Started reading this in late May, upon notification of the author's passing. The late 1970s saw baseball owners push back against free agency, publicly and privately - the strike of 1981 closes this collection.

Angell is firmly on the side of the players here. He points out where the owners (successfully) painted the players as greedy, despite causing problems that continue to the present day. In addition to the money concerns, this era saw the retirement of some of Angell's heroes from the 50s and 60s. He speculates on the declining popularity of the major leagues, and yet other essays show the game itself is still beloved - the last essay especially.

Like the previous collection, this has some really excellent essays - and a few that ramble a bit. One of my favorites was the minor league game between future stars Ron Darling and Frank Viola, attended and commented on by one of my favorite players, the deadball era's Smoky Joe Wood, and future analytics legend Bill James. Another article with a solid subject, though not as focused, was on women in the clubhouse and locker room.

Looking forward to the next collection, whose 5 year span (1982-87) will encompass the collision of his two favorite teams in a memorable (and heart-breaking) world series.