Every Pitcher Tells a Story: Letters Gathered by a Devoted Baseball Fan

by Seth Swirsky

Seth Swirsky is an Everyfan, writing letters to ballplayers, asking them about key details of their careers and their craft. Here, Swirsky has elicited enlightening responses from many of today's great pitchers, including Roger Clemens, Dave Cone, and Tom Glavine; received illuminating letters from Hall of Famers Steve Carlton and Juan Marichal; a surprising answer on the similarity between pitching and picking stocks from Warren Buffett; and uncovered such delights as the Sun-Maid Raisin lady who married a Major League pitcher. The result is a humorous, often moving testament to the greatness of the game and our admiration for players who hone their skills over a lifetime and achieve greatness on the field.

Genres: Baseball, Nonfiction, Sports

240 pages, Hardcover

First published September 29, 1999

Reviews

[Adam Rosenbaum · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing and delightful collection of 100 letters from baseball players (mostly pitchers) answering a specific baseball or personal question. Swirsky is an avid & devoted baseball fan (he also wrote hits for Al Green, Celine Dion & others). The letters, mostly from little or unknown players capture the joys of playing the game, and the simultaneous stress of being judged every time they take the field. The letters are often funny or heartfelt, or sad & inspirational. Baseball is America's game and this collection touches on the strong personal relationships that are constantly evolving while staying consistent at its core. You don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it, but it certainly helps.

[Aaron Lozano · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but wanted to know more in a couple areas:

1) What did the author's actual letters look like,
2) How he acquired some of the older ones.

In general, if you like baseball, you will like this book. The Norm Sherry story was one of my favorites.

[Chris Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique concept for a book, something that is now often copied by autograph and memorabilia collectors. Pitchers across generations are represented in a nice, fun read