological changes like floodlighting and AstroTurf (R) have required even tougher adjustments by players, and the staggering riches brought by television are a bonanza that players, managers, and owners are still learning to live with.

Unlike some pessimistic observers, Voigt remains convinced that organized baseball will meet its current challenges with its historic fortitude. In this book he offers entertainment and food for thought to both new and seasoned fans.