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Throwback: A Big-League Catcher Tells How the Game Is Really Played
Throwback offers an informative and irreverent look at the inner mechanics, strategies, secret signals, and customs of major league baseball.
Ever Wonder What's Being Said at Home Plate?
How a Team Silently Communicates?
What Goes on in the Clubhouse Behind Closed Doors?
America's pastime has always left fans and amateur players alike yearning for the answers to questions about how pros play the game.
Jason Kendall is a former All-Star catcher who has seen just about everything during his years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. A player's player, a guy with true grit--a throwback to another time with a unique view on the game that so many love.
Jason Kendall and sportswriter Lee Judge team up to bring you the fan, player, coach, or curious statistician an insider's view of the game from a player's perspective. This is a book about pre-game rituals, what to look for when a pitcher warms up between innings, the signs a catcher uses to communicate with the pitcher, and so much more.
Some of baseball wisdom you will find
* What to look for during batting practice.
* The right way to hit a batter.
* Who's a tough guy and who's just posing.
* How to spot a dirty slide.
* Why you don't look at the umpire while you're arguing.
Based on Kendall's 15 years of professional MLB experience, Throwback is an informative, hilarious, and illuminating look into the world of professional baseball-and in a way that no one has ever seen before.
Ever Wonder What's Being Said at Home Plate?
How a Team Silently Communicates?
What Goes on in the Clubhouse Behind Closed Doors?
America's pastime has always left fans and amateur players alike yearning for the answers to questions about how pros play the game.
Jason Kendall is a former All-Star catcher who has seen just about everything during his years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, and Kansas City Royals. A player's player, a guy with true grit--a throwback to another time with a unique view on the game that so many love.
Jason Kendall and sportswriter Lee Judge team up to bring you the fan, player, coach, or curious statistician an insider's view of the game from a player's perspective. This is a book about pre-game rituals, what to look for when a pitcher warms up between innings, the signs a catcher uses to communicate with the pitcher, and so much more.
Some of baseball wisdom you will find
* What to look for during batting practice.
* The right way to hit a batter.
* Who's a tough guy and who's just posing.
* How to spot a dirty slide.
* Why you don't look at the umpire while you're arguing.
Based on Kendall's 15 years of professional MLB experience, Throwback is an informative, hilarious, and illuminating look into the world of professional baseball-and in a way that no one has ever seen before.
304 pages, Paperback
First published May 13, 2014
52 people are currently reading
584 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 5, 2025
A catcher tells about his career and the preparation it takes to be a big league ballplayer. He also talks about parts of the game most people don't know, like how to hit someone with a pitch correctly.
Very informative.
Very informative.
September 30, 2022
Some baseball insights here and there if you can stomach the uninspired organization (chapters are devoted to each of the positions), the incessant tough-guy posturing, and the strange verbatim repetition of sentences that were literally in the preceding paragraph.
Here’s a taste:
“I call bullshit on guys whining that they can’t find any holes: figure it out. If you’re going to Nancy Kerrigan yourself—Why me? Why me?—you’re not tough.”
Really? You’re going to take a shot at Nancy Kerrigan and in the very next breath talk about being tough? Please.
I probably just finished this one because I am back to having a hangup about quitting books. Do yourself a favor and read just about anything else. This ball game needs a rain delay 👎👎
Here’s a taste:
“I call bullshit on guys whining that they can’t find any holes: figure it out. If you’re going to Nancy Kerrigan yourself—Why me? Why me?—you’re not tough.”
Really? You’re going to take a shot at Nancy Kerrigan and in the very next breath talk about being tough? Please.
I probably just finished this one because I am back to having a hangup about quitting books. Do yourself a favor and read just about anything else. This ball game needs a rain delay 👎👎
June 21, 2014
This is a good baseball book. But it was a little repetitive. It did provide some insights into the big league players and how they play the game. I was expecting more baseball stories to illustrate some of the game situations. Also some photographs would have made the book more interesting. Basically, Jason Kendall talks about the situations that occur on every pitch and how those situations relate to what you see on the field. He goes over each player, the coaches and the umpires and what they do during the game, pre-game and post-game. In order to gain an advantage in a game, the big leaguer is looking at the tendancies of each player and the current conditions to try and figure out a way to exploit it for an advantage. Kendall also explains why he thinks most of the players in today's game are "soft" and how players should toughen up. Sometimes it seems like Kendall would pick a fight for any reason. But the book does let you know what to expect when you watch a game. And there is a lot to watch. I almost gave the book 4 stars, but decided it could have been better with more pictures and more stories. It is still an entertaining book and informative.
