Rating: 
Summary: Thought provoking
Review: Even the most casual baseball fan knows that there is something dreadfully wrong with the game. From Opening Day, nearly two-thirds of the teams never have a legitimate shot to compete with the Yankees, Braves and other big-market clubs. Costas's contribution here is that he provides workable solutions to baseball's most vexing economic and operational problems. His solutions are not the only ones available to the players and owners (Does Costas's revenue sharing proposal go far enough? too far? Is his minimum team payroll figure high enough? Can his modest realignment proposal be accepted?), but clearly something must be done, and soon. A new Collective Bargaining Agreement must be ratified following the 2001 season. If we're going to avoid the spectre of strikes, and teams going out of business, Costas's or somebody's solutions must be implemented.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: This book reads like a blue print on how to fix major league baseball. Using statistics, anecdotes and passionate analysis, Costas cobbles together what seems to be a terrific plan for restoring competition back to MLB. Hopefully, the 30 owners, Players Union, and Bud Selig, will study this book and use it as a foundation for creating a new baseball paradigm for the 21st Centruy. Must read!
Rating: 
Summary: Commissioner Costas
Review: This is a wonderful book, full of thought provoking ideas. Very good analysis of what is good and bad about baseball. If even half of his suggestions came to reality all baseball fans would be eternally grateful. Costas for Commissioner!
Rating:
Summary: Costas makes an admirable debut
Review: Costas brings to light several issues with Major League Baseball that have been inherent through the 90's. Everyone knows that small market teams simply cannot compete with the big market clubs with their cable revenues and such. Costas, however, brings in the emotional side of this issue. Is it really fair to the fans and how will this effect baseball in the future? Costas has always been a proponent of bringing to light controversial issues in sports. With this book, he makes it clear that there are problems with America's past time and because it is Costas, people will listen.
Rating:
Summary: "Fair Ball" Is a Hit with This Fan
Review: Bob Costas has always been my favorite baseball broadcaster -- he's articulate, knowledgeable in the game's rules, personalities and idiosyncracies, and passionate in his love of the sport. Most importantly, he manages to share all of that with the viewer or listener. "Fair Ball" offers a similar experience. Costas eruditely breaks down the problems with today's game, e.g. the competitive imbalance in large vs. small markets, and offers solid solutions. For those who've read Whitey Herzog's "You're Missin' a Great Game," this book picks up on many of the same topics, but presents them from a less biased perspective. Diehard baseball fans will find much of interest.
Rating:
Summary: COSTAS FOR COMMISSIONER!!
Review: Bob Costas gives a clear and concise analysis of the state of major league baseball today and how it was just 15 years ago. Bob is not afraid to tell it like it is, and explains concrete reasons (not just "being a tradionalist") why gimmicks such as new ballparks, interleague play, wildcard play, etc., and why crippling events such as owners who know no limits to their spending or players who know no limits to their greed are destroying the grand old game.But it's not a book of complaining. Oh, no. Bob gives a very comprehensive plan of how to fix many of these failures. There is one problem with most of his solutions -- they make sense. With today's wishy washy commissioner, with one or two owners having their own way no matter what, and with players who follow any ridiculous notion that their ill advised union throws out, ideas this well thought out will be immediately dismissed. Why fix team salary inequities when you can put Spider-man on the bases? Why control players' salaries when you can pump your players up with illegal steriods and then move the fences 25 feet closer to the plate? No, Bob's ideas will not be accepted in today's baseball family because they are not gimmicks. Let's hope that when Selig steps down (or falls down), Costas is considered for his job. I actually think that Bob could push through some of these ideas.
Rating:
Summary: Ultimately, he is right...
