-
Bat Boy
- My True Life Adventures Coming of Age with the New York Yankees
- Narrated by: Matthew McGough
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Prime members: New to Audible?Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Bat Boy
Buy for $12.38
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Yankee Years
- By: Joe Torre, Tom Verducci
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 379
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 232
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 233
A dramatic and revelatory account of Joe Torre’s 12 years as manager of the New York Yankees. Joe Torre is the most successful - and most respected - baseball manager of the modern era, steering the Yankees to six American League pennants and four World Series championships. When he left the team in 2007, it was front-page news around the country. Famously diplomatic during his tenure with the Yankees, Torre finally speaks out about what it was like building and managing the dynasty during those 12 glorious and tumultuous years.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great listen
- By Lynn on 02-12-09
By: Joe Torre, and others
-
The Closer
- By: Mariano Rivera, Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Michael Kay
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 277
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 247
Mariano Rivera, the man who intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, he had never flown in an airplane, had never heard of Babe Ruth, spoke no English, and couldn't imagine Tampa, the city where he was headed to begin a career that would become one of baseball's most iconic.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome memoir, I only wish it was longer
- By Brock on 05-08-14
By: Mariano Rivera, and others
-
The Life We Bury
- By: Allen Eskens
- Narrated by: Zach Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 64,466
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58,871
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58,713
College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran-and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good listen!
- By Lori K. on 12-14-15
By: Allen Eskens
-
Why We Love Baseball
- A History in 50 Moments
- By: Joe Posnanski
- Narrated by: Joe Posnanski, Ellen Adair
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 100
Posnanski writes of major moments that created legends, and of forgotten moments almost lost to time. It's Willie Mays’s catch, Babe Ruth’s called shot, and Kirk Gibson’s limping home run; the slickest steals; the biggest bombs; and the most triumphant no-hitters. But these are also moments raw with the humanity of the game, the unheralded heroes, the mesmerizing mistakes drenched in pine tar, and every story, from the immortal to the obscure, is told from a unique perspective.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
wonderful story, mediocre narration
- By D. Bhansali on 03-21-24
By: Joe Posnanski
-
In Scoring Position
- 40 Years of a Baseball Love Affair
- By: Bob Ryan, Bill Chuck
- Narrated by: Pat Grimes, Chris Lutkin, Pete Cross
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3
Bob Ryan has scored every baseball game he's attended, at every level, since the start of the 1977 season. It's a deeply personal tradition still going strong at more than 1,400 games and counting. The tattered scorebooks he's filled are worn from age, travel, and countless summer days, but their grids and scrawled symbols tell the stories of milestones, rivalries, rare historic achievements, and more. In Scoring Position captures the incomparable spirit of baseball, with its infinite possibilities and madcap anomalies.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable for baseball fans
- By Mark Davidson on 08-27-22
By: Bob Ryan, and others
-
Calico Joe
- By: John Grisham
- Narrated by: Erik Singer
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,935
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,707
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,698
It’s the summer of 1973, and Joe Castle is the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone has ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzles Chicago Cubs fans as he hits home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shatters all rookie records.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
IN ORDER TO BE FAIR
- By Roger on 04-13-12
By: John Grisham
-
The Yankee Years
- By: Joe Torre, Tom Verducci
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 379
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 232
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 233
A dramatic and revelatory account of Joe Torre’s 12 years as manager of the New York Yankees. Joe Torre is the most successful - and most respected - baseball manager of the modern era, steering the Yankees to six American League pennants and four World Series championships. When he left the team in 2007, it was front-page news around the country. Famously diplomatic during his tenure with the Yankees, Torre finally speaks out about what it was like building and managing the dynasty during those 12 glorious and tumultuous years.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great listen
- By Lynn on 02-12-09
By: Joe Torre, and others
-
The Closer
- By: Mariano Rivera, Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Michael Kay
- Length: 7 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 277
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 247
Mariano Rivera, the man who intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, he had never flown in an airplane, had never heard of Babe Ruth, spoke no English, and couldn't imagine Tampa, the city where he was headed to begin a career that would become one of baseball's most iconic.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Awesome memoir, I only wish it was longer
- By Brock on 05-08-14
By: Mariano Rivera, and others
-
The Life We Bury
- By: Allen Eskens
- Narrated by: Zach Villa
- Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 64,466
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58,871
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58,713
College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran-and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good listen!
