Sport-Blog.com
|
Sports News: ESPN | SI Leagues & Associations: NFL | NHL | MLB NBA | PGA | USTA Archives: Other: Resources |
<< Home
New Baseball Book Getting Serious Attention
Monday, April 20, 2009
The baseball world, particularly the minor league baseball affiliate of the Angels, has been abuzz with the release of a new memoir, Odd Man Out. Actually, it might be a stretch to call it a memoir since it documents just one year of Matt McCarthy's quest to become a professional baseball player.Yale Graduate
McCarthy was a young man who could throw a baseball 92 miles per hour and that fact meant that the Yale graduate would be given the opportunity to give the game of professional baseball a shot. The lefthander, on the verge of entering the world of medicine now, spent a year in Provo, Utah in the pursuit of a baseball career.
His year would end with the ultimate pink slip, the one that says you are not good enough to make it in your chosen profession.
The year was 2002, a time that represented the height of the steroid era. Though top draft-picks receive contract offers of hundreds of thousands of dollars (at times, even millions), McCarthy, drafted in the 21st round, received a $1,000 bonus and an $850 monthly minor league salary
As one might expect, such a signing system meant there was likely a two-party system: the sure-fire prospects and those who might, with hard-work, determination and some good old-fashioned luck become a real prospect.
Instead, McCarthy offers a different two-party system.
There seemed to be the Dominicans in one group and everyone else in a second group. Of course, the term Domincans was not properly used, it represent the term that the non-Hispanic players used to refer to all the Hispanic players.
Rankling Insiders
In addition to a political incorrect system, McCarthy shares a number of stories that relate a sexually salacious locker room environment. No one comes off sounding well as he shares these intimate details.
McCarthy also offers some insight into the baseball version of the Wonderlic test. Instead of being a timed test featuring 50 multiple-choice questions as the Wonderlic is, the version administered by MLB features 100 true-or-false statements with some being as inane as "Athletic competition began on Earth in 1974."
McCarthy shares tidbits about a number of fellow minor leaguers who have gone on to become well-known at the big league level today. One such story involves Bobby Jenks, the man with a 100 mph fastball. who would wash out of the Angels' system before reaching the show in Chicago.
In the mold of Ball Four, Odd Man Out is a less than flattering look at our national pastime. Because it features many stories that portray folks in a not-so positive light, McCarthy's memoir is being called into factual question by a number of folks mentioned within the book. Most notably, the aforementioned salacious details have those being mentioned in these incidents crying foul.
The NY Times did a thorough fact check and has indeed found mistakes within the book. Still, it seems that most of the assertions form the classic he-said, she-said type claims.
McCarthy has stood by his tale. Whatever the case, the combination of the story and the assertions has the book climbing best seller lists.
The fact that McCarthy tells the story of his own pink slip moment with candor and without any vindictiveness adds a touch of credibility to the author.
Those interested in finding out more about the book can find several sections at Sports Illustrated.
8:22 AM
Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home
