A League of His Own
A.G. Spalding and the Business of Baseball
A League of His Own tells the remarkable story of Albert Goodwill Spalding—the 19th century pitcher, mogul, and visionary who cofounded the National League, shaped professional baseball and made a fortune by dominating the sporting goods empire industry.
"All baseball fans should read this book."
- Mark Kurlansky, New York Times bestselling author
What People Say About A League of His Own
"Mark Stein is a gifted storyteller and this tale of A.G. Spalding, in addition to being a most entertaining read taking us to wonderful games, strikes at the root of the sport and teaches us much about what is right and what is wrong with it today. All baseball fans should read this book."
- Mark Kurlansky, New York Times bestselling author
“Alphabetically speaking, 1939 inductee Albert Goodwill Spalding finds his spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown between Braves ace Warren Spahn and Cleveland’s star center fielder Tris Speaker. In terms of overall impact on the game and maybe American sports in general, Spalding’s achievements probably surpass both of them put together. . . . [Mark Stein] has taken a mighty, highly detailed plunge into the remarkable life of Spalding . . . a meticulous examination of Spalding’s life and legacy.”
- John Nogowski, author of Diamond Duels: Baseball’s Greatest Matchups and Last Time Out: Big League Farewells of Baseball’s Greats.
“If Spalding’s story begins modestly in a log cabin in tiny Byron, Illinois, its unfolding will resonate with modern-day readers… A long-overdue accounting of one of baseball’s seminal figures.”
- Alan Moores, Booklist
"For all his monumental contributions to sports, Albert Goodwill Spalding has long remained a figure whose full, complicated legacy has been relegated to the margins of history. That is, until now."
- CardBiz
Photo Credit: Gloria Kushel
Mark Andrew Stein
Mark Stein has been an accomplished writer and editor for more than 40 years. Over the course of his career, he has been a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, an editor at The New York Times and Bloomberg News in London, and started a website for Conde Nast Publications. His first book, A League of His Own: A.G. Spalding and the Business of Baseball will be released January 2026.