Synopses & Reviews
Before the purpose-pitch that zips inches from the batter's head, before greenfly autograph-seekers stalk hotel lobbies, before thousands of fans stand up and boo in 50,000-seat stadiums, before the proverbial dog days of summer and the pressure-packed moments of October...there is sweet spring. The long hello. Baseball's early season.
The words spring training have long held special power over baseball fans. They signal the arrival of fresh air and sunshine after a long winter devoid of bare feet and box scores, and the chance to see the game up close and personal, in beautiful slow motion. No other sport partakes of this gradual, glorious unfolding. And no other book captures baseballs rite of passage in all its magic.
The beloved and best-selling baseball scribe Dan Shaughnessy and the Pulitzer Prizewinning photographer Stan Grossfeld have teamed up to take readers on a wild ride through spring trainings many attractions and peculiarities, covering Florida and Arizona, National and American League teams, players and fans, past and present. Glimpse retirees in Hawaiian shirts singing Take Me Out to the Ball Game, million-dollar players taking it easy on the field and in the bars, young rookies flashing their skills, grizzled vets going through the motions, wide-eyed children dressed head to toe in their favorite teams garb.
From Alligator Alley to Cactus Way, sit-ups to sunblock, home runs to hangovers, its all here lively text, a smorgasbord of images, reflections from the games greatest personalities, and a lasting tribute to Americas favorite pastime in its purest, most wonderful form.
Review
"Suspended between the grind of winter contract negotiations and the tension of summer pennant races, spring training is a brief respite when the pressure is off, the weather is fine, players are approachable and even Cubs fans can have hope. The magic of this liminal period is captured in this lavishly illustrated homage....Fans will enjoy this glimpse into the brief yearly interlude when baseball really is a game." Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Dan Shaughnessy is an award-winning columnist for the Boston Globe and the author of several sports books, including The Curse of the Bambino, a best-selling classic. Seven times Shaughnessy has been voted one of Americas top ten sports columnists by Associated Press Sports Editors and named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year. He has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Early Show, CNN, Nightline, NPR, Imus in the Morning, ESPN, HBO, and many others. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.