September 21, 2018
While the preface breathlessly promises an insider’s view to “how the game is being played at the big league level,” many of the alleged secrets revealed by this book are things every high-school player should know. Is it a secret that batters are more likely to see a fastball when they are ahead in the count, or that National League pitchers are prone to bunting, or that defensive positioning is informed by analytics? That said, fans who have never played the game are likely to learn a lot — and there are a few nuggets likely to surprise almost everyone who didn’t play professionally. How many people know that throws from left-handed fielders tend to pull catchers off the plate, and that it therefore makes more sense to send a runner from third base if the outfielder is left-handed?
The book is organized by position; there is a chapter on pitching, on catching, on infielders, on hitting, and on baserunning. A few miscellaneous chapters contain Kendall’s thoughts on pregame preparation (important), on the media (most are hacks, but beat reporters are worthy of respect), and on managers (they should trust their instincts). Unfortunately, there is a lot of repetition. In addition to being told that pregame preparation is important in the chapter dedicated to the topic, Kendall feels the need to remind us in every other chapter; pitchers should know the tendencies of opposing hitters, hitters should know the tendencies of opposing pitchers, managers should know which pitchers they will use in which situations, and so forth. We get it already!
Kendall discusses the psychological aspects of the game. He shows a strong commitment to mental and physical toughness. Kendall distinguishes pain from injury: “Injured is something’s busted: you can’t physically do it. Pain is when nothing’s broken, but it’s painful to keep going.” He explains other physical acts of aggression on the field: throwing at batters, dropping knees on incoming runners, take-out slides, etc. Kendall is of the opinion that many players (even Major Leaguers) are “soft” — and that true competitors take advantage of that weakness. He is far more sympathetic to players with limited ability than to those who are easily intimidated.
Kendall relates a number of interesting stories from his own career. Unfortunately, he tells only a few about his contemporaries; his descriptions of situations would be richer if he were to combine his own perspective with the thoughts of others. The entire book feels like sitting in Jason Kendall’s basement listening to war stories. At first, it’s fascinating; but, at some point, one realizes that Kendall’s repeating himself and that it’s time to go home. Rather than reading from cover-to-cover, I recommend opening to a random page and reading a few paragraphs.
The book is organized by position; there is a chapter on pitching, on catching, on infielders, on hitting, and on baserunning. A few miscellaneous chapters contain Kendall’s thoughts on pregame preparation (important), on the media (most are hacks, but beat reporters are worthy of respect), and on managers (they should trust their instincts). Unfortunately, there is a lot of repetition. In addition to being told that pregame preparation is important in the chapter dedicated to the topic, Kendall feels the need to remind us in every other chapter; pitchers should know the tendencies of opposing hitters, hitters should know the tendencies of opposing pitchers, managers should know which pitchers they will use in which situations, and so forth. We get it already!
Kendall discusses the psychological aspects of the game. He shows a strong commitment to mental and physical toughness. Kendall distinguishes pain from injury: “Injured is something’s busted: you can’t physically do it. Pain is when nothing’s broken, but it’s painful to keep going.” He explains other physical acts of aggression on the field: throwing at batters, dropping knees on incoming runners, take-out slides, etc. Kendall is of the opinion that many players (even Major Leaguers) are “soft” — and that true competitors take advantage of that weakness. He is far more sympathetic to players with limited ability than to those who are easily intimidated.
Kendall relates a number of interesting stories from his own career. Unfortunately, he tells only a few about his contemporaries; his descriptions of situations would be richer if he were to combine his own perspective with the thoughts of others. The entire book feels like sitting in Jason Kendall’s basement listening to war stories. At first, it’s fascinating; but, at some point, one realizes that Kendall’s repeating himself and that it’s time to go home. Rather than reading from cover-to-cover, I recommend opening to a random page and reading a few paragraphs.
March 24, 2017
This was a very informative look inside the thoughts of a star catcher. Of all positions, catcher is the one I'm most fascinated by, but this particular book was somewhat of a disappointment. While I don't mind dry reads, I would have enjoyed this one more if it had been a bit more engaging. Most of it was like an information dump. It was good information, though.
August 23, 2018
Helpful insight if you've never played baseball. I caught some in my baseball career and felt that I was noticing a lot of the same things described in the book.
