The Sociable City: An American Intellectual Tradition by Jamin Creed Rowan (review)

Abstract

operated the new stadiums for the new teams. Th is chapter is an excellent look at regional labor diff erences in the United States. Sport in academia has been an understudied and undervalued topic. While oft en studied, mostly the topic is seen as a side project or “fun piece” for scholars. However, over the past few years, critical sports geographies have started to appear, and Ross’s work fi ts squarely into that category. Th e book is an excellent examination of sport and labor in America, which off ers the reader a critical study of capitalism in America and its eff ects on diff erent parts of society. Th e one thing that seems to be lacking most in Ross’s examination, though, is what sort of lasting impact the Players League had on capitalism and baseball, or sport in general, moving forward. While I think the book does an excellent job of introducing people to the topic and off ers valuable insights into labor and early sports in American, I also feel that Th e Great Baseball Revolt leaves the reader with several questions unanswered. Th is book is both well written and well researched, and the author does an excellent job of making this material accessible for nonacademics without losing any of the scholarship required of such a work. I recommend this book to not just scholars of sport, labor, and urban geography, but also to anyone who considers themselves a baseball fan. Th e Players League is a signifi cant event in the early history of baseball, and one, until now, that has been largely forgotten.