Synopses & Reviews
For twenty-one major league seasons, Durwood Merrill has been one of the most colorful characters in baseball. Part John Wayne, part Will Rogers, part Elmer Gantry, this performer has made baseball his stage since he broke into the major leagues in 1976. Like on Luciano in his best-seller,
The Umpire Strikes Back, Durwood will share more than two decades of laugh-out loud anecdotes, controversial opinions, and sage advice. He'll make calls on:
Managers: From Lou Pinella to Earl Weaver to Joe Torre, Durwood related tales of his often explosive relationships with top managers of yesterday and today, and the vicious and often hilarious barbs they trade during on-field tirades.
The Setting Behind the Diamond: Durwood opens the door on baseball's most private places, from the clubhouse to the umpire's room to conferences at the mound and the banter at the plate.
America's Pastime: Durwood offers up his sage advice and controversial opinion on how to get fans back to the ballpark--including how to speed up the games--and insight into the current labor issues.
The Players: From Reggie Jackson to Ken Griffey Jr., Durwood rates all the top players he's seen in his career.
But You're Out and You're Ugly, Too! is also the warm and wholesome story of a man who loved baseball and decided to give up his job as principal of a small Texas high school and follow his dream of becoming a major league umpire. Durwood shares all of his experiences as he journeys through umpire school, the minor leagues, Puerto Rico, and into the majors.
No one has been closer to American League players and managers than Durwood Merrill. He has a keen sense of what makes baseball work, and no one can lay claim to a better perspective on America's pastime--and the politics that control it. Durwood has witnessed most of the key moments in modern baseball history--from players' strikes to free agency to wild pennant races--and he's going to share all of his thoughts on these issues and more.
So take your seat behind home plate and watch as baseball's most outrageous umpire rips the cover off the ball.
Review
"By nature, umpires aren't a particularly lovable breed, but it'll be hard to dislike Merrill after reading this funny and candid memoir of his career."--
USA Today Baseball Weekly"He's the greatest storyteller in baseball. And his stories are often metaphors for life's experiences and lessons. He's a wonderful, sensitive person, but he's also a hell of an umpire and performer. The man has a great lust for life. He's an entertainer and a real hot dog. And when I say hot dog, I mean it as a term of endearment."-- Former Umpire Steve Palermo
"Durwood, a lot of people say, is the funniest umpire in all of baseball. I happen to think he's the funniest man in baseball. Just watch him on the field sometime and your sides will hurt from laughing so much. He puts a kid's perspective back in the game, and that's what baseball needs."-- George Brett, former All Star
Synopsis
He calls it as he sees it...
Big, loud, and beyond intimidation, Durwood Merrill is one of the most colorful characters in baseball. The man Reggie Jackson calls "The Reggie Jackson of umpires" has brought a new level of showmanship and excitement to the ballpark and has attracted his own legions of fans. In You're Out And You're Ugly Too!, Merrill gives fans an in-your-face dose of hilarious anecdotes, hard-hitting opinions, and gushing admiration for America's favorite pastime. Find out the real deal on:
* The Managers: From Anderson to Piniella to Weaver, Durwood reveals his explosive relationships with baseballs's most notorious managers
* The Players: No one knows Reggie, Junior, or Cal the way Durwood does-- read his dead-on observations of baseball's most talented players
* The Big Picture: Get behind the diamond with Durwood to discover what goes on in the clubhouse, in the umpire's room, on the mound, at the plate, and beyond
No corner of modern baseball is "safe" from Durwood Merrill's razor-sharp wit, and no fan can afford to miss his fascinating and revealing play-by-play.
About the Author
Durwood Merrill has been an American League umpire for the last twenty-one years. He lives with his wife in Hooks, Texas.
Jim Dent is the author of King of the Cowboys, which was named one of the top four sports books of 1995 by Sports Illustrated. He has been an award-winning journalist for the Dallas Times Herald and the Fort Worth Star Telegram in Texas, where he lives.