Off Speed: Baseball, Pitching, and the Art of Deception

by Terry McDermott

Longlisted for the PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing

The lively and fascinating story of baseball’s 150-year hunt for the perfect pitch

In August 2012, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays in what Terry McDermott calls “one of the greatest exhibitions of off-speed pitches ever put on.” For McDermott, a lifelong fan and student of baseball, the extraordinary events of that afternoon inspired this incisive meditation on the art of pitching.

Within the framework of Hernandez’s historic achievement, Off Speed provides a vibrant narrative of the history and evolution of pitching, combining baseball's rich tradition of folklore with the wealth of new metrics from a growing legion of statisticians who are transforming the way we think about the game. Off Speed is also the personal story of a fan’s steadfast devotion, first kindled in McDermott by his father at the local diamond in small-town Iowa and now carried forward with the same passion by his own daughters.

Approaching his subject with the love every fan brings to the park and the expertise of a probing journalist, McDermott explores with irrepressible curiosity the science and the romance of baseball.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

Published May 16, 2017

About the author

Terry McDermott is the author of Perfect Soldiers (HarperCollins, 2005), and 101 Theory Drive (Pantheon, 2010). His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Smithsonian, Columbia Journalism Review, the Los Angeles Times Magazine and Pacific Magazine. McDermott worked at eight newspapers for more than thirty years, most recently for ten years at the Los Angeles Times, where he was a national correspondent.

Reviews

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nine innings, nine pitch types, nine chapters. Using the framework of a perfectly pitched game - specifically the perfect game pitched by Felix Hernandez in Aug 2012 - this books tells the story of baseball, pitching, and the art of deception. Drawing on his own experience growing up amidst the heyday of Prairie League and being a lifelong baseball fan, the author describes the evolution of the game using stories and stats from major league games over the years. Each chapter blends vignettes from the past, a description of a specific type of pitch and how it came into the game, who mastered it, the scientific explanation of how the ball moves and how it might appear visually to the hitter, and the actual game action of Felix's no-hitter in that inning. Somehow the author blends this all seamlessly, and by using an actual game also brings the perspective of the fans into the fold.

There is something about baseball that blends science, art, emotion, and lore in a way that is unlike any other sport. To love baseball is to be captivated by it. Terry McDermott is a great story teller and masterfully wrote a beautiful homage to a game he loves. Great book.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting take on the baseball pitching. McDermott analyzes nine pitches (some, like spitball and beanball no longer allowed), one per inning in nine chapters as he covers Felix Fernandez's perfect game in 2012. Fascinating baseball lore along with statistical analysis (Sabermetrics), interesting personalities, and lots of details. Offbeat sports book with a lot of appeal, mostly for fans of the game. Well-read by Joe Barrett--he gives it an old-time radio feel.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first time I feel like I understand how different pitches are thrown, the epic battle between pitchers and hitters, and why it is so rare to pitch a perfect game. I've watched about a hundred ball games and look forward to seeing my next with greater depth and clarity than ever before.

[Jackson Ciporen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baseball by the Book

"Off Speed" had me spinning around more than Clayton Kershaw on Sunday Night Baseball. Off Speed by Terry McDermott was published in 2017 by Pantheon. Terry McDermott has written four total books and is yet to receive many awards for his work and he has been a journalist for the majority of his professional career. Some of his other books include topics about the brain and terrorism. After reading his book "Off Speed" I would rate it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
"Off Speed" is a slowly-paced book that is methodical in its approach to describing the art of pitching. The entire book goes through all of the different great pitches that have been used throughout baseball. The author uses these pitches to describe his life story, the history of baseball, and add more depth to his narration of a regular-season Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays game. The author is a die-hard baseball fan and any fan of the game will greatly appreciate his approach to the art of pitching. This book is definitely a niche read and that’s one of the main reasons it deserves a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Chapter by chapter the book can start to feel a bit repetitive. The chapters are all set up the same. While the stories progress and the history becomes more in-depth the interest level of the reader can fade at times. It would’ve been higher if the book wasn’t as much of a baseball case study and more about the fun of the game.
Any die-hard baseball fan will most definitely love this book but, for anyone else, it's not worth your time. This book is not recommended for people who don’t care about baseball or the art of the game. This book will probably not be good for anyone younger than high school age because it's a higher level of reading and some of the topics may be difficult to understand. This book is recommended for people who care about baseball and particularly the art of pitching.
This book has been longlisted by the PEN/ESPN Award for literary sports writing. A book like "Off Speed" is a great and fun read but, due to certain slow aspects of the book, it is a 3.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. What gives me the credibility to review this book is one I’ve read this book. Also, I play baseball so I know the game very well inside and out. As an avid baseball fan as well I watch a ton of baseball mostly the Yankees as they are my favorite team. I know about the history of the game and how to play the game. To read another fan of the game's perspective on baseball was very eye-opening for me; the way he interprets the game is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Whether that’s for better or for worse is completely up to the type of person that picks up the book. Terry McDermott definitely knows his stuff. Overall this book is a fun light read that baseball lovers will enjoy; the general public may not feel the same way. But for any baseball enthusiast it's certainly recommended.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