- By Lori K. on 12-14-15
By: Allen Eskens
-
Why We Love Baseball
- A History in 50 Moments
- By: Joe Posnanski
- Narrated by: Joe Posnanski, Ellen Adair
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 110
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 100
Posnanski writes of major moments that created legends, and of forgotten moments almost lost to time. It's Willie Mays’s catch, Babe Ruth’s called shot, and Kirk Gibson’s limping home run; the slickest steals; the biggest bombs; and the most triumphant no-hitters. But these are also moments raw with the humanity of the game, the unheralded heroes, the mesmerizing mistakes drenched in pine tar, and every story, from the immortal to the obscure, is told from a unique perspective.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
wonderful story, mediocre narration
- By D. Bhansali on 03-21-24
By: Joe Posnanski
-
In Scoring Position
- 40 Years of a Baseball Love Affair
- By: Bob Ryan, Bill Chuck
- Narrated by: Pat Grimes, Chris Lutkin, Pete Cross
- Length: 11 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3
Bob Ryan has scored every baseball game he's attended, at every level, since the start of the 1977 season. It's a deeply personal tradition still going strong at more than 1,400 games and counting. The tattered scorebooks he's filled are worn from age, travel, and countless summer days, but their grids and scrawled symbols tell the stories of milestones, rivalries, rare historic achievements, and more. In Scoring Position captures the incomparable spirit of baseball, with its infinite possibilities and madcap anomalies.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Enjoyable for baseball fans
- By Mark Davidson on 08-27-22
By: Bob Ryan, and others
-
Calico Joe
- By: John Grisham
- Narrated by: Erik Singer
- Length: 4 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,935
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,707
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,698
It’s the summer of 1973, and Joe Castle is the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone has ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas, dazzles Chicago Cubs fans as he hits home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shatters all rookie records.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
IN ORDER TO BE FAIR
- By Roger on 04-13-12
By: John Grisham
-
Imperfect
- An Improbable Life
- By: Jim Abbott, Tim Brown
- Narrated by: Jim Abbott
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 84
In Imperfect, Jim Abbot retraces his remarkable journey. Born without a right hand, Jim Abbott as a boy dreamed of being a great athlete. Raised in Flint, Michigan, by parents who saw in his condition not a disability but an extraordinary opportunity, Jim became a two-sport standout in high school, then an ace pitcher for the University of Michigan. But his journey was only beginning. By 21, he’d won the gold medal game at the 1988 Olympics and cracked the starting rotation of the California Angels....
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A Must for Parents of Kids with All Abilities
- By Jonathan Love on 03-15-17
By: Jim Abbott, and others
-
The Oldest Rookie
- Big-League Dreams from a Small-Town Guy
- By: Jim Morris, Joel Engel
- Narrated by: Kevin O'Rourke
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 44
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 26
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 26
As a kid, Jim Morris dreamed of pitching in the major leagues. As an adult, his baseball career was restricted to coaching and inspiring players to dream big. Until his players made a proposition: if they won the league championship, he'd try out for the majors. You must hear this story to believe what happened when they actually won.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great listen.
- By Daniel on 01-06-21
By: Jim Morris, and others
-
Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story
- A Blind Broadcaster's Story of Overcoming Life's Greatest Obstacles
- By: Ed Lucas, Christopher Lucas, Ed Lucas - introduction
- Narrated by: Christopher Lucas
- Length: 7 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 32
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 29
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 28
Soon to be a major motion picture, Seeing Home: The Ed Lucas Story is the incredible true tale of a beloved Emmy-winning blind broadcaster who refused to let his disability prevent him from overcoming many challenging obstacles and achieving his dreams.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding motivational book!
- By D. Whatley on 03-16-20
By: Ed Lucas, and others
-
One Shot at Forever
- A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season
- By: Chris Ballard
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
In 1971, a small-town high school baseball team from rural Illinois playing with hand-me-down uniforms and peace signs on their hats defied convention and the odds. Led by an English teacher with no coaching experience, the Macon Ironmen emerged from a field of 370 teams to become the smallest school in Illinois history to make the state final, a distinction that still stands. There, sporting long hair, and warming up to "Jesus Christ Superstar", the Ironmen would play a dramatic game that would change their lives forever.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding.
