Change Up: An Oral History of 8 Key Events That Shaped Baseball

by Larry Burke, Jim Baker, Peter T. Fornatale

Change Up is every fan’s box-seat ticket to a remarkable baseball a round-table conversation among the participants themselves about pivotal developments that changed the game, from the 1960s to today. Here, through the eyes and words of star players like Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Ichiro Suzuki, baseball legends like Cal Ripken, Earl Weaver, and Jim Bouton, and award-winning writers like David Marainiss, Bob Lipsyte, and Robert Whiting who reported the stories, are vivid and very personal accounts of some of the most important happenings in the history of the sport. How did the game change with the creation of the players union, the hiring of Frank Robinson as the first black manager, the rise of Latin and Japanese players? From the return of National League baseball to New York to the publication of Ball Four, these are fascinating stories viewed from a unique perspective. Even the most rabid and informed fans will find much that is new in these pages—and they will emerge with a greater understanding and appreciation of the game they love.

Genres: Baseball, Sports

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2008

Reviews

[Ron Kaplan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anytime publishers decide to use words like greatest or best in the title, they re angling for a fight. The same can be said for the authors of CHANGE UP: An Oral History of 8 Key Events That Shaped Modern Baseball. Larry Burke and Peter Thomas Fornatale interviewed scores of players, managers, writers and other personnel on items that are sure to have some readers scratching their heads. The key word here is modern, which the authors decided started in 1962, when the Mets heralded the return of Major League Baseball to the National League, five years after the Dodgers and Giants left for the West Coast. Other events include the influx of Latin and Asian players (which counts as two separate items), Frank Robinson as the first African-American manager and Cal Ripken Jr. s record-breaking consecutive games streak, among others.[return][return]The only key event with which I agree is the publication of BALL FOUR. When it first came out in 1970, author Jim Bouton was branded a pariah by teammates, baseball s hierarchy, and many fans who didn t want their legends depicted in anything other than glowing terms. For better or worse, Bouton created a new and human way of looking at those we would celebrate as role models. And, for better or worse, BALL FOUR opened the door for Canseco and his ilk to benefit from Bouton s sacrifices.

[Aaron Sobel · Rating 4 out of 5]

1) Change Up was about the history of baseball in the past 50 years. It described 8 events that made baseball the kind of game it is today. Some big events in the book were how different race people came to America to play the game and rule changes. It interviewed a lot of people involved with baseball at the time that stuff happened.

2) I gave this book 4 stars because the whole book was interviews. It didn't have much of the story just a lot of peoples opinions on it.

3) "From 1958 to 2008, the changes have come for baseball in may different forms. Some have come swiftly and some gradually, some by fiat, some by reaching a tipping point, some because they were forced by prevailing cultural norms, and some because it was time for the game to catch up with the rest of society" (Burke, 2). That quote describes how the changes in baseball were and and describes the whole book.

4) A topic covered in class that could be connected to this book is memoirs. Each story was kind of a memoir because it is all true and a short story. Everybody gave their opinions on the story.

5) I would recommend this book to people who like baseball. If you like baseball and interested learning about the history of the game you should read this book. It is good at explaining some major things that happened to the game and gives players stories too. It was fun to read.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for any baseball fan. It is told by the players, coaches, and others who are involved in baseball. Here you can learn about the Mets who were one of the first expansion teams in NYC, learn about the first African-American player/manager Frank Robinson, get first hand insight about the players union-that changed the way they were treated by the owners of the teams-and listen to Cal Ripken Jr. talk about The Streak. In these pages you can learn about the wave of Latino players that came to play in the Major Leagues and then you might find it interesting abou the how the Japanese came to be part of major league teams. For me personally, it was interesting to know that the Designated Hitter has only been around since the 1970s and that there is a book called Ball Four written by a Seattle Pilot player-a must read for me as it was a first of its kind where Barton took direct quotes from players and you learned what the clubhouse life was like-made the players more human. So if you like baseball and want to know more-then check this book out-you will be happy you did-I know I am.

[Spiros · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Oral history"? More like soundbites. THE GLORY OF THEIR TIMES was oral history; what we have here is more like cursory, roundtable discussions of some of the major events that helped shape modern Major League Baseball. I can't help but feel that this would have been a much better effort had it been pared down to five "key events" (say, expansion, "BALL FOUR", the players' union, the DH, and African-American management), and explored with greater depth.
Also, I can't for the life me figure out how Cal Ripkin "shaped" MLB. Because he was a tall shortstop? Robin Yount, Roy Smalley, Barry Larkin anyone? Because he hit home runs? Hello...Ernie Banks? Because of the Streak? Just what the hell does THAT have to do with modern Baseball? I am flummoxed; maybe they just wanted a feel good story. By the way, I found all of Ripkin's protestations about how he wasn't putting the Streak ahead of team goals to be increasingly disingenuous as I read the segment.

[Scott Breslove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh man, I forgot to update after reading this book. I hate updating a while after I read a book, especially if I read another book in between. But, here goes anyway. From what I remember, Change Up is a nice little baseball book with 8 seperate stories that you don't have to read from start to finish in order to understand what is going on. Each seperate story is well executed with tons of first hand quotes from people who had direct impact on said event. I think that is what differentiates it from other baseball books, it is not just a story on how Marvin Miller changed baseball, it is a story firsthand from Marvin Miller, and the other people involved, explaining how they did what they did. If you are a baseball fan, it is a great read. It really sheds light on how baseball got to where it is today, and gives a lot of insight on some pretty cool facets of the game.

[Chris Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A series of interviews discussing the authors beliefs are the eight most significant changes in the game in the postwar era. I enjoyed reading most of the book, particularly the sections on the growth of the players union, Ball Four and Frank Robinson's managerial appointment in 1975. I'm not a fan of the multiple voices approach with many different interviews segments, but it was functional. At times I was wishing a little more depth was explored, for example, Robinsons view on Rico Carty, the minor league fight, etc

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great idea, to examine eight events that shaped baseball since 1960 through interviews with people involved in the events or affected by them, baseball players, managers, owners.
Well done and well worth reading.

[Agatha Donkar Lund · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great -- interesting enough to keep serious baseball history fans engaged, but covering slightly off-beat baseball history in a way that I'd recommend it to casual or new baseball fans as well. Thumbs up.

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good baseball book

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent baseball book about some key moments. It drags a bit in some places. Chapter about cal Ripken jr is highlight of the book.

[Jim Trela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good baseball history book