Baseball Like It Oughta Be

Tom Alesia, John Kovalic

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English

August Publications
06 May 2025

Sales & marketing; Baseball

When Steve Schmitt committed to summer-collegiate baseball in a city that failed to support pro or college baseball, few expected him to succeed. Here's the inside story of how the Madison Mallards became summer-collegiate baseball's top draw, changed the face of the sport and brought new life to a downtrodden neighborhood and ballpark.

Expected to fail in their inaugural 2001 season, the Madison Mallards soon became summer-collegiate baseball's most popular team. Since 2002, the Mallards have become the biggest box-office hit among hundreds of similar teams nationwide, drawing more than 4.3 million fans in team history. Baseball Like It Oughta Be is the phenomenal story of how owner Steve Schmitt, a rural Wisconsin shoe sales marvel, and his young, aggressive staff turned dust into gold. Celebrating their 25th year, the Mallards have an entertaining and hilarious history that combines marketing prowess, customer service and anything-goes promotions with stories ranging from Gary Coleman's outrageous appearance to slugger Pete Alonso's amazing season as a Mallard. Schmitt and team president Vern Stenman turned a downtrodden ballpark into a must-experience destination. The Mallards never went bananas on the field, churning out future pro players. Along the way, they've become one of America's most extraordinary sports teams.

The Mallards story follows an owner's obsession; the dreamland of a young marketing director, who quit an NHL front-office job; relentless customer service for their fans; fresh promotions annually; belief in what many viewed as a struggling neighborhood; and the embracement of America's least likely renowned ballpark.

By: Tom Alesia
Foreword by: John Kovalic
Imprint: August Publications
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm, Spine: 11mm
Weight: 249g
ISBN: 9781938532887
ISBN 10: 1938532880
Pages: 210
Publication Date: 06 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Tom Alesia, a Midwest newspaper feature writer, won the National Music Journalism Award. He wrote Beauty at Short, one of 2022's most popular baseball books, about Hall of Famer Dave Bancroft. John Kovalic is an internationally recognized and multi-award-winning cartoonist, game designer, and writer. He helped create the revolutionary party game, Apples to Apples, and is responsible for the look of the perennial best-selling Munchkin card game (he's drawn more than 7,000 cards for the game). John was inducted into the Games Manufacturers of America Hall of Fame in 2004.

Reviews for Baseball Like It Oughta Be

""An entertaining look at how to build an audience for a sports team when the result on the field is less important to many fans than the entertainment and atmosphere of it. Plenty of interesting characters! Pretty sure it's the only book to mention Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Gary Coleman and Pete Alonso. A fun read!"" - Sports Book Reviews ""Upon first visiting Madison in 2012, I sensed something extraordinary at the Duck Pond. While nothing lasts forever, the Mallards have now thrived for nearly 25 years and just continue to crush it, one summer after another. This book should be studied by every minor- and summer-league executive. The Mallards' success story is filled with resilience, creativity and community spirit."" - Casey Award winner Rob Neyer, author of Power Ball: Anatomy of a Modern Baseball Game ""What a hoot! I still have a Mallards' uniform hanging on my wall! (Team owner) Steve Schmitt loved to compete. Go Mallards!"" - Bill ""Spaceman"" Lee, renowned pitcher for 14 major league seasons ""Baseball Like it Oughta Be is an underdog story reminiscent of Moneyball, but with a model based on marketing and fun rather than math-driven analytics. Readers will enjoy Tom Alesia's lively narrative about how the Madison Mallards generated phenomenal levels of support by emphasizing community and the fan experience."" - Kent Krause, author of Sunny Jim Bottomley: A Biography of a Hall of Fame First Baseman and Wahoo Sam Crawford ""The Mallards are so much fun! Grab this book!"" - Seattle's Katie Quinn, The Sports Librarian ""Since the Mallards' launch in 2001, summer-collegiate baseball has blown up across the country. The Mallards' focus on fun and baseball created a template for others to emulate. Tom Alesia does a great job telling the entertaining story of the team!"" - Doug Melvin, Milwaukee Brewers senior advisor and former general manager ""I loved it - thoroughly enjoyed it!"" - Dennis Degenhardt, president, Society of American Baseball Research, Wisconsin chapter ""Sparkling, well-written, comprehensive tale of one of the great baseball success stories of the last 25 years ... just dang fun!"" - John Kovalic, writer/cartoonist and game designer (Apples to Apples, Munchkin) ""It is well overdue to put a spotlight on the Madison Mallards operation. There is no team in summer collegiate baseball that is close to them in attendance."" - Dick Radatz, Jr., chairman, Northwoods League