The New York Game

Baseball and the Rise of a New City

De: Kevin Baker

Narrado por: L.J. Ganser

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK • Sports Illustrated #1 Book of 2024 • A hugely entertaining history of baseball and New York City, bursting with larger-than-life figures and fascinating stories from the game’s beginnings to the end of World War II.

"You’re going to beg for extra innings. Without missing a scandal or a sensation, with an eye on how assimilation transforms the picture, Kevin Baker has written a buoyant, double coming-of-age story. "—Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize-winning author

Baseball is “the New York game” because New York is where the diamond was first laid out, where the bunt and the curveball were invented, and where the home run was hit. It’s where the game’s first stars were born, and where everyone came to play or watch the game. With nuance and depth, historian Kevin Baker brings this all vividly back to life: the still-controversial, indelible moments—Did the Babe call his shot? Was Merkle out? Did they fix the 1919 World Series? Here are all the legendary players, managers, and owners, in all their vivid, complicated humanity, on and off the field.

In Baker’s hands the city and the game emerge from the murk of nineteenth-century American life—driven by visionaries and fixers, heroes and gangsters. He details how New York and its favorite sport came to mirror one another, expanding, bumbling through catastrophe and corruption, and rising out of these trials stronger than ever.

From the first innings played in vacant lots and tavern yards in the 1820s; to the canny innovations that created the very first sports league; to the superb Hispanic and Black players who invented their own version of the game when white baseball sought to exclude them. And all amidst New York’s own, incredible evolution from a raw, riotous town to a new world city. The New York Game is a riveting, rollicking, brilliant ode to America’s beloved pastime and to its indomitable city of origin.

Sure.. Baseball… but so much more!

This book was an absolute delight to surrender to. A sweeping history of not just baseball in NY through WWII, but of the city and its people. LJ Ganser’s narration captured the sense of the times perfectly… he passed my test of listening at 1.0 speed and maintaining the proper tempo. A must listen for baseball fans and for those of us who hanker for simpler times!

Magnificent

What a magnificient listen this was.

A great baseball book and a great history of New York form the 1870's to the 1940's. I cant recommend this more hightly.

Great Baseball Book

Very well written and performed book. To me the book ended at an odd point. I assumed the story would progress all the way until the Dodgers and the Giants relocated out of NY. Fantastic book but I think it was a no-brainer to tell the story for another decade.

Evan's Review

If you like a good history of baseball I recommend this book
It gives you good overview of baseball in New York plus some history of other teams that evolved during early years of professional baseball.

Places baseball in historical context

Wonderful interweaving of baseball history within context of NYC and U.S. history. Great story and analysis.

The great writing. The facts, humor and descriptions are fantastic!

All great listening including the reader's voice and pronunciations. Loved this book! The way the facts combined with humor and great descriptions.

Baseball, Broads, and Badasses

This book was amazing. The best baseball book I’ve ever read. It’s well written and the narration is superb. It filled with interesting details about the players and teams of New York baseball. If you are a fan of baseball history this is an absolute must read.

Highly recommended

Outstanding book. Well researched. More than just a baseball book but a book about American history from mid 19th to mid 20th century. A must read for any dedicated baseball fan and/or history buff. Good narration, too.

Fascinating History of Baseball and of New York

I saw a favorable review of this book in The New York Times, and because I love baseball history, I decided to purchase this. I was not disappointed. Baker's prose, combined with Ganser's narration, makes a wonderful combination. Several times I laughed at loud at Baker's turn of phrase, and learned something at the same time. Baker takes time to discuss New York City's politics and people, as well as Negro League baseball too. This book is begging for a sequel of post-reintegrated major-league baseball, and I plan to be one of the first in line to purchase it.

GREAT OVERALL COVERING OF NEW YORK BASEBALL STORY...

A little too back-and-forth at times, like Gehrig and Dimaggio comparisons, and Babe Ruth's importance and story should have been fleshed out a bit more, for his importance helped save MLB TWICE- 1, After the Black Sox Scandal; and 2, During the Depression.

Overall, very entertaining, and informative! Worth your time!

GRADE: A