This collection of essays by some of the most widely recognized experts on baseball history focuses on the national pastime as a marker of our times and cultural ideals. Topics include the rise and spread of baseball in the nineteenth century, the influence of iconic major league players from Honus Wagner to Jackie Robinson, the fates of great teams well known (the Yankees and Orioles) and undeservedly obscure (the Elite Giants), and the advances of Latinos and blacks on the field and in the broader culture.