Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television

Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television
by James R. Walker, Robert V. Bellamy Jr.

Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television
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Book Summary Information

Author: James R. Walker, Robert V. Bellamy Jr.
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-01
ISBN: 0803248253
Number of pages: 402
Publisher: Bison Books
Product features:
  • ISBN13: 9780803248250
  • Condition: New
  • Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!

Book Reviews of Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television

Book Review: Capturing Baseball History
Summary: 5 Stars

The early days of televised baseball were fairly drab; I recall watching a replay of a 1952 World Series game between the Yankees & Dodgers, and couldn't believe how rudimentary the whole telecast appeared to be. What kept my interest was the historical significance of watching guys like Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Gil Hodges & Pee Wee Reese perform. Of course, there was no slow motion instant replay, and the primary camera angle was from behind home plate, from an overly elevated position. It felt like you had a crummy seat, especially since you knew catching a foul ball was impossible.

How times have changed. The gradual introduction of the centerfield camera changed the viewer's perspective of the game, for the better. In fact, with each passing year, the innovations from improved camera angles and technological advances have made the action seem so close, the viewer now has the best seat in the house.

The magic of televised baseball's centerfield shot has made the game a pleasure for the fan to watch, regardless of the outcome. Who could forget the shot of Carlton Fisk after hitting that dramatic game winning home run in the '75 World Series? He used every bit of body English imaginable to will that long shot down the left field line to stay fair; and it did. Classsic.

Any fan of the game will certainly enjoy James R Walker's fascinating look at baseball from the centerfield camera. It's the only way to watch a game, if you can't be there in person.

Summary of Center Field Shot: A History of Baseball on Television

In Baseball Weekly?s list of things that most affected baseball in the twentieth century, television ranked second?behind only the signing of Jackie Robinson. The new medium of television exposed baseball to a genuinely national audience; altered the financial picture for teams, owners, and players; and changed the way Americans followed the game. Center Field Shot explores these changes?all even more prominent in the first few years of the twenty-first century?and makes sense of their meaning for America?s pastime.
 
Center Field Shot traces a sometimes contentious but mutually beneficial relationship from the first televised game in 1939 to the new era of Internet broadcasts, satellite radio, and high-definition TV, considered from the perspective of businessmen collecting merchandising fees and advertising rights, franchise owners with ever more money to spend on talent, and broadcasters trying to present a game long considered ?unfriendly? to television. Ultimately the association of baseball with television emerges as a reflection of?perhaps even a central feature of?American culture at large.
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