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Shattered: Struck Down, but not Destroyed
Like its author, Shattered is “fun, fast, and real” and an intriguing mix of paradoxes. Frank Pastore was a physically awkward kid who became a professional athlete. An okay student who goes on to earn two masters degrees in philosophy. A former atheist who ends up hosting the biggest Christian radio talk show in America. Shattered is part sports book, because you’ll go on road trips, enter clubhouses, and walk on the fields of professional baseball. It’s part romantic novel, because you’ll journey with two young kids who fall in love and eventually elope, evading not only her family, but the law as well—for she was only 16. It’s also a story of brokenness, betrayal, and burn-out. If you were raised in a dysfunctional family, if you’ve ever had your dreams fall apart, been betrayed by close friends, or hit the psychological “wall” in your professional career, this is your book too. But, most of all, this is an uplifting story of how an unpredictable God can surprise any of us with His goodness and love when we allow Him to make beautiful the shattered fragments of our lives.
254 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 27, 2011
From his difficult childhood with a manipulative mother and distant father, to excelling at baseball in high school and ultimately in the Majors, to his failures, and eventually successes in radio, Frank Pastore has lived an interesting life. Not knowing anything about him before reading his new book Shattered (I should have being a huge baseball fan), I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a fascinating memoir about a man that discovered the goodness of God's relentless pursuit of him, despite how often he tried to run.
Biographies are a different animal than most non-fiction to me. Stories are great, but unless you can show how those individual stories fit together to create the person you're reading about, the book can end up just a hodgepodge of "here's something that happened to me once." I don't enjoy those kind of books.
With Pastore, you see the development of a man who struggled with confidence, trust, and other issues as a boy, pride and arrogance at times as a professional baseball player, emotional detachment after that, and ultimately, became a godly man with the largest christian radio show in the country, a great family, and a strong faith in God. I never get tired of hearing stories like that. There were lots of hardships on the way, and Pastore is very candid about how he felt about things, but the story is really about God and his pursuit of one man. In that way, Frank's story is my story.
Speaking of stories, Pastore has some great ones: his elopement with his wife (then 16), pitching through a horrible injury, becoming a Christian, starting up a radio and teaching ministry from basically nothing, among others. I think my favorite story dealt with getting released from the Reds and sitting down with then-manager Pete Rose. Rose basically said he'd lost his edge because of his new faith, so Frank proceeded to basically share the gospel with him. Those familiar with Rose can anticipate his reaction.
Overall, as a Christian, a baseball fan, and a lover of stories, I found this book very enjoyable. Frank' story is interesting and he and his co-writer Ellen Vaughn tell it well. I would recommend it as a quick, easy read about a fascinating life.
Biographies are a different animal than most non-fiction to me. Stories are great, but unless you can show how those individual stories fit together to create the person you're reading about, the book can end up just a hodgepodge of "here's something that happened to me once." I don't enjoy those kind of books.
With Pastore, you see the development of a man who struggled with confidence, trust, and other issues as a boy, pride and arrogance at times as a professional baseball player, emotional detachment after that, and ultimately, became a godly man with the largest christian radio show in the country, a great family, and a strong faith in God. I never get tired of hearing stories like that. There were lots of hardships on the way, and Pastore is very candid about how he felt about things, but the story is really about God and his pursuit of one man. In that way, Frank's story is my story.
Speaking of stories, Pastore has some great ones: his elopement with his wife (then 16), pitching through a horrible injury, becoming a Christian, starting up a radio and teaching ministry from basically nothing, among others. I think my favorite story dealt with getting released from the Reds and sitting down with then-manager Pete Rose. Rose basically said he'd lost his edge because of his new faith, so Frank proceeded to basically share the gospel with him. Those familiar with Rose can anticipate his reaction.
Overall, as a Christian, a baseball fan, and a lover of stories, I found this book very enjoyable. Frank' story is interesting and he and his co-writer Ellen Vaughn tell it well. I would recommend it as a quick, easy read about a fascinating life.
