Summer of '68: The Season That Changed Baseball -- And America -- Forever

I like how Wendel tells the story of the entire 1968 season in terms of both what happened on baseball diamonds across America, but also focuses on events that happened outside of the world of baseball as well to illustrate the climate of the country at the time of this Series. I dislike Wendel attempts too much in claiming the summer of ’68 “changed baseball and America.” 1968 also saw the emergence of millions voting for George Wallace, the rise of a disaffected white working and middle class and millions .more electing Richard Nixon. Clearly, the country has since changed. Now baseball is controlled by billionaires and corporate advertisers and TV. Players are paid enormous salaries. Stadiums are built with public subsidies and poor whites, blacks and Latinos are poorer now and many can’t afford a good seat at a game. Baseball did in fact eventually change after 1968. Its players' union arguably became the most powerful union in the country, new stadiums were often built with public subsidies and they offer reasonably priced seats. The mass arrival of Latino players has been accepted without problems. Though still few in number, there are more black managers than ever and, now there is a black co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. In fact, many of the racial tensions in dugouts and front offices have been sharply diminished because of changing public attitudes and perhaps because of Bud Selig’s enlightened role as commissioner. Tim Wendel has written a compelling book about a pivotal season.