Frick*

 Ford Frick is best known as the baseball commissioner who put the “asterisk” next to Roger Maris’s record. But his tenure as commissioner carried the game through pivotal changes—television, continued integration, West Coast expansion and labor unrest. During those 14 years, and 17 more as National League president, he witnessed baseball history from the perspective of a man who began as a sportswriter. This biography of Frick, whose tenure sparked lively debate about the commissioner’s role, provides a detailed narrative of his career and the events and characters of mid–20th century baseball.

John P. Carvalho is an associate professor of journalism at Auburn University. He has written extensively on sports media history, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, and frequently writes about current sports journalism issues.

John P. Carvalho
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 324
Bibliographic Info: 12 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2016
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9532-0
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2663-5
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Introduction  1

1. The Maris Decision  11

2. Early Years  25

3. The Babe Ruth Problem  38

4. A New NL President  56

5. Fame and Fighting  74

6. The War  86

7. A New Commissioner  100

8. Integration  118

9. Chandler Out, Frick In  137

10. Reconstruction  150

11. Old Problems, New Problems  166

12. To the West Coast  183

13. Game Two Begins  197

14. The Third League  213

15. Expansion  230

16. Exit Strategy  248

17. Extra Innings  263

Chapter Notes  273

Bibliography  308

Index  313

“This excellent book needs no asterisk. It’s a fascinating story of one of baseball’s most interesting and influential men. John Carvalho’s book will give baseball fans a deeper appreciation of an uncommon man and a better understanding of the game’s history.”—Jonathan Eig, author of Luckiest Man and Opening Day; “Ford Frick left an indelible mark on baseball during its glory years. He helped write the story of baseball as a sportswriter and made history first as a league president and then as baseball commissioner. Frick was far more than an asterisk in baseball history. John Carvalho’s Ford Frick: A Biography is an entertaining and important look into an unassuming and important man.”—Chris Lamb, author, Conspiracy of Silence: Sportswriters and the Long Campaign to Desegregate Baseball; “[A] complete, thorough account of Frick’s time in baseball that should be on the bookshelf of readers who enjoy the sport.”—Lance Smith, The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books; “John Carvalho nicely captures the behind the scenes action in one of baseball’s most celebrated eras in his biography of Ford Frick. Baseball scholars and fans alike will enjoy Carvalho’s captivating account of the man and his times.”—Daniel R. Levitt, co-author of In Pursuit of Pennants: Baseball Operations from Deadball to Moneyball.