Smart, Wrong, and Lucky: The Origin Stories of Baseball's Unexpected Stars

by Jonathan Mayo

A fascinating look at how MLB teams find diamonds in the roughIn the plainest of terms, baseball scouts are tasked with seeing the future— a distant future, at that. Baseball's long developmental arc leaves room for plenty of twists and turns on the way to The Show. Some prospects shoot like arrows toward their projected potential, while others fizzle out or chart an unexpected course.Joey Votto was a lightly scouted high schooler out of Ontario, Canada. Charlie Blackmon was once coveted for his left arm more than his offensive potential. Mookie Betts "lost interest in the draft" as he went unselected round after round. Jacob deGrom refused to relinquish his role as a shortstop. Lorenzo Cain never even put on a baseball glove until high school— and then wore it on the wrong hand.Smart, Wrong, and Lucky explores how first impressions measure up to their the draft, years of progression, and for a talented few, major league success. MLB.com writer Jonathan Mayo profiles a diverse range of modern stars and looks at them through the eyes of those who noticed them first as prospects.Featuring exclusive interviews with scouts, players, coaches, and more, this fascinating collection of origin stories is an ode to baseball's endless possibilities.

230 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2023

About the author

Jonathan Mayo joined the BBC in 1987, first working in radio and then television, where he won awards for his documentaries. In 2011 he became a freelance producer, director, and writer. He is the author of The JFK Assassination: Minute by Minute (Short Books, 2013). He lives in Surrey with his wife and son.

Reviews

[Jason Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm probably too hard on my rating. I like the premise of the book. I'm just not sure that Mayo's choice were the best choices. They're all great players, but I'm sure there were longer shots that made it but didn't become truly great. At times I was interested, but there were times when I was bored.

[Raj Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent book!

Mayo is a wonderful story teller, and get some many insightful interviews. I could have read about another 10 players! a must read for any baseball fan!