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Crack of the Bat: A History of Baseball on the Radio
- Narrated by: Joseph Bevilacqua
- Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins
- Categories: Arts & Entertainment, Entertainment & Performing Arts
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In the summer of 1932, at the beginning of the turbulent decade that would remake America, baseball fans were treated to one of the most thrilling seasons in the history of the sport. As the nation drifted deeper into the Great Depression and reeled from social unrest, baseball was a diversion for a troubled country - and yet the world of baseball was marked by the same edginess that pervaded the national scene.
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Publisher's Summary
Radio has brought the sounds of baseball into homes for almost 100 years, helping baseball emerge from the 1919 Black Sox scandal into the glorious World Series of the 1920s. The medium gave fans around the country aural access to the first All-Star Game, Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech, and Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard ’Round the World.” Red Barber, Vin Scully, Harry Caray, Ernie Harwell, Bob Uecker, and dozens of other beloved announcers helped cement the love affair between radio and the national pastime.
Crack of the Bat takes listeners from the 1920s to the present, examining the role of baseball in the development of the radio industry and the complex coevolution of their relationship.
Despite cable television’s ubiquity, live video streaming, and social media, radio remains an important medium through which fans engage with their teams. The evolving relationship between baseball and radio intersects with topics as varied as the 20-year battle among owners to control radio, the development of sports as a valuable media product, and the impact of competing technologies on the broadcast medium.
The book is published by University of Nebraska Press. The audiobook was published by University Press Audiobooks.
Critic Reviews
"A valuable resource for sport and media scholars alike…" (Historical Journal of Film, Radio, and Television)
"Well researched, and equally well written…" (American Journalism)
"Deserves to be on the reading list for courses in broadcast history and mass communication history." (Journalism & Mass Communication Educator)
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What listeners say about Crack of the Bat: A History of Baseball on the Radio
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Joe Cook
- 03-07-20
Missing The Announcers
To me it was more about numbers than the announcers which is what I thought the book was going to be about. It was still interesting though.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Jason Schmitt
- 02-17-20
Repeat Repeat Repeat
Very repetitive. Some of the information was interesting....the first time I heard it. The narrator's voice becomes a little grating, at times.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Tiffany Bayer
- 01-22-19
Great Book
Lots of great knowledge and extremely well narrated by Mr Bevilacqua. Loved everything about the history.