For those going through baseball season withdrawal, the West Virginia University Press is announcing that former American League President Gene Budig’s The Inside Pitch . . . and More: Baseball’s Business and the Public Trust will be released in early Spring 2004.

Budig, a former WVU president and now a professor of sports business at Princeton University, investigates the corporate side of America’s favorite pastime. Throughout the text, Budig examines baseball’s economic prosperity as well as the major threats to its perpetuity.

Budig skillfully addresses the many concerns facing the game today, such as the decrease in attendance rates and the problem of divergent incomes amongst the various teams. He places the emphasis on the need for reevaluation of the relationship between the sport and its fan-base, noting a growing animosity-an estrangement he attributes to the perception of players as greedy and self-promoting.

Concerning America’s preferred recreation, Budig asserts,”baseball [is] more than a game; it [is] a part of our social well being. It point[s] the way for needed change in our social institutions.”

Born in southwest Nebraska, Budig attended college at the University of Nebraska, where he obtained degrees in three separate fields. After graduation, Budig entered into state politics, functioning as the governor’s Chief of Staff. Three years later, Budig returned to the world of academia, accepting a professorship at his alma mater.

In 1977, Budig was offered the position of president at WVU . Five years later, he took a similar job at Illinois State University. He went on to become president of the University of Kansas where he stayed until the long-time baseball fan was enlisted to become the president of Major League Baseball’s American League, befriending baseball legends such as Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, as well as contemporary icons.

Insightful and informative, The Inside Pitch . . . and More is a fascinating book which will interest individuals wishing to discover everything baseball, from its history to the behind-the-scenes events which inform the sport.

For more information about this or other books published by West Virginia University Press call toll free 1-877-WVU-PRESS (988-7737) or visit www.wvupress.com .