A Pirate for Life

by Erik Sherman, Steve Blass

Exploring a pitching career that began with a complete-game victory over Hall of Famer Don Drysdale in 1964 and ended when he could no longer control his pitches, this book details the life of Pittsburgh Pirates great, Steve Blass. This insider's view of the humorous and bizarre journey of a World Series champion pitcher turned color commentator will delight Pirates and baseball fans alike. Recounting his first years in the Major Leagues and his battle with the baffling condition that would ultimately bear his own name, Steve Blass tells the story of his life on and off the field with a poignant, dazzling wit and shares the life of a baseball player who had the prime of his career cut short.

Genres: Baseball

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

Reviews

[Kek · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're a Pirate fan, this is a good read. There weren't too many new stories in here that I wasn't aware of , but it still doesn't mean it wasn't a good read.

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Steve Blass Disease. If you've ever heard this term used to describe a baseball player's sudden inability to throw strikes or throw the ball where he wants to (think Rick Ankiel, Mark Wohlers, Steve Sax, Chuck Knoblauch)then you may be interested in reading this book. Steve Blass went from pitching complete game victories in games 3 and 7 of the 1971 World Series, being an All Star and winning 19 games in 1972, to walking 84 and hitting 12 batters in 88 2/3rds innings in 1973 with a 9.85 ERA, to spending 1974 in the minors where he walked 103 and hit 16 batters in only 61 innings, to retiring in 1975 at the age of 32.

Blass gives the reader an idea of what that must have been like. Along the way, he also talks about his association with his Pirate teammates of the 60s and 70s, including Clemente, Mazeroski, Stargell, Hebner, Doc Ellis, Sanguillen, manager Danny Murtaugh and broadcaster Bob Prince. After a hiatus from baseball, Blass returned to the Pirates as a broadcaster.

I've always enjoyed listening to Steve on the radio and was looking forward to reading this book. In general, I enjoyed his very personal account of dealing with "the thing" as he calls his struggles with pitching, and I really enjoyed reading about his teammates. However, I was a little put off by the inappropriate language that I felt was unnecessary despite Blass' defense of it as being "realistic." Also, given the amount of times that alcohol plays a part in his stories, I couldn't help but wonder if he's an unrepentant alcoholic.

Despite those drawbacks, I think most Pirate fans who remember the glory years of the 60s and 70s will enjoy the book and find it to be a nice addition to their Pirate libraries.

[Rich Humes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised at how open he was in this book.

If you're a baseball fan you will probably enjoy the book. If you're a Pirates fan you'll probably love the book.