{"product_id":"baseball-and-the-blame-game-scapegoating-in-the-major-leagues-9780786429066","title":"Baseball and the Blame Game: Scapegoating in the Major Leagues","description":"\u003cp\u003e Most baseball fans know what links Fred Merkle, Fred Snodgrass, Mickey Owen and Bill Buckner. It's a pantheon of public failure. They would be harder put to say what links Eric Byrnes, Tony Fernandez, and Babe Ruth, though these players made misplays every bit as egregious.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e In this smart, highly readable history of scapegoating, John Billheimer identifies the elements that combine to condemn one player to a life sentence while another gets a wrist slap for the same offense. As it turns out, the difference between a lower-case e in some forgotten box score and a lifetime of ignominy can hinge on a number of factors, including timing, geography, reputation, misunderstanding, media bias, and just plain bad luck.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSABR member \u003cb\u003eJohn Billheimer\u003c\/b\u003e is also a member of Mystery Writers of America. A transportation analyst, he lives in Portola Valley, California.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"McFarland \u0026 Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50872801001746,"sku":"9780786429066","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_03b847b2-e3cf-4708-97a3-e0cc00681660.jpg?v=1737911010","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/baseball-and-the-blame-game-scapegoating-in-the-major-leagues-9780786429066","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}