For baseball fans, and especially those of us who think watching a perfect game is anything but watching paint dry, this book is a great addition to your summer reading list.

Set against the backdrop of Félix Hernandez's 2012 gem, the author expounds on the history and practice of every type of pitch invented to date. Well known tales--from Gaylord Perry's exploits to the history of the fastball--are mixed in with much that is new or, at least, new to me.

Particularly enjoyable are the chapters on the slider, the cutter, and the change-up. I hope this well written journey will bring enjoyment to many fans--and for those who haven't quite understood how one can enjoy watching baseball, this book does help pull back the curtain and show the many wonders (and the potential for the halcyon) that are there with every game.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think baseball is boring or slow or tedious, this book will open your eyes to the chess-like thinking that goes into the game at the highest level.

Pitchers range from having a few options in their arsenal to many (2-seam fastball, 4-seam fastball, slider, etc.), but the bottom line is that true pitchers are able to stay one step ahead of hitters who are trying their dead-level best to anticipate what's coming.

[Walt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very clever way of explaining how baseball pitchers use their repertoire of pitches: the author uses Felix Hernandez's perfect game to explain, batter by batter for all 9 innings, how a smart pitcher works a game.

[Tacitus · Rating 3 out of 5]

McDermott can write well, there’s no doubt about that. What all of his pretty sentences add up to, though, isn’t clear; it’s a rather hollow book on balance.

He writes about his childhood, his baseball roots, and pitching. I am starting to wonder if there is something in the nature of baseball that confounds prose, and that is reiterated here, as an otherwise fine writer can’t convey much clear substance about the mysteries of pitching; indeed, the book could have benefited from diagrams, lots of them. Much of his sourcing is second hand. The better parts weren’t about pitching but himself.

So maybe this isn’t so much a book about pitching mechanics, then. Somewhere in this there may be a theme about the pretensions of baseball, America, and dishonesty. Life is complex, and so are human beings. If it takes another cheating scandal to remind us of that, then books like this tell us to look at the game more closely. Baseball is fraught with error, bad judgments, and with every pitch, a fundamental act of athletic trickery.

Accordingly, we best strip away our self-delusions about the game, our country, and ourselves. Page after page, McDermott does just that, and if he can do that, so can we. Baseball is flawed, but human, and we should do well to keep loving it, but doing so with eyes wide open, as well as our hearts.

[Roger Smitter · Rating 4 out of 5]

McDermott provides baseball fans of all stripes with insights into the work of a pitcher. He explains what makes us a “perfect game” and a lot of other stuff about baseball. He uses the wraps his theme around the most recent perfect game thrown by Felix Hernandez for the Seattle Mariners in 2012.

Early in the book, McDermott defines what makes a “perfect game.” Only one team has a perfect team. The other guys get a loss.

The book clearly draws the line between traditionalist and sabermetic modes of what is important in baseball. Traditionalists focus on what happened in a game: who won, who lost, who got hits, who didn’t. They look at results for both the team and, more importantly, for the individual player.

The “sabermetricians” focus on the process inside the game. How often does a player get on base? Is a pitcher more likely to throw a curve ball and not a fast ball when there are two men on base? Will a bas runner will try to steal second base when there’s a one-run lead and the pitch count is 2-2.

For years, managers and coaches looked at the big picture and the traditional stats: Batting average, number of strike outs. Now, sabermetrics tools are changing the way the game is played.