- By Cartman18 on 08-02-13
By: Chris Ballard
-
Molina
- The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty
- By: Bengie Molina, Joan Ryan
- Narrated by: Henry Leyva
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 85
A baseball rules book. A tape measure. A lottery ticket. These were in the pocket of Bengie Molina's father when he died of a heart attack on the rutted Little League field in his Puerto Rican barrio. The items serve as thematic guideposts in Molina's beautiful memoir about his father, who, through baseball, taught his three sons about loyalty, humility, courage, and the true meaning of success.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A book about life
- By P. Griswold on 06-11-15
By: Bengie Molina, and others
-
The Chicken Runs at Midnight
- A Daughter’s Message from Heaven That Changed a Father’s Heart and Won a World Series
- By: Tom Friend, Tim Kurkjian - foreword
- Narrated by: Ben Holland - foreword, Mark Schlicher
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 147
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 129
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 129
Weaving baseball history with personal memoir, this book is one that will make you thrill to victory, believe in hope, stand up to cheer for what is good in peoples' lives. It's a powerful story of redemption and faith that reminds us that God can work in our lives even when we think it's too late to change - and sometimes he sends us signs from heaven if we only have eyes to see.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
not really a sport's fan
- By virginia loranger on 09-24-20
By: Tom Friend, and others
-
I'm Keith Hernandez
- A Memoir
- By: Keith Hernandez
- Narrated by: Keith Hernandez
- Length: 9 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 277
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 255
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 254
Keith Hernandez revolutionized the role of first baseman. During his illustrious career with the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets, he was a perennial fan favorite, earning eleven consecutive Gold Gloves, a National League co-MVP Award, and a batting title. But it was his unique blend of intelligence, humor, and talent - not to mention his unflappable leadership, playful antics, and competitive temperament - that transcended the sport and propelled him to a level of renown that few other athletes have achieved.
-
1 out of 5 stars
-
True Colors Shine Through
- By BK on 10-06-21
By: Keith Hernandez
-
Bottom of the 33rd
- Hope and Redemption in Baseball's Longest Game
- By: Dan Barry
- Narrated by: Dan Barry
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 151
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 133
On April 18, 1981, a ball game sprang eternal. What began as a modestly attended minor-league game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings became not only the longest ever played in baseball history, but something else entirely. The first pitch was thrown after dusk on Holy Saturday, and for the next eight hours the night seemed to suspend its participants between their collective pasts and futures, between their collective sorrows and joys....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I love baseball
- By Sher from Provo on 04-08-13
By: Dan Barry
-
The Last Best League, 10th Anniversary Edition
- One Summer, One Season, One Dream
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
Every summer, in ten small towns across Cape Cod, the finest college baseball players in the country gather in hopes of making it to "The Show." The hopes are justifiably high: The Cape Cod Baseball League is the best amateur league in the world, producing one out of every six major league players. Over the last decade, baseball's hard truths became evident for the Chatham stars who went on to play professionally, and the final chapter of their story can now be written.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Jim Collins: Great American Storyteller
- By M. Leavell on 07-01-14
By: Jim Collins
-
The Phenomenon
- Pressure, the Yips, and the Pitch That Changed My Life
- By: Rick Ankiel
- Narrated by: Rick Ankiel
- Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 571
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 523
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 523
Rick Ankiel had the talent to be one of the best pitchers ever. Then, one day, he lost it. The Phenomenon is the story of how St. Louis Cardinals prodigy Rick Ankiel lost his once-in-a-generation ability to pitch - not due to an injury or a bolt of lightning, but a mysterious anxiety condition widely known as "the Yips". It came without warning, in the middle of a playoff game, with millions of people watching. And it has never gone away.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great baseball memoir
- By LSmith on 07-14-17
By: Rick Ankiel
-
Great Baseball Writing
- By: Editors of Sports Illustrated
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 27 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 65
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 58
When Sports Illustrated was launched in 1954, baseball was, indisputable, the national pastime, its stars America's epic heroes, its rivalries the era's mythology. As baseballs fortunes rose and fell over the next 50 years - and then rose again to new heights, drawing more than 65 million fans to ballparks in 2004 - the game never failed to produce great drama and inspired storytelling.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
mispronunciations lowered my overall rating
- By John J. Elert on 04-16-18
-
Joe DiMaggio
- The Hero's Life
- By: Richard Ben Cramer
- Narrated by: Richard Ben Cramer
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 80
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 57
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 57
In this groundbreaking biography, Richard Ben Cramer presents a stunning, often shocking portrait of the hero nobody knew. It is a story that sweeps through the 20th century, bringing light to America's national game, movie stars, mobsters, as well as the birth - and the price - of national celebrity.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Joe DiMaggio
- By Patrick on 08-22-03
Publisher's summary
Sixteen-year-old Matthew McGough was a fairly typical teenager, obsessed with getting through high school, girls, and baseball, not necessarily in that order. His passion for the New York Yankees was absolute, complete with a poster of his hero, Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly, hanging on his bedroom wall. Despite having no connections whatsoever with the ballclub, Matt dreamed of sitting in the dugout with the fabled Bronx Bombers. So, in the Fall of 1991, he wrote a letter in his very best penmanship to the New York Yankees asking for a position as a bat boy. Miraculously, he got the job, and on April 7, 1992, Matt walked into the madness of the Yankee clubhouse on Opening Day.
