Dan okrent, a dedicated baseball fan with a penchant for numbers, came up with the. Currently, he is the ombudsman for the new york times. Daniel okrent 1948, is an author, editor, and publisher perhaps best known for his appearance on ken burns documentary baseball and his revered status as the inventor of fantasy sports. The first public editor of the new york times and one of the. It used a scoring method devised by daniel okrent, who invented the system. From 1999 to 2001 he was an editor at large at time inc.
His most recent book, published may 2019, is the guarded gate. Any book calling itself the ultimate baseball book has a lot to live up to. Beveridge prize, awarded by the american historical association to the years best book of american history. Those board games had been using historical stats to simulate games and seasons for quite a few years, but 40 years ago dan okrent dreamed up what most of us now know as fantasy baseball. We, the people of the rotisserie league, in order to spin a more perfect game, drive justice home, kiss domestic tranquility goodbye, promote. But daniel okrent is best known as the inventor of rotisserie baseballthe forerunner of the fantasybaseball leagues that consume zillions of american manhours every year. More than a close analysis of that particular game, okrents book is an analysis of baseball in the late 20th century and an analysis of the brewers.
The game was called rotisserie baseball, named after the french restaurant in new york city where the game got its start. How to win at rotisserie baseball, 1993 ed by peter golenbock. He is the author of several books, most recently great fortune. A detroit native and a graduate of michigan university okrent has been in the writing business for his entire adult life.
May 25, 2010 okrent has worn many hats in his careerveteran magazine editor, author, new york times public editor,and founder of rotisserie league baseball. Okrent is responsible for the first rotisserie baseball league, now known as fantasy baseball. He is best known for having served as the first public editor of the new york times newspaper, inventing rotisserie league baseball, and for writing several books such as. Okrent invented rotisserie aka fantasy league baseball, but hes also a crossword puzzle champ, a former public editor of the new york times and one of the creators of the play old jews telling. Espn the magazine morty ain an oral history of rotisserie. He edited the ultimate baseball book, has written a book about the milwaukee brewers entitled nine innings, to be published next year, and is the editor of new england. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. The 1993 edition is revised and expanded to include complete stats as well as winning strategies, clear explanation of the rules, and trading tactics. By 1984, the originators of the game including okrent and glen waggoner published the first edition of rotisserie league baseball. Okrent worked extensively in book and magazine publishing as an editor, writer and consultant. Though his focus is on a single moment in the if youre a baseball fan youll find lots of fun in nine innings.
A book this informative has no right to be this much fun. When okrent published the instructional book, rotisserie league. Daniel okrent is a writer and editor, and best known for having served as the first public editor of the new york times. Okrent, editor of 1979s the ultimate baseball book, invited his friends to join the league. Daniel okrent born april 2, 1948 is an american writer and editor he is best known for having served as the first public editor of the new york times newspaper, for inventing rotisserie league baseball, and for writing several books, such as last call. The epic of rockefeller center viking penguin, 2003. After reading the entire book in one sitting, i got on the phone and called. Dan okrent, founder, rotisserie baseballon the origins of sports is an illustrated book built around the original rules of 21 of the worlds most po. The book is divided up into innings, one per decade. The reason that its become fantasy baseball is because my fellow founders and i trademarked rotisserie baseball.
On the origins of sports by gary belsky overdrive rakuten. He is best known for having served as the first public editor of the new york times newspaper, inventing rotisserie league baseball, and for writing several books. Daniel okrent born april 2, 1948 in detroit, mi usa. The greatest game for baseball fans since baseball.
The saga commences with testimony by selfdescribed serial obsessive dan. Written by waggoner and edited by okrent, it went into. About the same time, a group in new york including glen waggoner, who was a dean at columbia, and dan okrent, another editor, and steve wulf, a writer at sports illustrated, began a league. From 1992 to 1996 he was managing editor for life magazine and from 1991 to 1992 he was an assistant managing editor there. But the onetime editor of life is not gone from the magazine and bookpub. We were, still are, the rotisserie league, a flock of loons who have and hold our own. The game itself was named for a new york restaurant frequented by league.
It is widely regarded as the most complete, best written, and easiesttouse reference on the subject. Okrent is the editorauthor of several baseball books, including the ultimate baseball book, nine innings, american pastimes. New media, the thirdhighest editorial job in the company, the post has learned. He is best known for having served as the first public editor of the new york times newspaper, inventing rotisserie league baseball, and for writing several books such as last call. Dan okrent gives a literary toast to the days of prohibition.
