Book Review: Gmelch and Weiner, J. In the ballpark: The working lives of baseball people. 1998.

Gmelch, G. and Weiner, J. (1998). In the ballpark: The working lives of baseball people. Washington [D.C.]: Smithsonian Institution Press.

This slim volume looks at people usually ignored in baseball or sport books, those behind the scenes who make the on-field drama possible, everyone from the usher to the beer vendor to the general manager.  Produced by a professional anthropologist who was also a minor league player, the book is comprised of oral histories derived from interview transcripts with twenty-one employees of professional baseball organizations in the United States.  Each 8-10 page chapter includes a description of the kind of work performed, the particular challenges of the job, how the person first became involved in the work of baseball, and in perhaps half of the accounts some discussion of salary.

Apparently many people who work in baseball do so as a way to make their lives meaningful.  They seem to take pride in working for a prestige organization, of being the envy of family or friends, in spite of earning minimal salaries and rarely being able to enjoy actual games because they are too busy with their jobs.  Those with long careers with major league teams have seen the business become more corporate and less personal - reduced interaction with players and other members of staff, and increased compartmentalized responsibilities that require interaction with a small group of like-tasked people.  Those in the minor leagues are less specialized and continue to do a variety of jobs, often whatever is required to make the business profitable, and often requiring 12-16 hour workdays.  Apart from trainers, groundskeepers, and umpires, no special schooling or training is required for most baseball jobs.  Many people seem to get their positions through an introduction from a family member or friend already working in the industry.  As these interviews were conducted in the mid-90s, there is no discussion of the effect of the internet on baseball management, though this may be addressed in a 2006 edition.

What these stories make clear is that professional baseball is characterized by great financial disparity.  A handful of millionaires is bolstered by an army of poorly paid aspirants and support personnel.  If the players union were concerned with equity, it seems it could do more to insure that more revenue finds it way down to the minor leagues, where players don’t even get enough money to support a healthy diet.  One gets the impression that the industry is highly exploitative, trading labor for pride and for (mostly) empty promises of future success.

If you ever thought you wanted to work in baseball, read this book.

#