October 1964 – David Halberstam, 1994 ★★★½

How Success Got Untrenched

Some World Series mark time; others define them. The 1964 World Series belongs in the latter category; David Halberstam explains why.

Players were still regarded as property then; their careers dictated by greedy, sometimes capricious owners. Television amplified and monetized their success. Pitchers were becoming more dominant as the strike zone was expanded and raised.

Most importantly, the racial divide of the game was changing, if slowly. Nearly 20 years after Jackie Robinson integrated baseball, there were still many whites who didn’t care for blacks, including some American League club owners.