A Whole Different Ball Game - by Marvin Miller (Paperback)

About the Book

Marvin Miller, the first executive director to the Major League Baseball Players Association, recounts his experience in dealing with club owners and his success in winning a new role for the players. He helped virtually end the system that bound an athlete to one team forever, and thereby raised salaries enormously.

Book Synopsis

For more than a century the owners of baseball franchises conducted their business like feudal barons, with the players in the role of serfs. This situation began to change in 1966, when the Major League Baseball Players Association was formed and Marvin Miller, who had been chief economist and assistant to the president of the steelworkers' union, became its first executive director. Here he recounts his experience in dealing with club owners and his success in winning a new role for the players. He helped virtually end the system that bound an athlete to one team forever, and thereby raised salaries enormously. Candid in his assessments of the characters involved in this drama, Mr. Miller is nonetheless generous in his comments about the ballplayers who made sacrifices for their union.

Review Quotes

"Baseball fans may...have more fun spending their money on this new edition of the book..." --Star Democrat, Easton, Md

"A fascinating account...very well written by the man at the center of it all.... Spiced with hilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes." --Bookcrossing.Com

"Provides an 'inside' story of baseball....outlines [Miller's] influence and baseball history." --The Bookwatch

"Brutally frank and immensely engrossing." --Kirkus Reviews

"[After Babe Ruth, ] the second most influential man in the history of baseball." --Red Barber

"During his sixteen years in the game Marvin Miller was the true commissioner of baseball." --Jim Bouton

"Marvin Miller took on the establishment and whipped them." --Reggie Jackson

"The man did more to change the game in the last 25 years than anyone else." --Bill Madden, New York Daily News

"There is no man in our time who has had more impact on the business of baseball than Marvin Miller." --Tom Seaver

"One of the most important [books] ever published about baseball." --Stephen Jay Gould, New York Review of Books

"Marvin Miller is as important to the history of baseball as Jackie Robinson." --Hank Aaron

[After Babe Ruth, ] the second most influential man in the history of baseball.--Red Barber

A fascinating account...very well written by the man at the center of it all.... Spiced with hilarious behind-the-scenes anecdotes.-- "Bookcrossing.Com"

Baseball fans may...have more fun spending their money on this new edition of the book...-- "Star Democrat, Easton, Md"

Brutally frank and immensely engrossing.-- "Kirkus Reviews"

During his sixteen years in the game Marvin Miller was the true commissioner of baseball.--Jim Bouton

Marvin Miller is as important to the history of baseball as Jackie Robinson.--Hank Aaron

Marvin Miller took on the establishment and whipped them.--Reggie Jackson

One of the most important [books] ever published about baseball.--Stephen Jay Gould "New York Review of Books"

Provides an 'inside' story of baseball....outlines [Miller's] influence and baseball history.-- "The Bookwatch"

The man did more to change the game in the last 25 years than anyone else.--Bill Madden "New York Daily News"

There is no man in our time who has had more impact on the business of baseball than Marvin Miller.--Tom Seaver

About the Author

As executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association from 1966 to 1983, Marvin Miller revolutionized the relationship between players and owners, and forever changed the nature of the game. He lives in New York City.