And there was Don Mattingly, Donnie Baseball himself, asking him to run an errand, an errand which soon induced panic in the rookie bat boy. Thus began two years of adventures and misadventures—from the perils of chewing tobacco while playing catch with the centerfielder, to being set up on a date by the bullpen, to studying for a history exam at 3:00 a.m. at Yankee Stadium, to his own folly as Matt gradually forgets he’s not a baseball star, he’s a high school student.
Bat Boy captures the lure and beauty of the American pastime, but much more it is a tale of what happens to a young man when his fondest dream comes true. Matthew McGough wonderfully evokes that twilight time just before adulthood, ripe with possibility, foolishness, and hard-won knowledge.
Critic reviews
“Wonderful. . . . It should eventually find its way to that very short shelf of enduring sports nonfiction, perhaps somewhere between Ball Four and Friday Night Lights.” —Leigh Montville, author of Ted Williams and The Big Bam
“[McGough] writes fondly and opens a window that baseball fans rarely see.”—The Tampa Tribune
“McGough provides humorous, often poignant, observations about Bronx Bombers legends.” —USA Today
More from the same
Author
Narrator
Related to this topic
-
One Shot at Forever
- A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season
- By: Chris Ballard
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
In 1971, a small-town high school baseball team from rural Illinois playing with hand-me-down uniforms and peace signs on their hats defied convention and the odds. Led by an English teacher with no coaching experience, the Macon Ironmen emerged from a field of 370 teams to become the smallest school in Illinois history to make the state final, a distinction that still stands. There, sporting long hair, and warming up to "Jesus Christ Superstar", the Ironmen would play a dramatic game that would change their lives forever.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding.
- By Cartman18 on 08-02-13
By: Chris Ballard
-
Molina
- The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty
- By: Bengie Molina, Joan Ryan
- Narrated by: Henry Leyva
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 85
A baseball rules book. A tape measure. A lottery ticket. These were in the pocket of Bengie Molina's father when he died of a heart attack on the rutted Little League field in his Puerto Rican barrio. The items serve as thematic guideposts in Molina's beautiful memoir about his father, who, through baseball, taught his three sons about loyalty, humility, courage, and the true meaning of success.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A book about life
- By P. Griswold on 06-11-15
By: Bengie Molina, and others
-
The Chicken Runs at Midnight
- A Daughter’s Message from Heaven That Changed a Father’s Heart and Won a World Series
- By: Tom Friend, Tim Kurkjian - foreword
- Narrated by: Ben Holland - foreword, Mark Schlicher
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 147
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 129
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 129
Weaving baseball history with personal memoir, this book is one that will make you thrill to victory, believe in hope, stand up to cheer for what is good in peoples' lives. It's a powerful story of redemption and faith that reminds us that God can work in our lives even when we think it's too late to change - and sometimes he sends us signs from heaven if we only have eyes to see.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
not really a sport's fan
- By virginia loranger on 09-24-20
By: Tom Friend, and others
-
Pete Rose
- An American Dilemma
- By: Kostya Kennedy
- Narrated by: Ben Bartolone
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 134
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 122
Pete Rose played baseball with a singular and headfirst abandon that endeared him to fans and peers, even as it riled others--a figure at once magnetic, beloved and polarizing. Rose has more base hits than anyone in history, yet he is not in the Hall of Fame. Twenty-five years ago he was banished from baseball for gambling, then ruled ineligible for Cooperstown; today, the question "Does Pete Rose belong in the Hall of Fame?" has evolved into perhaps the most provocative in sports, a layered, slippery and ever-relevant moral conundrum.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good book, not so good production.