August 20, 2014
According to Jason Kendall in “Throwback,” the sport of baseball is non-stop action.
There are always adjustments underway based on the pitcher, the count, the hitter, the time of day. Everything. “Throwback” is about the little things that make baseball fascinating. It’s about the minuscule moments of anticipation most of us don’t appreciate.
If you watch even a half-dozen baseball games a year, you’ll get something out of Jason Kendall’s inside look at the infinite number of complexities that go into every moment of “action.”
The baseball may not be “in play,” but the game is being “played” by players, coaches and managers anticipating the next moment. Every pitch, every defensive position, every slide, every injustice meted out earlier in the game (or earlier in the season).
The writing is breezy. And easy. It is a bit repetitive in spots. A catcher, Kendall played with a blunt and hard-nosed style. His prose is a good match for his approach to the sport.
He’s particularly dismissive of the players who show weakness.
Writes Kendall: “A guy fouls a ball of his leg and collapses on the ground? Get up; don’t waste my time. If the leg’s broke? My bad—sorry I yelled at you. But you see guys hobble around for a while and then announce they’re okay. If a guy fouls a ball of his leg and makes a big production of it—if he let us know it hurt—guess what? We’re throwing the ball right back in the same spot. Oh, that one hurt? Here’s another one in the same place.”
Kendall provides insights on every position on the field—and all those in the dugout, too—and takes a run at a relevant subjects such as “Moneyball” (not enough credit to three outstanding pitchers), “Bull Durham” (“got it right”), playing in pain (pop Advil), cheating (“everybody is pushing it”), and the end-of-the-season grind (you will realize it’s a very long season when you read this book).
Highly recommended for baseball fans and borderline fans. If you like baseball, you enjoy subtleties. “Throwback” helps you see more of them—and know what to look for when you watch.
There are always adjustments underway based on the pitcher, the count, the hitter, the time of day. Everything. “Throwback” is about the little things that make baseball fascinating. It’s about the minuscule moments of anticipation most of us don’t appreciate.
If you watch even a half-dozen baseball games a year, you’ll get something out of Jason Kendall’s inside look at the infinite number of complexities that go into every moment of “action.”
The baseball may not be “in play,” but the game is being “played” by players, coaches and managers anticipating the next moment. Every pitch, every defensive position, every slide, every injustice meted out earlier in the game (or earlier in the season).
The writing is breezy. And easy. It is a bit repetitive in spots. A catcher, Kendall played with a blunt and hard-nosed style. His prose is a good match for his approach to the sport.
He’s particularly dismissive of the players who show weakness.
Writes Kendall: “A guy fouls a ball of his leg and collapses on the ground? Get up; don’t waste my time. If the leg’s broke? My bad—sorry I yelled at you. But you see guys hobble around for a while and then announce they’re okay. If a guy fouls a ball of his leg and makes a big production of it—if he let us know it hurt—guess what? We’re throwing the ball right back in the same spot. Oh, that one hurt? Here’s another one in the same place.”
Kendall provides insights on every position on the field—and all those in the dugout, too—and takes a run at a relevant subjects such as “Moneyball” (not enough credit to three outstanding pitchers), “Bull Durham” (“got it right”), playing in pain (pop Advil), cheating (“everybody is pushing it”), and the end-of-the-season grind (you will realize it’s a very long season when you read this book).
Highly recommended for baseball fans and borderline fans. If you like baseball, you enjoy subtleties. “Throwback” helps you see more of them—and know what to look for when you watch.
June 19, 2014
If you have love the sport of baseball, Throwback by Lee Judge and Jason Kendall is the ideal book for you. Kendall played the baseball from 1996-2010 with five different teams. Throwback is how the game is really played from Jason’s point of view. He takes you around the horn, and tells you everything there is to know about everything in baseball from pitchers to outfielders, fielding and hitting, and even takes you into the clubhouse. The book cover topics from “the right way to hit a batter” to “why you don’t look at the umpire while you are arguing.” I (being a baseball player) personally loved this book, not because the writing was great (which it wasn't) or because of the plot (which is nonexistent) but because the content made me laugh and taught me everything I didn't already know about baseball.
Most of the content in this book is great information for fans and players, but some of it is self explanatory (at least to a ball player) such as what to pitch a hitter on a 3-1 count or where the infield should be with the bases loaded and no outs. There was one piece of information that Jason says and I think it is the most important thing to remember in baseball “You have to slow down the game.” This book definitely taught me some good baseball lessons and techniques.
