This interesting, twined biography of George Wright and Albert Spalding explores two baseball pioneers who moved from being leading stars to among the top promoters of the sport. The author explains the roles performed by the two men in selling baseball to the masses through Organized Baseball, the formation of leagues, and more activities designed to promote 'America's national pastime.'

Choice

A sneaky good baseball history.

Booklist

In his fine book, Selling Baseball, Jeffrey Orens offers a uniquely sliced view: how Al Spalding and George Wright, superstars on the ball field, came to dominate its merchandising, building empires that extended to tennis, golf, and, yes, roller polo. Highly recommended, even to those who may know a thing or two about sports.

John Thorn, official historian of Major League Baseball and author of critically acclaimed Baseball in the Garden of Eden

In Selling Baseball, Jeffrey Orens makes a compelling case that two early superstars went far beyond the ballfield to change the face of sports in America. All fans of early baseball and American cultural history owe Orens a debt for his entertaining and deeply sourced account of the remarkable rise of George Wright and Albert Goodwill Spalding.

Edward Achorn, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Fifty-nine in '84 and The Summer of Beer and Whiskey

Baseball historian Jeffrey Orens delivers a compelling narrative that documents the importance of George Wright and Albert Spalding to the growth of baseball as players and entrepreneurs during the late nineteenth century ... Baseball fans will love this book.

Journal of Sport History

In Selling Baseball, Jeffrey Orens provides his readers with a new perspective of the sport and the sports equipment industry through the long-overlooked relationship between Albert Goodwill Spalding and George Wright. The more than fifty-year friendship of these two on-the-field stars, Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, and sports equipment pioneers, transcended competition and launched baseball and other athletics to the status that we take for granted today. Thought provoking, instructive, and enjoyable-a must read.

Peter Mancuso, co-chair, Nineteenth Century Research Committee, Society for American Baseball Research