In s list of things that most affected baseball in the twentieth century, television ranked secondbehind only the signing of Jackie Robinson. The new medium of television exposed baseball to a genuinely national audience; altered the financial picture for teams, owners, and players; and changed the way Americans followed the game. explores these changesall even more prominent in the first few years of the twenty-first centuryand makes sense of their meaning for Americas pastime. traces a sometimes contentious but mutually beneficial relationship from the first televised game in 1939 to the new era of Internet broadcasts, satellite radio, and high-definition TV, considered from the perspective of businessmen collecting merchandising fees and advertising rights, franchise owners with ever more money to spend on talent, and broadcasters trying to present a game long considered unfriendly to television. Ultimately the association of baseball with television emerges as a reflection ofperhaps even a central feature ofAmerican culture at large.