EVERY PITCHER TELLS A STORY.... Letters Gathered by a Devoted Baseball Fan....

by Seth Swirsky

Gods--as John Updike once wrote of Ted Williams--do not answer letters, but it's amazing how many ballplayers actually do. In his previous Baseball Letters, Swirsky mailed off questions to contemporaries and old-timers alike, and then published the medley of mostly handwritten missives he got back. The effort not only resulted in a good autograph collection, it also revealed some personal--and at times unguarded--insights into the game. In his follow-up, Swirsky focuses on pitchers. The results are actually a little wilder. Roger Clemens writes that he learned the most about pitching from Tom Seaver. Al Hrabosky, the hyper reliever who was forced to shave his menacing Fu Manchu by Cardinals manager Vern Rapp, complains that "as a result the Mad Hungarian"--Hrabosky's alter ego on the mound--"felt like a soldier going to war without a rifle!" Even the reclusive Steve Carlton, who detested media intrusions into players' private lives, speaks "I felt it would be better for me and the fans if [reporters] covered me from the pressbox," Carlton writes. "Looking back, I think that the writing was better and definitely more creative after I stopped speaking to the media."Like in the original volume, photos abound, and Swirsky prints the actual letters (providing transcripts for those whose handwriting is a little leaky). Unlike the original, though, he sweetens the deal by including some historical documents like old notes from Cy Young and Walter Johnson, plus Christy Mathewson's World War I embarkation orders. --Jeff Silverman

Genres: Baseball, Nonfiction, Sports

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