- By david d. on 05-01-14
By: Kostya Kennedy
-
Bottom of the 33rd
- Hope and Redemption in Baseball's Longest Game
- By: Dan Barry
- Narrated by: Dan Barry
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 151
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 133
On April 18, 1981, a ball game sprang eternal. What began as a modestly attended minor-league game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings became not only the longest ever played in baseball history, but something else entirely. The first pitch was thrown after dusk on Holy Saturday, and for the next eight hours the night seemed to suspend its participants between their collective pasts and futures, between their collective sorrows and joys....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I love baseball
- By Sher from Provo on 04-08-13
By: Dan Barry
-
The Last Best League, 10th Anniversary Edition
- One Summer, One Season, One Dream
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
Every summer, in ten small towns across Cape Cod, the finest college baseball players in the country gather in hopes of making it to "The Show." The hopes are justifiably high: The Cape Cod Baseball League is the best amateur league in the world, producing one out of every six major league players. Over the last decade, baseball's hard truths became evident for the Chatham stars who went on to play professionally, and the final chapter of their story can now be written.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Jim Collins: Great American Storyteller
- By M. Leavell on 07-01-14
By: Jim Collins
-
One Shot at Forever
- A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season
- By: Chris Ballard
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 116
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 109
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 107
In 1971, a small-town high school baseball team from rural Illinois playing with hand-me-down uniforms and peace signs on their hats defied convention and the odds. Led by an English teacher with no coaching experience, the Macon Ironmen emerged from a field of 370 teams to become the smallest school in Illinois history to make the state final, a distinction that still stands. There, sporting long hair, and warming up to "Jesus Christ Superstar", the Ironmen would play a dramatic game that would change their lives forever.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Outstanding.
- By Cartman18 on 08-02-13
By: Chris Ballard
-
Molina
- The Story of the Father Who Raised an Unlikely Baseball Dynasty
- By: Bengie Molina, Joan Ryan
- Narrated by: Henry Leyva
- Length: 8 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 90
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 84
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 85
A baseball rules book. A tape measure. A lottery ticket. These were in the pocket of Bengie Molina's father when he died of a heart attack on the rutted Little League field in his Puerto Rican barrio. The items serve as thematic guideposts in Molina's beautiful memoir about his father, who, through baseball, taught his three sons about loyalty, humility, courage, and the true meaning of success.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A book about life
- By P. Griswold on 06-11-15
By: Bengie Molina, and others
-
The Chicken Runs at Midnight
- A Daughter’s Message from Heaven That Changed a Father’s Heart and Won a World Series
- By: Tom Friend, Tim Kurkjian - foreword
- Narrated by: Ben Holland - foreword, Mark Schlicher
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 147
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 129
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 129
Weaving baseball history with personal memoir, this book is one that will make you thrill to victory, believe in hope, stand up to cheer for what is good in peoples' lives. It's a powerful story of redemption and faith that reminds us that God can work in our lives even when we think it's too late to change - and sometimes he sends us signs from heaven if we only have eyes to see.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
not really a sport's fan
- By virginia loranger on 09-24-20
By: Tom Friend, and others
-
Pete Rose
- An American Dilemma
- By: Kostya Kennedy
- Narrated by: Ben Bartolone
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 134
-
Performance3.5 out of 5 stars 120
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 122
Pete Rose played baseball with a singular and headfirst abandon that endeared him to fans and peers, even as it riled others--a figure at once magnetic, beloved and polarizing. Rose has more base hits than anyone in history, yet he is not in the Hall of Fame. Twenty-five years ago he was banished from baseball for gambling, then ruled ineligible for Cooperstown; today, the question "Does Pete Rose belong in the Hall of Fame?" has evolved into perhaps the most provocative in sports, a layered, slippery and ever-relevant moral conundrum.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Good book, not so good production.
