Little did I know how vividly that day would color my life. As a kid, I grew to be something of a baseball geek. With three competitive teams in the city, the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Giants, and the New York Yankees, growing up in New York during the 1950s was an endless banquet of baseball pleasures. The game gave me, as it did for so many others I later discovered, a close connection with my father. In the years since, baseball has brought hours upon hours of enjoyment at the ballpark, and it has put me in touch with men and women, fans, writers, historians, and researchers, who have greatly enriched my life.
Writing the book has added to that sense of richness. I admire the women I interviewed, pioneers who gave so much to baseball and who spoke so freely of their feelings about the game. I’m grateful to all the fans and students who have responded to the book. The book is carried in more than 600 libraries and continues to be taught in sports history courses at New York University, Union College, and the University of San Francisco, among others. At its best, baseball brings people together. I’m gratified that Breaking into Baseball contributes to the game’s sense of community.