May 21, 2023
Loved reading this book. I was a long time listener of the Frank Pastore show from the time I was a freshman in college until his death in 2012. I had his book on my mind for a long time but when I realized it was co-written with Ellen Vaughn, one of my favorite autobiographers, I knew it was my next read. Frank was an intriguing person, the way he talked about topics through the lens of a Christian world view. He was always thinking and questioning and willing to talk to others with opposing views to have a dialogue with them. The book begins with describing his childhood. From his mom entering into her third marriage with his dad after she became pregnant with Frank. He grew up not having a sense of who he was and not having strong ties to either of his parents. The one thing that was a constant was baseball. From the time he was young he played catch with his dad, who had dreams of being in the major leagues until a bar fight left him unable to tryout. Fast forward and when Frank, was a teenager he was forced to go to a catholic school in order to avoid people who wanted to damage his pitching arm. From there he signs with the Reds right after high school at the age of 17. He also elopes with his wife Gina shortly after. His dreams are shattered when he is hit with a ball that shatters the bones in his pitching arm. Through all this the Lord was placing Christian men in his life to lead him to salvation, something he tried to avoid his whole life. There were many highs and lows in Frank’s life all of them culminating in him being the voice of faith and reason for many years as people commuted home every weekday. He unfortunate passed away in 2012 from a motor cycle accident on his way home. I still miss listening to his show and always wonder what he would think and say about current events. This book is definitely worth reading if you are a fan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2020
Great autobiography of an outstanding baseball pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. It walked through his dysfunctional family life as an atheist per his mother's teachings to a well educated man with a deep and rewarding life loving and respecting the word of God.
He also had a radio program for a long time where he was able to use his many Christian based skills to teach as well as guide his listening audience on the road of life as a questioning and/or a loving Christian.
I wish I had had an opportunity to meet Frank Pastore; I would have loved to hear him share his thoughts and ideas about living a truly "I love the Lord" based life.
I would recommend this book for all who are open to learning about the power of God.
He also had a radio program for a long time where he was able to use his many Christian based skills to teach as well as guide his listening audience on the road of life as a questioning and/or a loving Christian.
I wish I had had an opportunity to meet Frank Pastore; I would have loved to hear him share his thoughts and ideas about living a truly "I love the Lord" based life.
I would recommend this book for all who are open to learning about the power of God.
July 25, 2018
I was curious about Frank, as I heard about the originality of his mind after his death on the Dennis Prager show. He also hosted one of the biggest christian radio shows in America. I'm inspired by his story and his love story resonated with mine though I didn't do the crazy things he did. It was also interesting how he talked of his accident on his bike and how he survived only to die later riding it. This story is about the surprises that life throws at you and how you bounce back not forgetting his conversion to Christianity from Atheism leading to him becoming a minister and finally a talk show radio host. Its an easy five stars.
January 24, 2019
This man has had an unbelievable journey! Even though he was a major league pitcher, he experienced so many disappointments and hurts. I enjoyed reading about God’s redemptive work in Frank’s life. It moved me to see how God worked all things for good. The different things Frank learned throughout his life, I learned from his experiences and if I already knew some things, I was reminded again of these truths.
January 10, 2024
Frank Pastore has written honestly and openly about his life growing up how he meant Jesus baseball, and how to pick up and find some thing else to do when your main career goal has been taken away from you. It’s sad that we lost him so soon and And his voice is been silenced. I’m sure there’s a big gap in his family’s life and I hope that they might be carrying on where he left off very enjoyable book.
January 21, 2022
I always like to hear peoples' testimonies - their God stories. I never want to discredit or critic it because it is THEIR story. This book was good, just hard to follow sometimes. He was very detailed and I felt chased rabbits sometimes. I really enjoyed hearing him speak, so I got his book. He is a much better speaker, but I enjoyed reading about his life. Always eye-opening
May 13, 2024
Great biography and testimony. A little choppy to read at times, but there is lots of good background about baseball. And I enjoyed reading about the ministry that evolved from Frank's testimony. I had not heard of him before, but I'm glad he wrote this book. Google his name after you read the book (not before) to get the rest of the story.
September 26, 2017
Great story of Frank Pastore and how he rose to baseball fame, pitching for the Cincinnati Reds--and then how an errant ball cut his career short--but became a Christian and found there was more to life than fame and fortune. Whether you're a baseball fan or not, this is a great read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2010
Frank Pastore’s pitching career was going great guns. Then a line drive shattered his pitching elbow. In seconds, he went from the top of his profession to the bottom .
