The Arm

Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Thing in Sports

By: Jeff Passan

Narrated by: Kevin Pierce

Length: 12 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Yahoo's lead baseball columnist offers an in-depth look at the most valuable commodity in sports - the pitching arm - and how its vulnerability to injury is hurting players and the game, from Little League to the majors.

Every year, Major League Baseball spends more than $1.5 billion on pitchers - five times more than the salary of every NFL quarterback combined. Pitchers are the game's lifeblood. Their import is exceeded only by their fragility. One tiny band of tissue in the elbow, the ulnar collateral ligament, is snapping at unprecedented rates, leaving current big league players vulnerable and the coming generation of baseball-playing children dreading the three scariest words in the sport: Tommy John surgery.

Jeff Passan traveled the world for three years to explore in depth the past, present, and future of the arm and how its evolution left baseball struggling to wrangle its Tommy John surgery epidemic. He examined what compelled the Chicago Cubs to spend $155 million on one arm. He snagged a rare interview with Sandy Koufax, whose career was cut short by injury at 30, and visited Japan to understand how another baseball-mad country treats its prized arms. And he followed two major league pitchers, Daniel Hudson and Todd Coffey, throughout their returns from Tommy John surgery. He exposes how the baseball establishment long ignored the rise in arm injuries and reveals how misplaced incentives across the sport stifle potential changes.

Injuries to the UCL start as early as Little League. Without a drastic cultural shift, baseball will continue to lose hundreds of millions of dollars annually to damaged pitchers, and another generation of children will suffer the same problems that vex current players. Informative and hard hitting, The Arm is essential listening for all who love the game, want to keep their children healthy, or relish a look into how a large, complex institution can fail so spectacularly.

"The Arm should be required reading for youth baseball coaches and parents with a child who appears to have a gift to throw a baseball. It also should be on the list for fans who want to understand why some of most expensive athletes in sports, pitchers, are such a fragile commodity." (Chicago Tribune)

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"By so thoroughly presenting a serious study of the arm — or more precisely, the elbow — Passan has written an important book. For arms, if there is Tommy John surgery, maybe we now also have Jeff Passan education." (Washington Post)

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"Sportswriter Passan delivers one of the more important books on baseball of the decade, a superbly researched and detailed look at the current "epidemic" of arm injuries in the sport." (Publisher's Weekly)

©2016 Jeff Passan (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Baseball's Version of, 'Born to Run'

Wow, what an eye opening book. It seems like we just keep fighting nature and evolution. Luckily we have intelligent and passionate researchers who actually ask the question, "Why" instead of being content with the status quo. As mentioned in the headline, Christopher McDougall's, 'Born to Run' and Passan's, 'The Arm' have much in common; albeit different parts of the body, writing style and thesis.

Where McDougall identifies a complex problem, provides historical background, collects empirical and anecdotal data, as well as provides logical solutions to counter the initial problem set, Passan captures the problem and anecdotal information, but doesn't really present a solution. Essentially he is just stating that there is a really big problem, and nobody really knows what the solution is and unfortunately, it seems, nobody really cares. He does identify the challenges with overcoming this, but one is left feeling empty with this complex problem. It seems that Major League Baseball is in its infancy in just acknowledging the problem, but for such a profit oriented organization to simply accept Tommy John surgery as the rule rather than the exception seems counter intuitive.

The narrator was great and I had no difficulty listening at 3x speed.

I did only give four stars for the story, but that is based on a comparison to, 'Born to Run'. Christopher McDougall is a better story teller and I personally found more value in 'Born to Run' than 'The Arm' as I have not been, nor will I ever be, a MLB pitcher. However, I run daily and therefore subject to those injuries and 'fixes'.

Best baseball book in years....

Must read for anyone with kids in baseball. Specialization and travel ball are ruining the sport.

Insider perspective at the world of baseball pitching

I really enjoyed Passan’s thorough perspective on how the pitching arm is the most important commodity in all of sports. The book looks at the crazy culture of youth sports and the detriment it causes for young athletes; the decision- making from GMs to invest millions on top arms; the world of sports science and how arms have been repaired; and the psychology of pitchers overcoming injuring. I really recommend this book for baseball fans that enjoy and insider perspective on the sport. This book is to pitcher’s arm as moneyball was to saber metrics

decision-making of GMs, the

Baseball at its best

Would you listen to The Arm again? Why?

