Synopses & Reviews
Dear Baseball Fan:
I know what you're thinking: Couldn't he have come up with a better title? My mother agrees with you, but unfortunately Genius just doesn't have the same ring.
Let's get something straight right away. I may be an idiot, but I've tried to do more in this book than just revisit the Red Sox's Miracle Season. I want to give you a sense of what it's like to grow up with baseball dreams, to spend long years climbing the ladder, and then over the course of three years to see the building blocks of those dreams fall into place.
In this book, you'll be reading about the son of an Army staff sergeant a thrill-seeking Orlando kid who at age thirteen was gifted with a man's body, including rare speed and reflexes. It was some straight talk from my brother that kept me from abandoning that talent, which led to my eventually catching on with the Kansas City Royals and later the Oakland A's.
Starting in 2002 with the Red Sox, I got to see what can happen when a determined front office decides to roll the dice and acquire players who, like me, leave the thinking out of it who trust their instincts and play team baseball.
Forget what you've read about the posse of long-haired rebels who eventually made up the 2004 Red Sox. I'll give you the straight dope, including who's got the biggest mouth (hint: his first name is Kevin); what Pedro Martinez was doing all those times when you couldn't find him on the bench; what game David Ortiz should never play; and why I sometimes question Curt Schilling's sanity. Memo to Curt: the statue of you is being erected.
What's it like being responsible for the hopes of millions? In the fall of 2004 my teammates and I got to find out. What I've tried to do in these pages is bring you inside, show you the black humor that erupted when it seemed we could do nothing right, and the immense joy that followed when 25 guys took turns picking each other up, and by sheer force of will reached baseball's summit.
Red Sox Nation (both natives and new arrivals), this one's for you.
From Idiot by Johnny Damon...
- On what it takes to make the majors... "It's never about your talent. Everybody in the minor leagues has talent. If you're planning on building a career in baseball on just talent alone, you've got no chance. Most important, you need will. You've got to work harder than the next guy, and you have to want it more than the next guy. Guys who make it do so with their heart and mind."
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On Nomar... "It was virtually impossible for Nomar to go out in public. If he went, he needed a private room or he had to be shielded by the other players so the public wouldn't get to him. Nomar had to deal with his superstar status every day. If one fan wanted an autograph, there'd be a hundred behind him. Nomar spent much of his time in his room getting food delivered. It was the only way he could get to eat."
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On "The Curse"... "When you got down toward the end of the season, that's all you heard about...'Do you believe in the curse?' 'Is the curse overtaking the team?'...Since Dan Shaughnessy is the guy who invented this curse nonsense in the first place, I find it kind of odd that he keeps talking about it. He's a bright guy. I can't believe he actually believes it. I guess the Curse of the Bambino has a better ring to it than the Curse of Dan Shaughnessy."
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On getting support from the fans during the ALCS slump... "I went out into the field, expecting to hear it from the Fenway Fans. But we have some really great fans there in center field. 'Johnny, we're all right,' they said. 'Just get the job done next time.' 'Come on, let's go, John. The game's not over. Make something happen.'...I didn't hear one nasty comment...I was pumped. They were rooting us on."
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On valuing the game... "I think back to that day Damian Jackson and I collided in Oakland. Before that...I said I was going to retire if I won a World Series. But now, having had that experience and almost having the game taken away from me, when I think about it, I cry, because I don't ever want to leave this game. I know the day will come and I won't be ready. This game is so precious and meaningful to me."
Review
"An incredibly intelligent, self-aware glimpse inside an admirable career. The preseason pick for best baseball book of the season." and#8211;
Booklist (starred review) "A must-read." --
Boston Globe and#8220;Knuckler is a terrific book about one of baseball's most underrated pitchers, not to mention baseball's most misunderstood pitch. There are wonderful stories and anecdotes here, but it's also a portrait of a humble, caring man who has carved out a special niche for himself. If you love baseball (not just Red Sox baseball), Knuckler is for you. If you don't care a hang about baseball, but like stories about exceptionally talented people behaving decently, Knuckler is also for you. And if you're sick to death of sports stories about athletes behaving badly, Tim Wakefield's book is the perfect antidote.and#8221; and#8211;Stephen King
and#8220;To read Knuckler is to appreciate that there is no gimmick, no fluke, no chance to Tim Wakefield approaching 200 wins and 20 major league seasons. This book is about resiliency, diligence and the tunnel vision required to live by what appears to be the most fanciful pitch thrown by man." and#8211;Peter Gammons, MLB baseball analyst and member of the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame
"Tim Wakefieldand#8217;sand#160;Knuckler is a fastball right down the middle of the plate. It is an honest, straightforward and very enjoyable account of the national pastime.and#8221;and#160; and#8211;Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner of Baseball
"I have always admired Tim Wakefield, as he plays baseball with a great deal of integrity, the way the game should be played.and#160; Knuckler gives readers a rare glimpse at the man behind the baseball and his remarkable work on and off the field."and#160; and#8211;Carlton Fisk, Hall of Fame catcher "Competent and entertaining, Wakefield's book is one to savor, especially for the stat-obsessed baseball fan and the novice pitcher in search of a knuckleball to call his own." and#8211;Publishers Weekly
"Provides valuable insights on perseverance, professionalism, and the ability to forget the last pitch." and#8211;Library Journal
Synopsis
Red Sox star Johnny Damon offers his account of how BoSox management assembled its rebel-ballplayer menagerie, how the team vanquished the vaunted Yanks, and wrote its way into the sports history books. 8-page photo insert.
Synopsis
The incredible story of one of baseball's rarest and most resilient performers, and of the confounding pitch that would change his life and define his career.
Synopsis
At forty-four years old, Tim Wakefield is the longest-serving member of one of baseballand#8217;s most popular franchises. He is close to eclipsing the winning records of two of the greatest pitchers to have played the game, yet few realize the full measure of his success. That his career can be characterized by such words as
dependability and
consistency defies all odds because he has achieved this with baseballand#8217;s most mercurial weaponand#8212;the knuckleball.
Knuckler is the story of how a struggling position player bet his future on a fickle pitch that would define his career. The pitch may drive hitters crazy, but how does the pitcher stay sane? The moment Wakefield adopted the knuckleball, his career sought to answer that question. With the Red Sox, Wakefield began to master his pitch only to find himself on the mound in 2003 for one of the worst post-season losses in history, followed the next year by one of the most vindicating of championships. Even now, as Wakefield battles, we see the twists and turns of a major league career pushed to its ultimate extreme.
A remarkable story of one playerand#8217;s success despite being the exception to every rule, Knuckler is also a lively meditation on the dancing pitch, its history, its mystique, and all the ironies it brings to bear.
About the Author
Johnny Damon is beginning his eleventh year playing Major League baseball. A feared contact hitter and base stealer, Damon is only one of four players in baseball history to drive in more than 90 runs from the leadoff position. He lives with his wife, Michelle, in Central Florida and has a twin boy and girl.
Peter Golenbock has written numerous New York Times bestsellers, among them The Bronx Zoo with Sparky Lyle, #1 with Billy Martin, and Balls with Graig Nettles.