- By david d. on 05-01-14
By: Kostya Kennedy
-
Bottom of the 33rd
- Hope and Redemption in Baseball's Longest Game
- By: Dan Barry
- Narrated by: Dan Barry
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 151
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 131
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 133
On April 18, 1981, a ball game sprang eternal. What began as a modestly attended minor-league game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester Red Wings became not only the longest ever played in baseball history, but something else entirely. The first pitch was thrown after dusk on Holy Saturday, and for the next eight hours the night seemed to suspend its participants between their collective pasts and futures, between their collective sorrows and joys....
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
I love baseball
- By Sher from Provo on 04-08-13
By: Dan Barry
-
The Last Best League, 10th Anniversary Edition
- One Summer, One Season, One Dream
- By: Jim Collins
- Narrated by: Jim Collins
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 59
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
Every summer, in ten small towns across Cape Cod, the finest college baseball players in the country gather in hopes of making it to "The Show." The hopes are justifiably high: The Cape Cod Baseball League is the best amateur league in the world, producing one out of every six major league players. Over the last decade, baseball's hard truths became evident for the Chatham stars who went on to play professionally, and the final chapter of their story can now be written.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Jim Collins: Great American Storyteller
- By M. Leavell on 07-01-14
By: Jim Collins
-
The Last Boy
- Mickey Mantle and the End of America's Childhood
- By: Jane Leavy
- Narrated by: Jane Leavy, John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 17 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 304
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 249
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 251
Drawing on more than 500 interviews with friends and family, teammates, and opponents, she delivers the definitive account of Mantle's life, mining the mythology of The Mick for the true story of a luminous and illustrious talent with an achingly damaged soul.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
The Man Behind the Myth
- By Ray on 11-12-10
By: Jane Leavy
-
The Last Folk Hero
- The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson
- By: Jeff Pearlman
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 22 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 374
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 337
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 337
From the mid-1980s into the early 1990s, the greatest athlete of all time streaked across American sports and popular culture. Stadiums struggled to contain him. Clocks failed to capture his speed. His strength was legendary. His power unmatched. Video game makers turned him into an invincible character—and they were dead-on. He climbed (and walked across) walls, splintered baseball bats over his knee, turned oncoming tacklers into ground meat.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
If you are a sports fan and over 35 years old, you have to listen/read this. Awesome!
- By betty sammons on 06-29-23
By: Jeff Pearlman
-
The Boys of Summer
- The Classic Narrative of Growing Up Within Shouting Distance of Ebbets Field, Covering the Jackie Robinson Dodgers, and What's Happened to Everybody Since
- By: Roger Kahn
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 365
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 307
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 306
This is a story about young men who learned to play baseball during the 1930s and 1940s, and then went on to play for one of the most exciting major-league ball clubs ever fielded, the team that broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. It is a story by and about a sportswriter who grew up near Ebbets Field, and who had the good fortune in the 1950s to cover the Dodgers for the Herald Tribune. This is the story about what happened to the team when their glory days were behind them.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Classic book!
- By Christopher Arthur on 11-19-17
By: Roger Kahn
-
Pull Up a Chair
- The Vin Scully Story
- By: Curt Smith
- Narrated by: Don Leslie
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 89
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 89
Since 1950, the instantly recognizable voice of Vin Scully has invited listeners to “pull up a chair” for his peerless play-by-play sports reporting. Recruited and mentored by the legendary Red Barber, Scully has narrated NBC’s Game of the Week, twelve All-Star Games, eighteen no-hitters, and twenty-five World Series, describing players from Duke Snider to Orel Hershiser to Manny Ramirez, with hundreds in between.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Almost perfect
- By steve finkelstein on 02-06-21
By: Curt Smith
-
The Great Nowitzki
- Basketball and the Meaning of Life
- By: Thomas Pletzinger, Shane Anderson - translator
- Narrated by: Charles Constant
- Length: 13 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 31
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 27
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
The seven-foot Dirk Nowitzki is one of the great players in basketball history. With a devastating fadeaway and unexpected agility, the Dallas Mavericks superstar helped to pioneer the modern three-shooting game and became a global ambassador for the sport. Award-winning novelist and sportswriter Thomas Pletzinger traveled with Nowitzki for more than seven years, seeking the secret of his success and longevity. In novelistic detail, Pletzinger tells the dramatic story of how a lanky kid from the German suburbs became a top-five all-time scorer and NBA champion.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Swish
