In Pursuit of Pennants

Mark L. Armour is the author of Joe Cronin: A Life in Baseball, the editor of The Great Eight: The 1975 Cincinnati Reds, and a coeditor of Pitching, Defense, and Three-Run Homers: The 1970 Baltimore Orioles, all available from the University of Nebraska Press. Winner of the 2015 Bob Davids Award from the Society of American Baseball Research, Daniel R. Levitt is the author of Ed Barrow: The Bulldog Who Built the Yankees’ First Dynasty (Nebraska, 2008) and The Battle that Forged Modern Baseball: The Federal League Challenge and Its Legacy. He is the coauthor (with Mark L. Armour) of Paths to Glory: How Great Baseball Teams Got That Way.

"Read this book for its treasure trove of baseball history and because it is a damn good read."-G. Louis Heath, ARETE "The book is exceptionally well-researched, -reasoned, and -argued, and also exceptionally well-written."-Rob Neyer, Just a bit Outside "In Pursuit of Pennants is by far the best treatment of the building of baseball teams. It belongs in easy reach on every baseball researcher’s desk or bookshelf, and it’s going to be there for a very long time."-Jan Finkel, Inside Game “Baseball fans across the board that dedicate the time to reading this book will enjoy it.”-Gregg's Baseball Bookcase "Armour and Levitt have given the reader an inside look into the different cultures and challenges facing professional sports executives. Their management styles might differ, but the objective never changes: 'Be a consistent winner.'"—Pat Gillick "A rare combination of a must-have reference book and engaging storytelling by distinguished baseball historians Armour and Levitt."—Vince Gennaro, president of the Society for American Baseball Research and author of Diamond Dollars: The Economics of Winning in Baseball "This is an interesting, well-written, and well-researched examination of a behind-the-scenes look at how certain winning clubs have been constructed by notable baseball executives and the philosophies employed."—Tal Smith, longtime baseball executive "A great source of well-researched front office stories. . . . Armour and Levitt give an insider's look at the teams' efforts to innovate in this highly competitive industry."—Sig Mejdal, director of Decision Sciences for the Houston Astros"If Moneyball is the tale of how a modern front office works, In Pursuit of Pennants is the prequel that ably sets the stage."—Jonah Keri, author of the bestselling The Extra 2% and Up, Up, and Away

• List of Illustrations    List of Tables    List of Charts    Acknowledgments    Introduction    Part 1. Professional Management1. Owner-Operator    2. Field Manager    3. General Manager    4. Executive    5. Farm System    6. Organization    Part 2. General Manager Ascendant7. Dodger Way    8. Dynasty    9. Integration    10. Commitment    11. Excellence Rewarded    12. Amateur Draft    13. The Machine    Part 3. New Order14. Long Road Back    15. Expansion    16. Free Agency    17. The Zoo    18. Many Rivers    Part 4. Businessmen19. Winning Now    20. Analytics    21. Post-Moneyball    22. Modern Game    Appendix    Notes    Index