Finally, I would recommend this book to casual baseball fans searching for more knowledge of the game and young ball players looking to improve their game. My final impression of the book is a comical yet informative book that makes you want to go watch a baseball game to experience it the way you never did before reading this book. It lets you see the game through the eyes of a ball player.
Most of the content in this book is great information for fans and players, but some of it is self explanatory (at least to a ball player) such as what to pitch a hitter on a 3-1 count or where the infield should be with the bases loaded and no outs. There was one piece of information that Jason says and I think it is the most important thing to remember in baseball “You have to slow down the game.” This book definitely taught me some good baseball lessons and techniques.
Finally, I would recommend this book to casual baseball fans searching for more knowledge of the game and young ball players looking to improve their game. My final impression of the book is a comical yet informative book that makes you want to go watch a baseball game to experience it the way you never did before reading this book. It lets you see the game through the eyes of a ball player.
October 1, 2014
I received Throwback as part of a Goodreads giveaway.
A veteran major league catcher, Jason Kendall fills readers in on the finer points of baseball, both on and off the field. He takes you around the horn, exploring the ins and outs of each position from pitcher to outfielder, fielding and hitting, and even into the clubhouse to explore the tiny signs that can turn a game around.
I was hoping there'd be more anecdotes about his career as a player, but it's not really that kind of book--it's more of a guide to casual baseball fans who want to take their appreciation of the game to the next level. The tone of the book is interesting--lots of cursing and "grit," which didn't faze or offend me, but it just seemed a little contrived. For the record, I think Kendall is tough as nails (as a Cardinals fan, I saw plenty of him in the NL Central), but the machismo seemed a little put on.
Still, a really interesting read for baseball fans wanting to deepen their understanding of the mechanics of the game.
A veteran major league catcher, Jason Kendall fills readers in on the finer points of baseball, both on and off the field. He takes you around the horn, exploring the ins and outs of each position from pitcher to outfielder, fielding and hitting, and even into the clubhouse to explore the tiny signs that can turn a game around.
I was hoping there'd be more anecdotes about his career as a player, but it's not really that kind of book--it's more of a guide to casual baseball fans who want to take their appreciation of the game to the next level. The tone of the book is interesting--lots of cursing and "grit," which didn't faze or offend me, but it just seemed a little contrived. For the record, I think Kendall is tough as nails (as a Cardinals fan, I saw plenty of him in the NL Central), but the machismo seemed a little put on.
Still, a really interesting read for baseball fans wanting to deepen their understanding of the mechanics of the game.
August 22, 2014
One of my Top 3 favorite books of all time. Kendall takes you on a inside look at the life of an MLB baseball player. While there isn't any selling out teammates or crazy locker room stories (like Jim Bouton's Ball Four), Kendall breaks down every part of a game, and explains in-depth exactly what is happening on an MLB field every moment of the game. From explaining how every defensive player knows what pitch is about to be thrown to how catchers talk to umpires, this book is a great read. Very informative to any baseball fan, and will give you plenty of things to look for the next time you go to or watch a game on TV.
August 10, 2014
If you are a baseball fan this book is a decent read.The book tells the basics of baseball from the player perspective.I feel this is just a way for Jason Kendall to crack into the book business ,there appears to be some stories that are itching to break out.Overall highly recommended to new baseball fans.
September 1, 2014
An interesting mix of a mostly useful inside-the-game baseball primer and a retired player's wishes for all the "soft" millennials to get the [bleep] off his lawn. Sadly the latter aspect of retro machismo overpowers the former's usefulness.
May 10, 2014
Not a lot here to recommend, unless you're a casual baseball fan who wants to learn more about the game and doesn't mind a liberal use of cursing to get there. It did make me want to watch a baseball game, though perhaps not in the way its authors intended - namely, instead of reading this book.
August 24, 2014
Should have thrown it back. Kendall bloviates, in brief, boring paragraphs, about baseball minutiae that would be interesting if presented in a context of some sort. This book was dull as hell.
November 5, 2014
Throwback has interesting information about how professional baseball games are played, but the author is not a great writer, and I find him to be over confident.
December 3, 2021
This is the WORST sports book of all time. Jason Kendall (whom I respected as a player) turns out to be a complete Jerk. The book is a self serving ego boast for Kendall. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK!!!