Jun 21, 2004 dolphins and current cbs analyst dan marino, r. Nine innings gives you exactly what it says on the label. Each inning contains a historical overview of the decade, followed by an essay written by baseball s literati. Daniel okrent, a writer and baseball fan, came up with the idea for fantasy. But daniel okrent is best known as the inventor of. The father of the multibillion fantasy sports industry never imagined it would. Rotisseries original scoring rules were conceived by writer dan okrent, who pitched the concept to various friends and colleagues until he found a small group of curiouswilling players. Ive loved the fame of it, but more and more, in pleasant social situations, people would come up to me and describe in numbing detail their team, and their last 50 trades. Okrent is a great writer, but his transitions from the game and story were very wide.
Jan 15, 1990 golenbocks book has become the premier handbook for all fans of rotisserie or fantasy baseball. Dan okrent rotisserie inventor as a student, i had heard about gamsons game from sklar, but it didnt make an impression on me other than it probably buried itself somewhere deep in my cerebellum and became the germ of my idea. The rise and fall of prohibition, which served as a major source for the 2011 ken burnslynn novick miniseries prohibition. The following is from rotisserie league baseball the official rulebook and complete guide to player values pp 1030, by glen waggoner and robert sklar, bantam books, new york, 1989.
Mar 09, 2020 rotisserie baseball was invented by daniel okrent and friends, arising at the exact moment that sabermetrics was gaining critical mass as a field of serious inquiry. Jan 22, 2004 but if okrent is only remembered for a single thing, it will be his creation of the first rotisserie baseball league in 1980, which was also the first fantasy sports league of any kind. He joined with other likeminded baseball fans to form the rotisserie league baseball association or rlba, the very first rotisserie league. Untold stories of 40 years of fantasy baseball espn. Dan okrent, founder, rotisserie baseball belsky and fine are two of the sports worlds greatest sleuths, uncovering the kind of nuggets that will make anyone who reads this delightful book smarter, funnier, and the toast of any conversation. Dan okrent, a new york writer and editor, invented rotisserie league baseball in 1980. Okrent, based on discussions with colleagues at usa today, credits rotisserie league baseball with much of the early success of usa today, since the paper provided much more detailed box scores than most competitors and eventually even created a special paper, baseball weekly, which almost exclusively contained statistics and box scores. I did the ultimate baseball book, i began writing about baseball. Okrent and waggoner created the instructional book. He is also known as a founder of rotisserie baseball, the forerunner of numerous fantasy sports games. Daniel okrents first book since the prizewinning last call tells the chilling story of how antiimmigration activists of the early twentieth century most of them wellborn, many of them progressives used the bogus science of eugenics to justify closing the immigration door in 1924 the guarded gate features a cast of characters ranging from theodore roosevelt to margaret sanger to. Rotisserie baseball was invented by daniel okrent and friends, arising at the exact moment that sabermetrics was gaining critical mass as a field of serious inquiry. By 1983 books were being published to help fans pick their teams. For founder of rotisserie baseball, a reality check.
This shouldnt be a surprise since, at the same time, bill james was selfpublishing the baseball abstract and selling it through ads placed in the back of the sporting news. Essentially all of the information in this book is also in earlier editions of the same book the rules or appears with minimal modification in other books written or cowritten by john benson. I did the ultimate baseball book, i began writing about baseball, i. He was, still is, daniel okrent, owner of the okrent fenokees. While many associate him sportswriting due to his two books on baseball, his. Jul 16, 2010 daniel okrents latest book, last call. Daniel okrent the creator of rotisserie league baseball. The rise and fall of prohibition, is an exceptional and vibrant piece of cultural history.
Mar 21, 2008 but daniel okrent is best known as the inventor of rotisserie baseballthe forerunner of the fantasybaseball leagues that consume zillions of american manhours every year. Dan okrentrotisserie inventor as a student, i had heard about. If you have never before played rotisserie baseball, you should buy the book once, for the rules. After reading 9 innings by daniel okrent, i understand a little how they feel. Feb 23, 2010 dan okrent rotisserie inventor as a student, i had heard about gamsons game from sklar, but it didnt make an impression on me other than it probably buried itself somewhere deep in my cerebellum and became the germ of my idea. Dan okrent invented whip statistic, fantasy baseball wsj. Dan okrent, founder, rotisserie baseball belsky and fine are two of the sports worlds greatest sleuths, uncovering the kind of nuggets that will make anyone who reads this delightful book smarter, funnier, and the toast of any. In november of 1979, while on a flight to dallas, texas, okrent sketched out the rules and format for the first fantasy baseball league in history. By jonathan kelly hes been the public editor of the new york times and the managing editor of life, and one of his books got nominated for a. He is best known for having served as the first public editor of the new york times newspaper, inventing rotisserie league baseball, 1 and for writing several books such as last call. But when ken burns tags it the cadillac of baseball books, the authors have obviously succeeded. Many people i know are not affectionate towards baseballs. Daniel okrent on a familiar immigration panic 100 years ago.
