The Summer That Saved Baseball: A 38-Day Journey to Thirty Major League Ballparks

By Brad Null and Dave Kaval

Book Overview

The strike of 1994 took a lot out of Major League Baseball. For the first time, a World Series was cancelled, something that hadn't even happened during World War II. When play resumed, people stayed away from the ballparks in droves, and attendance was at an all-time low.

Then, in the summer of 1998, balls started flying out of the ballparks in St. Louis and Chicago. Suddenly baseball was fun again. The Great Home Run Derby between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa resulted in both men breaking Roger Maris's 37-year-old record of 61 home runs in a single season. When the season was over, McGwire had hit 70 home runs and Sosa 66, and the New York Yankees had won the first of three consecutive World Series championships.

Among the fans in the ballparks that summer were two recent graduates of Stanford University who had decided that before launching into their careers they would indulge themselves in one of the ultimate baseball fantasies: to see a game in all thirty ballparks of Major League Baseball. To make matters interesting, they decided to view these thirty games and visit the thirty stadiums in less than forty days.

This is the chronicle of that adventure, the story of their experiences at the ballparks and at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, the Louisville Slugger Museum, and the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. Each chapter offers a fan's-eye view of the stadiums and a description of their experiences at the ballparks -- Kaval and even give advice on what not to miss at each stadium. The notoriety the authors gained while making this pilgrimage earned them special treatment by representatives of the host teams, ballpark officials, and concessionaires.

These storiesfocus on all that is good and enjoyable in Major League Baseball. And they are illustrated throughout with photographs from The Summer That Saved Baseball.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581821875
• ISBN13: 9781581821871
• Release Date: March 2001
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Great Book

This was above and beyond the best book I've ever read, and it was hard to put down. The book is about two Stanford grads, Brad Null & Dave Kaval, touring all the MLB Stadiums, and other baseball shrines (ex. The site of Ebbets Field) in one big road trip. The book was great because they gave every detail of the park. You found out everything from ballpark history to ball park food to the one thing you have to do at the park and why, all of which was done in a very funny perspective. For example the one thing you needed to do in Baltimore was use the bathroom on the 4th story of the Camden Yards warehouse, you'll need to buy the book to find out why you need to. You also learn about their adventures on the road, which included an overnight 1,000 mile + trip from Tampa,FL to Baltimore MD! The back part of the book is also a great addition. It gives you Brad and Dave's rankings of everything from ballparks to the worst mascots in baseball. The back also gives you advice to plan a trip similar to this one! This is a great book every fan of the game must own!

I wish I could do this too!

I'm trying to see baseball games in as many stadiums as I can, but these guys went to a game in all 30 stadiums in 38 days! I enjoyed reading this book, and I think it'll be useful when I plan future trips. By the way, I've made it to 7 and I'm hoping to add the 8th this summer.

not just for baseball fans

I bought this book for my husband who is a true baseball fan, but I ended up reading the whole thing through for myself before I gave it to him. The humorous stories of the boys' trip are not just for baseball fans to enjoy, and I could even appreciate what they had to say about the stadiums. I particularly liked the "homage" to Tiger Stadium. It made me wish that I could have seen it. the book is also nicely structured so that you can skip over the ballpark overviews if you want to get on with the story.

A "must" for everyone who has ever bought a ticket

In addition to homeruns, the World Series, player statistics and salaries, the national pastime of baseball is also about the stadiums, hotdogs, beer, mascots, and the team identification and loyalties of the fans themselves. In The Summer That Saved Baseball, Brad Null and Dave Kaval effectively collaborate to evaluate baseball stadiums, food, fans, and hospitality associated with professional baseball. Included are details about each stadium, the likes and dislikes involved, and even some very funny stories and anecdotes arising from their cross-country trip and the close quarter living they endured during their thirty-eight day survey. Of particular interest for dedicated baseball buffs will be the information revealed about the expenses, freebies, and general background data about each stadium, as well as the lists ranking everything from the stadium to the beer! The Summer That Saved Baseball is a "must" for everyone who has ever bought a ticket and sat in the bleachers to cheer or jeer the guys on the field.

If you don't have this book, you don't love baseball

I have been a baseball fan for my whole life, and I can honestly say that this is the book I have waited for my whole life. Null's razor sharp narration, the witty banter between good friends, and a crystal clear feeling of actual presence in the ballparks they describe almost brought me to tears. It is clear that baseball needed this book. America needed this book. I have rediscovered my passion for the greatest game ever, and I owe it all to the vision and dedication of the authors.