Men at Work

by 

George F. Will

4 Stars

George Will’s baseball classic Men at Work has become somewhat dated since it was written in 1990, which only shows how much the game has changed in the last 29 years. Will writes of his concern that baseball is breeding a generation of pitchers who will develop arm problems from throwing too many curve balls and never develop good fastballs. He writes about the increased importance of speed and stolen bases and the decreased reliance on home runs. The book was written before a strike wiped out the World Series, disillusioned a generation of young fans, and led to the extinction of the Montreal Expos; and before anyone really knew what PEDs were. Reading it has made me nostalgic for the 1980s, and I never thought that would be possible.

But it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable book, because it’s written by a true fan and his love of the game is so evident. The book is a treasure of baseball thought and baseball history. There are many great stories, some of which I knew but many of which I didn’t. All in all, it’s a great read still worthy of anyone’s time.