Baseball at the Dawn of the Seventies

As baseball transitioned into the 1970s, the national pastime began a new decade facing the challenges of a player's union slowly gaining strength and dealing with controversial movements of troubled franchises. The game's commissioner was in the earliest stage of his tenure, and with free agency yet to appear on the horizon, notable trades had a host of players changing addresses. Under new managers, several teams were emerging as contenders capable of dominating their leagues, and these events played out against a backdrop still infused with the volatile overtones of the late 1960s. The Baseball Hall of Fame opened its doors to former Negro Leaguers, while several legacy ballparks finally reached the end of their service lives. Illustrated with period photographs and thoroughly researched, this book covers this important era through the lens of the sport's historical and cultural aspects.