Most likely, I am no different than most people who have read Baseball & Billions: I have a deep respect for the scholarship and work product of sports economist Andrew Zimbalist. He has a new book coming out in March, In the Best Interests of Baseball? The Revolutionary Reign of Bud Selig, and I have been fortunate enough to be in contact with his editor at Wiley. Late last week, I received a manuscript of the book, and I am in the process of reading it. Soon, I will post my preview/review.

Additionally, there is the chance, depending on his schedule, that I might have the opportunity to interview Mr. Zimbalist. Given that Selig essentially created our Nats ex(po) nihilo, I am sure Zimbalist could offer some insight on where we've been, where we are, and where we (hopefully) are going.

In the meantime, I have received some promotional materials from Wiley, so I'm going to put them to use:

"Once again, Andy Zimbalist proves that no one understands the mysterious inner workings of the best game on earth better than he does. With energy, thoughtfulness, and passion, he has parsed the complicated world of baseball and shown how important its business side is to its soul--and its survival."
---Ken Burns, filmmaker, Baseball

"I always thought Yogi Berra was the wisest source on baseball, but Zimbalist has hit a grand slam here."
---Tom Werner, owner, Red Sox (and former owner of the Padres)

"Tremendously enjoyable and a must-read for baseball fans. Guaranteed to raise the level of discourse on sports-talk radio."
---Jim Bouton, author, Ball Four

"Baseball books, like the game itself, are often replete with errors. But Andrew Zimbalist has written a carefully researched yet lively review of the record of the nine commissioners that is both fair and accurate. It is long overdue and a superb read."
---Fay Vincent, former commissioner, Major League Baseball

"By looking at baseball from the perspective of the commissioner's office and its many challenges, Professor Zimbalist has been able to use his scholar's eye and his fan's heart to see the game as an ongoing enterprise that needs refreshment. The fair but unsparing portrait of Bud Selig he paints is of a man who is nobody's fool and nobody's tool--and now, those of us who love the game need him to start the rally that will restore baseball in America's esteem."
---Scott Simon, host, National Public Radio, and baseball author (Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball and Home and Away: Memoir of a Fan)

"Andrew Zimbalist has done a very credible, eminently readable, and engaging job describing MLB's commissioners, particularly Bud Selig, who easily has become the most significant figure in baseball in decades. While Selig will not necessarily share all of Zimbalist's views about the game, In the Best Interests of Baseball? has thoughtfully, and perhaps uniquely, tracked many of the thorny issues that Selig confronted during baseball's new golden era."
---John Moores, owner, Padres (and member of MLB's Executive Council)