{"product_id":"9781466843776","title":"Split Season: 1981: Fernandomania, the Bronx Zoo, and the Strike that Saved Baseball","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe never-before-told story of the momentous season torn in half by the bitter players strike.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e1981 was a watershed moment in American sports, when players turned an oligarchy of owners into a game where they had a real voice. Midway through the season, a game-changing strike ripped baseball apart, the first time a season had ever been stopped in the middle because of a strike. Marvin Miller and the MLB Players Association squared off against Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and the owners in a fight to protect players rights to free agency and defend America's pastime.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThough a time bomb was ticking as the 1981 season began, the game rose to impressive---and now legendary---heights. Pete Rose chased Stan Musial's National League hit record and rookie Fernando Valenzuela was creating a sensation as the best pitcher in the majors when the stadiums went dark and the players went on strike.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor the first time in modern history, there were first- and second-half champions; the two teams with the overall best records in the National League were not awarded play-off berths. When the season resumed after an absence of 712 games, Rose's resumption of his pursuit, the resurgence of Reggie Jackson, the rise of the Montreal Expos, and a Nolan Ryan no-hitter became notable events. The Dodgers bested their longtime rivals in a Yankees-Dodgers World Series, the last classic matchup of those storied opponents.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSourcing incredible and extensive interviews with almost all of the major participants in the strike, \u003ci\u003eSplit Season: 1981\u003c\/i\u003e returns us to the on- and off-field drama of an unforgettable baseball year.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"St. Martin's Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47156879524080,"sku":"9781466843776","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781466843776_p0.jpg?v=1769891411","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781466843776","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}