October 28, 2021
Many people complain that baseball is boring compared to other sports such as football and basketball. In one sense it is true, other sports have a time clock and there is a great deal more physical movement. However, if you truly understand the game, it will keep you riveted as you watch for all the subtle changes in strategy that take place as the game progresses and even from pitch to pitch. Defensive players will move a short distance from left to right depending on what pitch is coming, what the count is and how the batter is behaving at the plate.
It is a truism that the catcher is the field general when their team is on defense. They not only call the pitch, they also direct the movement of the players as well as where the ball should be thrown. They have to know about how their pitcher is performing as well as how the opposing batters handle specific situations. It has been said that when Hall of Fame catcher Bill Dickey met a former opponent, he said, “I don’t recall your name, but you were a sucker for a high inside curve.”
Kendall is a former catcher that played in the major leagues for over a decade and was a hard-nosed player. In this book he expresses those sentiments as well as giving the reader an inside look at how players conduct themselves. This includes a long list of the unwritten rules and how you should respond when they are broken. Short and long-term strategies for getting simple and crucial outs are also discussed. It is an excellent look into how players approach the game in general and Kendall in particular.
Fortunately, this is not a book containing the dirty laundry, where the author spends a lot of ink pointing out the flaws and failures of teammates, umpires, coaches and managers. While those books appeal to the crud-loving fan, they don’t really tell you much about how players really do things to maximize their chances of winning. This one does.
It is a truism that the catcher is the field general when their team is on defense. They not only call the pitch, they also direct the movement of the players as well as where the ball should be thrown. They have to know about how their pitcher is performing as well as how the opposing batters handle specific situations. It has been said that when Hall of Fame catcher Bill Dickey met a former opponent, he said, “I don’t recall your name, but you were a sucker for a high inside curve.”
Kendall is a former catcher that played in the major leagues for over a decade and was a hard-nosed player. In this book he expresses those sentiments as well as giving the reader an inside look at how players conduct themselves. This includes a long list of the unwritten rules and how you should respond when they are broken. Short and long-term strategies for getting simple and crucial outs are also discussed. It is an excellent look into how players approach the game in general and Kendall in particular.
Fortunately, this is not a book containing the dirty laundry, where the author spends a lot of ink pointing out the flaws and failures of teammates, umpires, coaches and managers. While those books appeal to the crud-loving fan, they don’t really tell you much about how players really do things to maximize their chances of winning. This one does.
April 6, 2020
In this book you learn about all the little things within baseball. You learn about what it means to do an infield shift with two outs, you learn what pitch is most likely going to be thrown in what count, and you also learn what it takes to be in the big leagues. In this book Jason Kendall a big league catcher for over 15 years talk about what he saw during the games and what he has been through throughout his entire career. He gave tips to younger guys on how to get to the MLB and how to stay their. He told people to not get to out their as a rookie but once you have established yourself then you can start getting more and more into how you can make it harder for a team to lose a big part of the team and a good role model for the younger people on the team.
I liked this book because it is about my favorite sport and how people compete at the highest level. I thought the delivery was excellent and the stories they told were amazing. It was interesting to find out about what it actually took to stay in the big leagues and what tools you need to be a staple in the MLB. I would say that any baseball fans and people who are interested in making it big in major sports read this book to find out what is needed to be a professional athlete.
I liked this book because it is about my favorite sport and how people compete at the highest level. I thought the delivery was excellent and the stories they told were amazing. It was interesting to find out about what it actually took to stay in the big leagues and what tools you need to be a staple in the MLB. I would say that any baseball fans and people who are interested in making it big in major sports read this book to find out what is needed to be a professional athlete.
August 13, 2018
K is this book repetitive? Yes, Kendall bounces back to things (even word-for-word) after they've already been discussed. But honestly it didn't bother me - the book moves fast and is pretty conversational in tone. Should Judge have fixed that? Yes, that's his job. But he didn't. And the book works anyway.
I would've enjoyed more stories about Kendall's career and I wish he'd write another book just about himself, rather than about the ins and outs of the game, but in fairness to Kendall this was not billed as a memoir. It did read a bit like an instruction manual, but Kendall's personality brought an edge to it that kept it interesting. I've heard interviews with Kendall and consider him an engaging, charitable man. It's a shame the book doesn't live up to what it could've been but that doesn't make it awful.
This is definitely a book for people who love baseball enough to read a less-than-Pulitzer book about it.