- By Raquel on 04-20-23
By: Thomas Pletzinger, and others
-
108 Stitches
- Loose Threads, Ripping Yarns, and the Darndest Characters from My Time in the Game
- By: Ron Darling, Daniel Paisner - contributor
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 7 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 108
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 95
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 94
This is New York Times bestselling author and Emmy-nominated broadcaster Ron Darling's 108 baseball anecdotes that connect America’s game to the men who played it. Darling has played with or reported on just about everybody who has put on a uniform since 1983, and they in turn have played with or reported on just about everybody who put on a uniform in a previous generation. Like the 108 stitches on a baseball, Darling's experiences are interwoven with every athlete who has ever played, every coach or manager, and every fan.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
Meh
- By Amazon Customer on 04-13-19
By: Ron Darling, and others
-
Wherever I Wind Up
- My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball
- By: R. A. Dickey, Wayne Coffey
- Narrated by: Ben Hunter
- Length: 9 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 140
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 128
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 130
> The Glass Castle meets Ball Four as Mets knuckleballer R. A. Dickey weaves searing honesty and baseball insight in this memoir about his unlikely journey to the big leagues. An English Lit major at the University of Tennessee, Dickey is as articulate and thoughtful as any professional athlete in any sport - and proves it page after page, as he provides fresh and honest insight into baseball and a career unlike any other.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
Marred (for me) by unfortunate performance issues
- By Anthony on 03-28-13
By: R. A. Dickey, and others
-
Dr. J Unabridged
- The Autobiography
- By: Julius Erving, Karl Taro Greenfeld
- Narrated by: Julius Erving
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 129
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 118
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 118
With his flights of improvisation around the basket and his towering afro, Julius Erving became one of the most charismatic (and revolutionary) players basketball has ever known. But while the public has long revered this cultural icon, few have ever known of the double life of Julius Erving. Dr. J traces the inner lives of the nearly perfect player and the imperfect man - and how he has come to terms with both.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I may overrate it, but I’m a hoops junkie!
- By @JWTheBlueprint on 01-29-14
By: Julius Erving, and others
-
Long Shot
- By: Mike Piazza, Lonnie Wheeler
- Narrated by: Holter Graham, Mike Piazza
- Length: 15 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 156
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 140
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 139
Mike Piazza was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 baseball draft as a "courtesy pick". The Dodgers never expected him to play for them - or anyone else. Mike had other ideas. Overcoming his detractors, he became the National League Rookie of the Year in 1993, broke the record for season batting average by a catcher, holds the record for career home runs at his position, and was selected as an All Star 12 times. Mike was groomed for baseball success by his ambitious, self-made father in Pennsylvania, a classic father-son American-dream story.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I only thought i knew the Mike Piazza story
- By James on 03-24-13
By: Mike Piazza, and others
-
Babe
- The Legend Comes to Life
- By: Robert W. Creamer
- Narrated by: Tom Parker
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 323
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 264
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 265
He was the biggest man baseball has ever produced. Babe Ruth transcended the sport that brought him fame, money, and adulation, moving beyond the limits of baselines and outfield fences into the mainstream of American life. In this extraordinary biography, Creamer uncovers the complex and captivating man behind the legend.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The definitive biography of Babe Ruth
- By DKT on 05-30-16
-
The Big Bam
- The Life and Times of Babe Ruth
- By: Leigh Montville
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 219
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 170
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 170
Babe Ruth was more than baseball's original superstar. For 85 years, he has remained the sport's reigning titan. He has been named Athlete of the Century...more than once. But who was this large, loud, enigmatic man? In The Big Bam, Leigh Montville brings his trademark touch to this groundbreaking, revelatory portrait of the Babe.
-
2 out of 5 stars
-
The Big Bam
- By Alan on 06-13-06
By: Leigh Montville
-
The Fireballer
- A Novel
- By: Mark Stevens
- Narrated by: Shea Taylor
- Length: 13 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 102
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 91
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 90
Frank Ryder is unstoppable on the baseball field—his pitches arrive faster than a batter can swing, giving his opponents no chance. He’s being heralded as a game-changing pitcher. But within the maelstrom of press, adulation, and wild speculation, Frank is a man alone. Haunted by a tragic incident from years past, he yearns to be the best but cannot reconcile the guilt he carries with the man everyone believes him to be.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Just Wonderful
- By Mars on 01-05-23
By: Mark Stevens