Making the Play: How to Get the Best of Baseball Back

by Dave Winfield, Michael Levin (Contributor)

Baseball is in trouble. Yes, revenue has never been higher, attendance has never been better, and baseball has never had a stronger international presence. But the game has rarely faced more significant Steroid scandals, management-labor rifts, self-centered superstars, a dramatic decline in the number of African American players and fans, constraints on youth baseball fields and resources, and competition from other sports and entertainment options all threaten the foundations of our national pastime.

Dave Winfield knows and loves the game and he believes baseball can be rescued and revitalized. A respected role model and ambassador of the sport, Winfield outlines his strategy for making baseball the game he knows it can inclusive, empowering, and entertaining. He focuses on how to make the game more fan-friendly, and especially how to reach out to the African American community. From the commissioner's office to the kids on the street, Winfield examines the game from every perspective, offering ideas and solutions for diversifying front offices; marketing the game; developing community-based programs; and working out fair, creative, and lucrative parameters for the business of baseball. Making the Play inspires readers to get out of the armchair and into the action.

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2007

Reviews

[Steven L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dave Winfield was a superstar baseball player whose career I enjoyed following especially when he was a member of the New York Yankees. In this book, the reader sees another side of Dave. He is an intelligent and thoughtful person who is extremely passionate about protecting baseball as our national pastime. He mentions a plethora of ideas on how to return baseball to its former glory as the number one of the major sports which people play and follow.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad I found this at the 99 cent store, and didn't pay the $14 cover price for it. Former major leaguer Dave Winfield's heart is in the right place when it comes to trying to resurrect, or save, the sport he played and loves. I find his solutions too simple, and perhaps his idealism blinds him to how American society has changed. And, that perhaps baseball is a dying sport among much of the population.