Throw Me a Curve

Yeah, I know the guy has a Padres uniform on, but whatta gonna do? It'd have been nice had he been able to wear an Indians one, but that's not the way the ball bounces - though it seems I've mixed my sports.

You might not know it to look at me, but I do enjoy baseball. Watching more than playing, but I've been known to get out the glove and ball and toss one around for a bit.

Paragraph two and I'm already a bit off-topic.

Dirk Hayhurst was a somewhat native boy (Canton - close enough) who wanted to be in the major leagues. I'd say - maybe he got there, maybe he didn't, but the attached image kind of gives that away.

Anyway, he has written a great book on one year in the minor leagues. Maybe a little more than a year, but you get the idea.

The Bullpen Gospels is a well written book that includes equal parts of reality, remembered/pseudo-reality, humor and struggles. It adds up to one convincing read of what it is like to try to live and achieve your dream.

Granted, I watch major league stuff and while some of the best player all start in the minors - and sometimes get sent back there - I have to say I had no idea what it was really like to live that life. I'm not a ballplayer and that's never been my dream, suffice to say - if it were, and I knew what the life was like, I'd come up with an alternate dream.

But Hayhurst has an easy writing style and he blends all of those aforementioned elements and touch-points not only into the book, but usually into each chapter. And yes, he has some very touching moments in it too. Yeah, I get caught in the sap now and again.

While his tales takes some of the glamour out of the game, it provides me one of those things I really like: to know how it is done - how something works. It's not quite as bad as say, seeing how sausages are made, but it gives you good insight.

He also rags on his 91 year old grandma - so it can't be all bad, right?

I suppose this is all true - if you like baseball. I don't think you have to be a fan to like the book, but it probably doesn't hurt.

It is certainly not a difficult read, but it's fun, funny and well done......you know, for something written by a pitcher.


Song by: the Go-Go's