So, why does the author use the “perfect game” theme? It’s a game when one team keeps the other team from getting any players on base. Twenty-seven men to to bat and 27 go directly back to the bench.

The author gives us an outstanding stat: For the about 200,000 games since the game was organized in leagues, there has been only 23 perfect games. The perfect game is the defining element of baseball.

He uses the most recent perfect game (2012, in Seattle) as a thread to discuss the power of baseball to entertain us. He decides the baseball expects into two categories. The traditionalists ask: Who won? How many pitches thrown? How many players got on b

He also gives us some insights into the game (regardless of how you count the results or the process). For example, a batter has about 0.4 of a second to swing when a pitcher throws a 90 mph fastball.

For some reason, he uses the types of pitches — fastball, curve, spitball, knuckleball, split, cutter, change. and slider. — to organize the chapters. Sometimes there’s details on each pitch., other chapters say little about the pitch. We learn the fundamentals of lots of different things.

There’s lots of threads running through the book, a few beyond what happens on a baseball diamond. Too often the book takes a theme, connects it to another theme and then goes in another direction.

But, it’s a good book for the baseball fan.

[Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pitching has changed much over the history of the game of baseball. From tossing the ball slowly so that the batter can easily hit it to pitchers who can throw the ball over 100 miles per hour and make it curve in violent changes of direction, pitching has evolved. The balls that change direction usually travel slower than the fastball and hence are called “off speed” pitches. This book by Terry McDermott and narrated by Joe Barret takes a look at these off speed pitches.

Some of the pitches are widely used today, such as a slider or a change-up, and some are no longer used for various reasons, such as a screwball. Whether or not they are used, McDermott writes about nine different off speed pitches, one for each inning of the game that is used for the background of the story. That game happens to be the perfect game thrown by Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez in the 2012 season.

McDermott also talks about his Mariners fandom, his lack of ability to play the game and some other baseball stories that are entertaining (my favorite was attempting to dry a wet baseball field) and intertwined throughout the book. While these stories were mostly good, I found them a distraction to the theme of the book, namely learning about the off speed pitches and the progress of Hernandez’s masterpiece. This may read better in a hardcopy or e-book format, but as an audiobook, I found the skipping between stories and information distracting.

One good part of the audiobook was the narration of Joe Barrett. The stories as he read them came across as interruptions, although this was much like listening to a baseball game on the radio. His voice made him sound like he was a baseball broadcaster.

Overall, this book is a decent one for baseball fans who want to learn a little more about off speed pitches or just want to hear some good baseball tales. If this took one of these themes or the other, I believe it would have the possibility to be a great book. Structured as is, it is okay and worth the time needed to listen or read.

http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terry McDermott blends baseball history with personal baseball memoir in Off Speed: Baseball, Pitching, and the Art of Deception. It's framed around the perfect game thrown by Felix Hernandez for the Seattle Mariners in 2012. The book winds up feeling like an old time baseball fan talking your ear off about the game. In a good way.

There are nine chapters. Each chapter covers a single inning of Felix's perfect game. Each chapter also covers a specific pitch: fastball, curveball, spitball, sinker, knuckleball, slider, split, cutter, and changeup. The earlier chapters are far more loaded than the later chapters, almost like McDermott ran out of steam as he reached the end of the book. A couple of the pitches are also a little forced into the conversation to fill nine chapters; no one has thrown a spitball in years and Felix doesn't throw all nine pitches. But it's a good survey of the pitches used throughout baseball's history.

McDermott uses each chapter to also meander into his own personal history. The reader learns a lot about McDermott's father, Mac, and McDermott's home town, Cascade, Iowa. Most of this reminiscing paints his childhood years as pretty idyllic, which plays into the nature of baseball as a national pastime. The final thoughts about sports being a secular religion are the most enlightening.

I have a feeling that K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches will provide more of a clinical historical survey but without the personal touch provided by McDermott in Off Speed.

[Zach Koenig · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the surface, "Off Speed" is the story of Felix Hernandez's perfect game for the Seattle Mariners in 2012, going inning by inning to recap the action of 27 up and 27 down.

