Keepers of the game

There was a time when the most prestigious job on a major newspaper belonged to the baseball beat writer, who enjoyed unparalleled longevity and influence within his profession. Through a variety of events and circumstances-television, expansion, all-sports radio, lifestyle changes, and the Internet revolution-those days are long gone. The baseball beat writers endure, but jobs change, and they now face new challenges. Keepers of the Game celebrates the last generation of baseball writers whose careers were rooted in Teletype machines, train travel, and ten-team leagues, and who wielded an inf.