If you are interested in baseball and its current trends, specifically arm care, this is a must read. It is amazingly through in its documentation. But no it will not tell you how to prevent elbow injuries. But, you will have an amazing understanding of them

Baseball pitching Arm good read!

All baseball parents and coaches should read / listen to this book! it reveals many interesting studies and information.

Insights into Pitching and Recovery of the UCL

Overall, I liked the book The Arm by Jeff Passan. The author provides a comprehensive account of the journey from a blown UCL to rehabilitation and the triumphant return to the mound. The book successfully conveys the primitive understanding we have of the throwing motion and its profound impact on the body's biology. It's an informative read for parents concerned about their children's well-being in the world of baseball and for anyone eager to delve into pitching biomechanics, even though it was written seven years ago.

One of the book's strong points is the author's generous use of examples, which helps readers visualize the process. The journey is vividly portrayed, making it easy to empathize with the challenges faced by pitchers. I'd recommend taking a few minutes a look up on youtube a video on "Tommy John Surgery" -- it helps with the visualization of much of the descriptions.

However, a minor criticism lies in the author's downplaying or total avoidance of natural healing methods. While he acknowledges the efficacy of blood platelet therapy, and does highlight a couple instances when someone did not undergo surgery, there's an evident absence of discussion about the role of proper nutrition, low level laser therapy, and alternative bodywork in the recovery process. This one-sided perspective limits the book's holistic approach to injury management. I do appreciate he is focusing on peer reviewed research, but only in a certain medical lane.

Furthermore, the author's dismissive attitude toward certain alternative medical practices, like the suggestion that scoliosis may negatively affect biomechanics, is regrettable. While some ideas might sound unconventional, it's crucial to recognize that there's a body of peer-reviewed research supporting unconventional approaches that the author labels as "quackery."

Another comment that hasn't aged well, in my opinion, is the author's comparison of certain viewpoints to those who consider opposition to vaccination as well as some holistic approaches as 'quackery' and moronic thinking. It's reasonable to present both sides of a controversial issue, but the author's apparent medical bias hampers his ability to view these topics objectively. I do not think he believes there is any controversy.

In conclusion, "The Arm" is a valuable resource for those seeking to understand the intricate world of baseball, especially the biomechanics of pitching. However, readers should approach the book with an awareness of the author's biases and consider seeking additional resources for a more balanced perspective on injury management. Despite these criticisms, the book's core content remains informative and relevant in 2023, making it a worthwhile read for baseball enthusiasts and aspiring pitchers.

The narration by Kevin Pierce delivers a great performance. Easy to listen to, good voice inflection. I do wonder on some phrases, specifically when author quotes an individual whether the narration conveys the tone intended. But, that is being picky and his voice is great for non-fiction material.

The Arm

I thought this book was amazing it showed a whole dark side of baseball yet it also showed the great was to start fixing a big problem. It had me cheering for those two guys to make it. I really enjoyed this and if you're a baseball fan there should be no reason you shouldn't enjoy. The way it was told was great. It's just an all around great book, I hope everyone gets a change to read

Exceptional book.

I came looking for some insight on how to approach teaching my son the best practices for pitching and left with much more knowledge and a greater appreciation for the realities of the enigma of the perfect pitch and the arm than i anticipated. Thanks for writing this book!

Well Told Review About Baseball's Biggest Problem

Where does The Arm rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I haven't listened to many, maybe just 3 or 4, so this ranks at the top as the one I've enjoyed the most so far. Very entertaining and informative listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Arm?

The trials the two pitchers of rehabbing after having Tommy John Surgery. I was rooting for them the whole time.

Which character – as performed by Kevin Pierce – was your favorite?

Todd Coffey

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It gave me a new perspective on what pitchers go through when dealing with the Tommy John Injuries. It made me frustrated right along with them.

Any additional comments?

Includes a lot of historical perspective about baseball in general which I liked.

Good book. Very informative!

As the father of an inspiring pitcher, I found this book interesting and helpful. It was well researched and presented in an entertaining fashion. Good performance too. I have changed my son's pitching regimen based on knowledge I aquired from this book. Overall, it is a very well written book.