What makes "Off Speed" a tremendously interest and emotional read, however, are the other two things it examines:

-Nine pitches (one each inning is the framework used) and how they were first developed and currently used in major league baseball. For example, one chapter is the story of the cutter, one examines the slider, and so on.

-The personal story of author Terry McDermott, including how he grew up in Iowa and waxed and waned in terms of baseball interest until writing this book. These sections of the book are superbly written and contain much emotion, as most baseball fans will be able to relate in some fashion.

The combination of those three sections to each chapter (Felix, pitchers, personal) is what makes "Off Speed" one of the most engaging baseball books I've read in quite some time. There is quite literally something for everyone. It especially hits the sweet spot for me because I've followed King Felix (in large part because of fantasy baseball!) since the beginning of his dominant career, and I vividly remember the last few innings of his perfecto once I realized it was transpiring.

I can only give the highest marks to McDermott's "off-speed". At under 200 pages it never feels like a slog, yet there is a tremendous amount of detail, research, and emotion packed into those pages. I will be recommending this to all of my baseball-loving friends and family to be sure.

[Cole Kardatzke · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there was one way, to sum up, "Off Speed" it would be incredible. If you like sports, especially baseball, this book is great for learning about the history of baseball and how the game has progressed. The book is split up into two parts; how the game has progressed since the start and the different pitches that have evolved throughout the years. As Terry says, "You can now almost instantly know more about every pitch thrown in a big-league baseball game than the pitchers who threw it." Terry expresses that baseball in the 1800s was a whole different ball game than the early 2000s. Before people never knew how launch angles and exit velocity worked, they just played the game the way it was meant to be played. Nowadays people are so worried about how high and fast the ball must be hit. They got caught up in the mathematics of the game instead of having fun. Terry does a great job expressing his feelings about this cycle and it is really easy to understand and realize how far the game has gone. Terry talks about the evolution of pitches in baseball. He designates a chapter to each pitch for a descriptive way on how the pitch has developed and changed since the beginning. It is very cool to see how each pitch breaks a unique way when thrown. In the end, it is intriguing how these people came up with these insane pitches. Overall, "Off Speed" was a great book and had a lot to tell about the game of baseball.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a combination of three things: a history and look at a baseball pitcher’s deception to fool hitters, one perfect game by Felix Hernandez on August 15, 2012, and the writers musings about his connection to baseball. On all three fronts it strikes me as not deep enough but because I am a fan of baseball and writing about baseball I wanted to see how the author spun his tale. First I give him praise for the attempt. When I read a brief bit about the premise of the book at Barnes and Nobles it ignited my attention enough to purchase it. I also praise some of the people/moments it brought to my attention including - Willie Stargell- a poet/ baseball player, Hoyt Wilhelm a knuckleballer, Arthur”Candy” Cummings, the inventor of the breaking ball 1860’s, and the amazing year of 1968, when Bob Gibson threw twenty-eight complete games and thirteen shutouts. I think the ambition did not match the follow through. The ending felt to land on ground that wasn’t really covered in the book. I give it three stars because I learned from this book.

[Tom Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who loves baseball will enjoy this book. The author looks at baseball through the lens of the pitcher and the different pitches that they use to win a game. The book focuses on the perfect game thrown by Felix Hernandez in 2012 with each chapter looking a different type of pitch and then analyzing the pitch and its history as well as how Hernandez used the pitch in his memorable game. This quote from the book best sums up why I enjoy baseball and reading about baseball: " Baseball at its best is a game played by craftsmen - craftsmen at a very high level, yes, but craftsmen. That's the secret beauty of baseball. It's not made from some magic dust sprinkled over a cornfield. It's a construction, something built over a very long time. It's made by hand." This was a truly one of the best baseball books that I have read in a long time!

[David Gourlay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really fun read based on King Felix's perfect game for the Mariners vs the Rays. Each chapter is an inning highlighting each at bat over the game (27 up and 27 out) and interspersed is a chapter describing various pitches and how they are thrown and the strategy of them each.

Now I am a student of the game of baseball and may have dabbled a bit in the business, but there is a code to the game about pitching and the science of it. This book unveils the thinking of this culture and tells why right vs left matchups matter and how managers will set hitting lineups based on who is on the mound that game.

A really insightful read !