Review: Costas' book is far from perfect, however his ultimate conclusions (though not original) make sense. And he is right. As we see a .267 hitter like Carlos Beltran make over $100 million (okay, maybe he is much better than that) and a medicore pitcher like Kris Benson make $7 million a year (not mention Jaret Wright's contract) in 2004 (oh and Russ Ortiz for $32 million?), Costas' ideas ring even truer. Some of the arguments are dated--esp. his section on the wild card. He was right about the unbalanced sked. which has come into being. The major flaw in the book is that Costas simply repeats himself too much. We get it Bob--a salary cap is good. So is revenue sharing. Etc....this is a big criticism when a book is under 200 pages. The last work stoppage was avoided and that was good. Costas was again right in blaming the players who look worse today than ever (although owners are still not so great)--esp. in light of steroid issues. Baseball is moving toward a salary cap (Bud wants one)...So, overall Costas case is compelling. The one other issue I have is with Costas condemning "traditionalists." He claims not to be one and then spends 20 pages or so decrying the wild card and "destruction" of the pennant race. That is a bit much. And sounds like a traditionalist to me. He slams people who love the poetic, transcendent, and Kinsellaian (I made up a term) nature of the game. Considering the steroid scandal, for example, I'll take W.P. Kinsella anyday. Overall, though, I give Costas 4 stars and it was cool to see him stand up for the fans.
Rating:
Summary: A little old, but solidly written
Review: The problem with a book that attempts to speak to the current problems of any situation is that by the time the publishers feed its pages through the press, the facts have changed. After such a book collects a few years of dust on the library shelves, it can almost be obsolete. For instance, in "Fair Ball", Bob Costas discusses the Yankees out-of-control 80 million dollar payroll (try 200+ million) and considers the possibility that Seattle will have to eventually trade Griffey and/or A-Rod (I do hope they can keep them). So, be prepared to have a few anachronistic arguments to today's state of baseball.
Even if some of his examples are now out of date, Costas's logic is solid. He makes clear arguments as to why expansion (more teams and divisions), the wildcard, the Yankees' checkbook and inter-league play are all destroying the game. Being a big fan of baseball and someone who considers himself to be up-to-date on all the angles on the hot issues of the game, Costas humbled me with theories and facts that until now were foreign to this reviewer. Anyone who wants to engage in an educated debate on the financial state of baseball or the possibility of adding more teams or more tiers of playoffs should consider this required reading.
Rating:
Summary: Concise and full of solutions!
Review: Bob Costas has framed the problems with "America's Game" very well in this book as he details the 'whys' of his proposed solutions. In my opionion (a true baseball loyalist who doesn't really care for the sell-out tactics of the Bud Selig administration), Costas outlines a good plan for returning baseball to the way it ought to be. The four-hour baseball game (in which about an hour is commercials), games beginning at 8pm or later on the east coast, the juiced up baseball, the wild card, etc., etc., are all bringing down the game and making it unattractive to fans. I wish MLB would take the Costas Plan to heart and fix what they are breaking.
Rating:
Summary: COSTAS FOR COMMISSIONER!!
Review: Bob Costas gives a clear and concise analysis of the state of major league baseball today and how it was just 15 years ago. Bob is not afraid to tell it like it is, and explains concrete reasons (not just "being a tradionalist") why gimmicks such as new ballparks, interleague play, wildcard play, etc., and why crippling events such as owners who know no limits to their spending or players who know no limits to their greed are destroying the grand old game. But it's not a book of complaining. Oh, no. Bob gives a very comprehensive plan of how to fix many of these failures. There is one problem with most of his solutions -- they make sense. With today's wishy washy commissioner, with one or two owners having their own way no matter what, and with players who follow any ridiculous notion that their ill advised union throws out, ideas this well thought out will be immediately dismissed. Why fix team salary inequities when you can put Spider-man on the bases? Why control players' salaries when you can pump your players up with illegal steriods and then move the fences 25 feet closer to the plate? No, Bob's ideas will not be accepted in today's baseball family because they are not gimmicks. Let's hope that when Selig steps down (or falls down), Costas is considered for his job. I actually think that Bob could push through some of these ideas.
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