Dropping the Ball: Baseball's Troubles and How We Can and Must Solve

Baseball is in trouble. Yes, revenue has never been higher, attendance has never been better, and baseball has never had a stronger international presence. But the game has rarely faced more significant problems: Steroid scandals, management-labor rifts, self-centered superstars, a dramatic decline in the number of African American players and fans, constraints on youth baseball fields and resources, and competition from other sports and entertainment options all threaten the foundations of our national pastime.

Dave Winfield knows and loves the game and he believes baseball can be rescued and revitalized. A respected role model and ambassador of the sport, Winfield outlines his strategy for making baseball the game he knows it can be: inclusive, empowering, and entertaining. He focuses on how to make the game more fan-friendly, and especially how to reach out to the African American community. From the commissioner's office to the kids on the street, Winfield examines the game from every perspective, offering ideas and solutions for diversifying front offices; marketing the game; developing community-based programs; and working out fair, creative, and lucrative parameters for the business of baseball. Making the Play inspires readers to get out of the armchair and into the action.

Dave Winfield is best known as a New York Yankee and won a World Series ring with Toronto in 1992. Currently an executive with the San Diego Padres, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Levin writes and ghostwrites in Orange County, California, where he runs www.Business Ghost.com.