Frick*: Baseball's Third Commissioner

by John P. Carvalho

Overview

Ford Frick is best known as the baseball commissioner who put the "asterisk" next to Roger Maris's record. But his tenure as commissioner carried the game through pivotal changes--television, continued integration, West Coast expansion and labor unrest. During those 14 years, and 17 more as National League president, he witnessed baseball history from the perspective of a man who began as a sportswriter. This biography of Frick, whose tenure sparked lively debate about the commissioner's role, provides a detailed narrative of his career and the events and characters of mid-20th century baseball.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780786495320
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	11/23/2016
Pages:	324
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

John P. Carvalho is an associate professor of journalism at Auburn University. He has written extensively on sports media history, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, and frequently writes about current sports journalism issues.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. The Maris Decision
2. Early Years
3. The Babe Ruth Problem
4. A New NL President
5. Fame and Fighting
6. The War
7. A New Commissioner
8. Integration
9. Chandler Out, Frick In
10. Reconstruction
11. Old Problems, New Problems
12. To the West Coast
13. Game Two Begins
14. The Third League
15. Expansion
16. Exit Strategy
17. Extra Innings
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

This excellent book needs no asterisk. It’s a fascinating story of one of baseball’s most interesting and influential men. John Carvalho’s book will give baseball fans a deeper appreciation of an uncommon man and a better understanding of the game’s history.”—Jonathan Eig, author of Luckiest Man and Opening Day; “Ford Frick left an indelible mark on baseball during its glory years. He helped write the story of baseball as a sportswriter and made history first as a league president and then as baseball commissioner. Frick was far more than an asterisk in baseball history. John Carvalho’s Ford Frick: A Biography is an entertaining and important look into an unassuming and important man.”—Chris Lamb, author, Conspiracy of Silence: Sportswriters and the Long Campaign to Desegregate Baseball; “[A] complete, thorough account of Frick’s time in baseball that should be on the bookshelf of readers who enjoy the sport.”—Lance Smith, The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books; “John Carvalho nicely captures the behind the scenes action in one of baseball’s most celebrated eras in his biography of Ford Frick. Baseball scholars and fans alike will enjoy Carvalho’s captivating account of the man and his times.”—Daniel R. Levitt, co-author of In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to Moneyball.

From the Publisher