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Have Bat, Will Travel: My Year in French Baseball
How good could you become? If you gave up your job and pursued your passion with a single-minded resolve, what is your absolute ceiling? Could you go pro?Based on his successful blog of the same name, Evan Meagher answers that question in HAVE BAT, WILL TRAVEL. In a charming ‘everyman’ story reminiscent of George Plimpton’s participatory journalism, he quits his job in finance in a quixotic effort to determine if he can get paid to play professional baseball anywhere in the world.HAVE BAT, WILL TRAVEL is the true story of a man chasing a dream. What starts as a carefree conversation over a beer in college turns into an all-consuming obsession that brings Evan to Bois-Guillaume, a small town in Normandy, France. A fish out of water, Evan faces political intrigue, cultural misunderstandings, and a bullseye on his back as an expensive American import. On the verge of outgrowing a childhood pastime, Evan creates a humorous narrative that is, at its heart, about fighting Father Time to a draw.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 9, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 21, 2022
Following a dream, one that is a bit more difficult and unique than most
How many people played sports in High School?
Answer: Quite a few.
How many people played sports in college?
Answer: Very few.
How many people played sports professionally?
Answer: So few, that I do not know any.
Think of all the people with whom you went to High School - and then filter out the best athletes.
Of that subset, how many played professionally?
No, I'm not talking about being a star, or even making it to the Big Leagues.
I'm talking about how many people you know that made any sort of a living as an athlete, even a small one.
The answer is probably zero.
Enter Evan Meagher, who wants to be one of the guys you know who has been a professional athlete
This is not a tale of a star who did not get drafted, or a star who got injured and then did not get drafted.
This is not even a tale of someone in the minor leagues trying to make the Big Show.
This is a tale of an athlete who got injured as a Freshman playing Ultimate Frisbee, and then spent the next few years being practical.
He bounced around a little after college, landed a difficult but still cushy job in finance, became good at it, and then gained 25 pounds.
And then he decided he wanted to become a professional athlete.
No, not the Big Show.
A professional athlete somewhere.
And then he decides to do it in Europe.
And what follows is a tale of getting in shape, and then travelling to a far away land and then -
Being a professional athlete has more ups and downs than you can possibly imagine.
Whatever the case, this book is an inspiration
No, you don't have to be a pro ballplayer in France, or pro anything really.
What you can do is just try - to surf, to paint, to start a small business -
Heck I know one person who went the opposite route of Meagher. She had a cushy life, but wanted to make an impact. She took a few accounting classes and then volunteered as an accountant for small businesses because it was cool.
The take-home message?
Try.
That is the message - try for something, and however it ends up - you will be the better for it !
And whatever the case - I recommend this book!
How many people played sports in High School?
Answer: Quite a few.
How many people played sports in college?
Answer: Very few.
How many people played sports professionally?
Answer: So few, that I do not know any.
Think of all the people with whom you went to High School - and then filter out the best athletes.
Of that subset, how many played professionally?
No, I'm not talking about being a star, or even making it to the Big Leagues.
I'm talking about how many people you know that made any sort of a living as an athlete, even a small one.
The answer is probably zero.
Enter Evan Meagher, who wants to be one of the guys you know who has been a professional athlete
This is not a tale of a star who did not get drafted, or a star who got injured and then did not get drafted.
This is not even a tale of someone in the minor leagues trying to make the Big Show.
This is a tale of an athlete who got injured as a Freshman playing Ultimate Frisbee, and then spent the next few years being practical.
He bounced around a little after college, landed a difficult but still cushy job in finance, became good at it, and then gained 25 pounds.
And then he decided he wanted to become a professional athlete.
No, not the Big Show.
A professional athlete somewhere.
And then he decides to do it in Europe.
And what follows is a tale of getting in shape, and then travelling to a far away land and then -
Being a professional athlete has more ups and downs than you can possibly imagine.
Whatever the case, this book is an inspiration
No, you don't have to be a pro ballplayer in France, or pro anything really.
What you can do is just try - to surf, to paint, to start a small business -
Heck I know one person who went the opposite route of Meagher. She had a cushy life, but wanted to make an impact. She took a few accounting classes and then volunteered as an accountant for small businesses because it was cool.
The take-home message?
Try.
That is the message - try for something, and however it ends up - you will be the better for it !
And whatever the case - I recommend this book!
August 14, 2021
Great read
This book was an absolute joy to read. I learned a ton about baseball in France but more than that, I just found myself grinning wider with each subsequent page. Thanks, Evan, for sharing your amazing experience. What a treasure!
This book was an absolute joy to read. I learned a ton about baseball in France but more than that, I just found myself grinning wider with each subsequent page. Thanks, Evan, for sharing your amazing experience. What a treasure!
July 17, 2021
Great book on baseball its intersection with French culture. Refreshing style. I felt like Evan took me on a vacation to the French countryside.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews