Playing for a Winner

"He never felt like a Hall of Famer." "You can't argue with championships." "If he was so good, why were his teams so bad?" On talk shows and in sports bars, statements like these are often made about both underrated and overrated players. It's generally accepted that being in a bigger market or on a winning team can cause a player to be overrated, while the opposite can leave them underrated. Examining pennant races to show how much attention a team receives and which teams are getting the most attention provides a context to this familiar commentary. This book studies the effects of the sports media spotlight (and its absence) on the fortunes of teams in pennant races and Hall of Fame inductees. Along the way, the author brings to light accomplished players most non-fans have probably never heard of.