[Jeremy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Each chapter of this book follows an inning of a 2012 perfect game by Felix Hernandez. The author is a Mariners fan and writes from that perspective. At times this book provided me a little bit of baseball nostalgia, but overall it just wasn't very good. He goes through an explanation of all the main pitches used over the course of baseball history. At times he was interesting, and I think it's an interesting idea to break down a perfect game over the course of a book, but this was not particularly well written either. Just okay for me.

[pat mccrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoir mixed with How to Manual

McDermott combines ruminations on family, small town existence and many other items if import to those moving through humanitys realm with a nuts and bolts examination of pitching at its highest level. He then laces his memoir/manual with an expository account of Felix Hernandez's perfect game of 2012. It makes for a compelling read, and satisfies on each level, especially for those who fascinated by the sheer level of skill and concebtration required for oerformance and survival in major league ball. Well done.

[Trevor Seigler · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the art of pitching through the tangent of Felix Hernandez's perfect game in 2012. In a league with "K," though it benefits by its brevity whereas "K" could go on a little long about certain pitches and pitchers in baseball history (which is not to say that you shouldn't read "K" if you're a baseball fan, but be forewarned that this is in many ways a good companion piece to it)

[Scott Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read, one that tries to offer a mix of following the author’s favorite team (Mariners) and when Felix Hernandez pitched a perfect game in 2012. Intermixed with that story is one where the author attempts to describe the various types of pitches that can be thrown. It is a mix of classic baseball and modern analytics. It is ok, and generally well written, but probably not a book that will ever read again. For a baseball fan looking for a quick summer read and nothing more.

[Kbg503 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another pleasurable baseball book for me. I love reading inning by inning along with the author's past and present, the history and current trends in baseball, and the breakdown of types of pitches. Have been in living in Oregon since 1990 and in the early years watched a lot of Mariners' games on TV or had it on for background noise and fondly remember the voices of Dave Niehaus and Dave Henderson.

[Rob Neyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oddly, my favorite thing about this book is something you wouldn't guess from the title or subtitle: the author's autobiographical meanderings, especially about growing up in a small town in Iowa. I will admit that a fair amount of the technical material about pitching was sort of wasted on me, since I literally wrote (okay, co-wrote) a large book on the subject.

[Streator Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Terry McDermott's pitch by pitch description of Felix Hernandez's perfect game is an ode to the wonder and glory of baseball, the author's enthusiasm for the game en capsuled in just one, albeit special, game is a thing of beauty. If you ever wondered what is so special about baseball read this......

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part memoir, part history, an interesting look at the evolution of pitching laid out in 9 chapters for the 9 innings pitched by Felix Hernandez during his perfect game for the Seattle Mariners when they played the Tampa Bay Rays. Each chapter talks about the history of a different pitch-very informative and a fun read if you like baseball.

[Nathan Steed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have lived and breathed baseball since leaving the womb. This book was wonderful for taking me back to my childhood dreams. I found the last 2 chapters or so significantly less intriguing than the previous ones. Overall, very entertaining, clever, funny, and enlightening for someone in love with the game of baseball and the art of pitching.

[Tawni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a baseball geek. I know more about baseball than I should. I met my husband at a baseball game. I am also a Mariners fan and love a pitcher's duel. This book brought sentimental tears to my eyes. This was the perfect book to read in the off season, especially one where super star free agents aren't being signed and the hitt since had gone cold.

[Marc Torrant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept of the book describing various popular pitches in baseball against the backdrop of King Felix’s perfect game. Despite enjoying the subject matter, and perhaps b/c I read it outside of baseball season, I found it difficult to stay engaged and it took me way too long to read. A decent book though and a more dedicated reader could easily enjoy it in a shorter time

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books I have read focused on pitching. Yes, McDermott goes into the different pitches, but also goes into the pitchers and some of the memorable times those pitches have been used.

How did this book find me? It is about baseball and is in the Audible+ catalog until August 26.

[Campbell Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

(or, What Baseball Means To Me.)

A must for Mariners fans, Terry McDermott's lil' primer on pitching turns out to be more than informational. It's a surprisingly dense and deeply felt account, one that resonated with me as a father, a fan, and a writer.

[Matt Tooley · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, actually. Much of the info about pitching I’d heard or read before, but McDermott’s meandering anecdotes (as well as the account of Felix Hernandez’s perfect game) were well worth the read.