Upon seeing the book, the 81 article came to mind and i couldnt wait to consume the details of this fascinating hobby. Daniel okrents first book since the prizewinning last call tells the chilling story of how antiimmigration activists of the early twentieth century most of them wellborn, many of them progressives used the bogus science of eugenics to justify closing the immigration door in 1924. And he has every baseball book ever written, including yankee stranger, the ed figueroa story. Dan okrent i cant imagine naming it something else but rotisserie baseball, because its always been that for me. Apr 05, 1998 about the same time, a group in new york including glen waggoner, who was a dean at columbia, and dan okrent, another editor, and steve wulf, a writer at sports illustrated, began a league. Thirtyfive years later, fantasy baseballs creators.
Golenbocks book has become the premier handbook for all fans of rotisserie or fantasy baseball. When okrent published the instructional book, rotisserie league baseball, in 1984, the book was dedicated to waggoners secretary, sandy. This form of baseball has become very popular with other journalists and now has a huge following. I had even read the bible on socalled rotisserie league baseball, by dan okrent, founder of fantasy and gm of the okrent fenokees. With a weird green cover, bantam books was proud to present rotisserie league baseball. The anatomy of the fantasy baseball draft the good men. Apr 19, 2015 the game was called rotisserie baseball, named after the french restaurant in new york city where the game got its start. He edited the ultimate baseball book, has written a book about the milwaukee brewers entitled nine innings, to be published next year, and is the editor of new england monthly magazine. Daniel okrent is currently considered a single author. As daniel okrents new book the guarded gate explains, it was the conclusion of a 30year campaign on the part of many elite social scientists to keep america from being overrun by nonwhite people. Ew york for years, ive been known as the guy who invented rotisserie league baseball, said the guy who invented rotisserie league baseball, daniel okrent.
Okrent, he is the creator of rotisserie league baseball which he developed in the 1980s when he was a managing writereditor for a magazine that he worked with at this time. On monday, we will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first ever fantasy league draft when we have the founding father of fantasy, dan okrent, stopping by. He was also associated with dan okrent in the creation of the rotisserie baseball league, the 1980 group that started the fantasy sports craze. Okrent deserves every accolade he has ever gotten and many. Thirtyfive years later, fantasy baseballs creators remember.
Okrent has worn many hats in his careerveteran magazine editor, author, new york times public editor,and founder of rotisserie league baseball. The very best of red smith, and baseball anecdotes. Dan okrent is credited as the inventor of fantasy baseball. Journalistturnedhistorian daniel okrent clearly has been around the media blocka founder of the much heralded new england monthly, book editor, the first public editor ombudsman at the new york times, head of time, inc. Hes been the public editor of the new york times and the managing editor of life, and one of his books got nominated for a pulitzer prize.
Then, during the mid70s, i got more deeply into baseball than i had ever been before. Daniel okrent follows the action, pitchbypitch and outbyout, through nine chapters. Once again, we have another special guest to introduce our readers to this month, daniel okrent. Bigotry, eugenics, and the law that kept two generations of jews, ital. The book runs the gamut from playground favorites like kickball to mainstream monsters like football. Okrent spent more than 25 years in magazine and book publishing.
A native of detroit, and a graduate of the university of. And last, but certainly not least, he is considered by many to be the founding father of what has now morphed into the multibillion dollar industry of fantasy sports. The rest, as they say in the rl, is rotissehistory. So, intelligently, they started to use the name fantasy instead. The rotisserie baseball time machine rotisserieduckdotcom. Mar 18, 2014 okrent is the editorauthor of several baseball books, including the ultimate baseball book, nine innings, american pastimes. Father of fantasy sports never profited from his creation business. On the origins of sports is an illustrated book built around the original rules of twentyone of the worlds most popular sports, from football and soccer to wrestling and mixed martial arts. Fantasy baseball creator daniel okrent vanity fair. Apr 25, 2011 journalistturnedhistorian daniel okrent clearly has been around the media blocka founder of the much heralded new england monthly, book editor, the first public editor ombudsman at the new york times, head of time, inc. A description, in minute detail, of a single baseball game between the milwaukee brewers and the baltimore orioles. Daniel okrent born april 2, 1948 is an american writer and editor.
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