Journal of Economic Literature
Book Reviews
2026-08-28
Andrew Zimbalist of Smith College reviews “Rumors of Baseball's Demise: How the Balance of Competition Swung and the Critics Missed” by Robert Cull,. The EconLit Abstract of the reviewed work begins “Describes the factors that have led to increased competitive balance in baseball and explains why so few fans and writers are aware of this change. Examines the “large-market-small-market” debate in detail. Provides evidence on competitive balance and tries to explain when and why it occurred, and why large markets do not enjoy that great an advantage. Considers player development and the evolution of the draft. Discusses why it is important that the draft has become a source of pitching talent, especially for small-market teams. Presents evidence on the variability of pitching performance relative to hitting performance. Studies the effect of the wild-card play-off format on competitive balance. Cull is Senior Economist in the Development Research Group of the World Bank. Bibliography; index.”