I would've enjoyed more stories about Kendall's career and I wish he'd write another book just about himself, rather than about the ins and outs of the game, but in fairness to Kendall this was not billed as a memoir. It did read a bit like an instruction manual, but Kendall's personality brought an edge to it that kept it interesting. I've heard interviews with Kendall and consider him an engaging, charitable man. It's a shame the book doesn't live up to what it could've been but that doesn't make it awful.
This is definitely a book for people who love baseball enough to read a less-than-Pulitzer book about it.
September 18, 2020
I can't say I learned a ton from this book, but I've been a fan of the game for decades and played a lot as a kid, so much of this wasn't new to me. What I took away from Kendall's writing is how much work goes into the game that fans don't see and the dedication it takes to be on the field every day. I also learned that Jason is a Bud Light guy, thinks modern players are 'soft', and if anyone but the pitcher looks for scuffs on a ball, they're looking for attention. Actually, if you do anything that he wouldn't do you're looking for attention. Which is bad according to him. Worth a read, but is probably more interesting to newer fans who have a lot to learn about the intricacies of the game. Unfortunately, it's not for younger kids, but could be a good read for teenagers who love baseball.
August 28, 2017
i am a huge baseball fan. when say huge i mean i eat, talk, sleep, dream baseball. baseball is my 1st true love. so when i saw this book in the book store n saw that it was written about n by former torrance high school jason kendall who not only played for the best mlb team ever the kc royals (i'm a little basis since i'm named after the all time GOAT of the kc royals george brett) n is a former torrance tatar, i just had to have it. well after reading the book my love n appreciate of game grew tremendously. however it could have been written better. at times it sounded like a broken record. stuff was constantly being repeated over n over again. none the less i learned some new things about baseball. my my love for the game is even greater now.
October 22, 2018
This was a fun read for me. I slowly read it over the summer, during baseball season. I am a huge baseball fan and this was the perfect next step for teaching me the details of each play. I found it fascinating. I enjoyed it for the stories and baseball knowledge. He is not an eloquent writer nor does he refrain from expletives. He’s an old school baseball player and, thus, speaks and writes as if you are a teammate in the dugout. Warning: this book assumes that you have a good grasp on baseballs intricacies and language. He uses terms without explanation in an assumption the the reader is already knowledgeable about terms and culture. It’s not necessarily a beginner book for baseball fans. It’s just a fun book told by the guy next to you in the bar!
February 26, 2019
I really thought this book would be a great gift for my brother, who is an avid and knowledgeable baseball fan. Baseball is compelling because it is a game of many moving parts with many variations, so a look inside the game through the eyes of an experienced major league player was appealing. But in the end, Jason Kendall seemed more interested in celebrating his own career than he was in giving meaningful insights into the nuances of the game. I put it down when Kendall said he used to wait to hit a pitched ball until he saw which way the infielders broke during a potential stolen base play. Really?
July 5, 2017
As someone who understands a good deal of baseball, this book was very informative and expanded my appreciation for the nuances of the game. That said, there was way too much repetition in the book. Paging an editor - please. And it was way heavy on the cliches. Toward the end, I was ready to scream with Kendall's endless refrain about "playing the game the right way". I'm glad I read it - but was also more than ready to get to the end.
January 19, 2021
Having very little to no experience with baseball, I never truly knew what went into the game. Kendall provides a great insider's look for anyone, whether they have been baseball fans their whole lives or have found it to be boring and slow (which you will know it's not after reading this book). Watching games after reading this book will be significantly different.
March 24, 2017
Throwback was written by major league baseball catcher, Jason Kendall. He wrote about himself. He was in the Major leagues for fifteen seasons. He talks about the game from what it was like for him like pregame rituals, warms, signs and much more. I liked Throwback because it was funny sometimes and sometimes interesting. It was hard to read sometimes because it wasn't really a story, but it was still good. That's why I only gave it three stars.
August 27, 2017
An in-depth look at baseball and how the game is played. Any baseball fan that wants to learn more about the game and what players are thinking while on the field then this is a good read. It's not the story of Jason Kendall's career, rather he teaches the reader how to watch baseball smarter.
February 7, 2021
An enjoyable read about the game from the inside. Hearing it told by a player who I respected as a gamer and who played the right way, made it authentic. Perhaps a little repetitive at points but overall, fun and interesting.
Thanks Mr Kendall.
Chris
Thanks Mr Kendall.
Chris
May 2, 2023
This was a very good book, you can make lots of connections with this book no matter what age you are playing baseball. It talks about all of the rule changes and the strategies of the game. It can help you understand baseball better and have a better time playing it.
January 2, 2018
Awsome
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