From the cover blurb:
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Frank Pastore stepped onto the mound in Dodger Stadium to throw another fastball – something he’d done thousands of times since childhood. But this one time was different. The batter connected and the ball came rocketing back to the mound, shattering not only Frank’s pitching elbow – but also his dream of getting “rich and famous” through Major League Baseball.
As he walked to the training room, Frank found himself asking a God he didn’t believe in, “Why is this happening to me?”
The review:
This was a pretty good book. I know very little about baseball, except that the Texas Rangers always charge into the season as if they know what they are doing, then fall apart. The contempt with which this man was raised to view religion by his sociopathic mother and his weak father are quite clear. So is the gradual and persistent movement toward thinking things through for himself, aided by good friends and some foxhole situations.
I liked the fact that Mr. Pastore avoided using his book to get revenge at some people who really treated him shabbily and used him despite supposedly being Christians. He could easily have bitterly called them out instead.
I do feel Mr. Pastore glosses over the ill effects the narcissism of his Major League Baseball days, and his ministry days, had on his wife and children. While he did far better than either of his parents, he did much worse than he could have. The bootstrap effect is sometimes the best one can do, but it still costs.
This book did not cram the God Mr. Pastore worships down the reader’s throat. A little heavy handed at times, for the most part it seemed content with gentle witnessing and examples of before and after. For that reason, and because even I, as a non-sport person found the book interesting, I am giving it an A minus.
FCC Disclosure: Tyndale House Publishers sent me a copy of this book to review. I received no other compensation. My opinions are my own.
From the cover blurb:
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Frank Pastore stepped onto the mound in Dodger Stadium to throw another fastball – something he’d done thousands of times since childhood. But this one time was different. The batter connected and the ball came rocketing back to the mound, shattering not only Frank’s pitching elbow – but also his dream of getting “rich and famous” through Major League Baseball.
As he walked to the training room, Frank found himself asking a God he didn’t believe in, “Why is this happening to me?”
The review:
This was a pretty good book. I know very little about baseball, except that the Texas Rangers always charge into the season as if they know what they are doing, then fall apart. The contempt with which this man was raised to view religion by his sociopathic mother and his weak father are quite clear. So is the gradual and persistent movement toward thinking things through for himself, aided by good friends and some foxhole situations.
I liked the fact that Mr. Pastore avoided using his book to get revenge at some people who really treated him shabbily and used him despite supposedly being Christians. He could easily have bitterly called them out instead.
I do feel Mr. Pastore glosses over the ill effects the narcissism of his Major League Baseball days, and his ministry days, had on his wife and children. While he did far better than either of his parents, he did much worse than he could have. The bootstrap effect is sometimes the best one can do, but it still costs.
This book did not cram the God Mr. Pastore worships down the reader’s throat. A little heavy handed at times, for the most part it seemed content with gentle witnessing and examples of before and after. For that reason, and because even I, as a non-sport person found the book interesting, I am giving it an A minus.
FCC Disclosure: Tyndale House Publishers sent me a copy of this book to review. I received no other compensation. My opinions are my own.
September 7, 2010
n this autobiography, Frank Pastore takes you through his life before Christ and continues to the present day. Even though I'm not a baseball fan, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. His life was very interesting and his wit and humor make the book easy to enjoy. He recounts his disfunctional childhood with enough humor that it doesn't depress you, but with enough honesty that you have empathy. His stories of his life playing baseball appeal to even those (like me) who don't know anything about the sport - and my favorite part is his story of how he marries his wife! I would recommend this book for just about any adult - although I'm sure if you are a baseball fan, this would be even more enjoyed. Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this audiobook free from Oasis Audio as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
I received this audiobook free from Oasis Audio as part of their Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
January 19, 2013
This is a wonderful book that can be read in a few days. I started to listen to radio host Frank Pastore a year ago on my drives home from Costa Mesa to Orange, CA. He is a gifted Christian evangelical speaker, along with Greg Laurie, who is also a phenomenal preacher. I don’t follow baseball closely, yet I was surprised to learn, as a former Ohioan, that Frank played with Johnny Bench on the Cincinnati Reds “Big Red Machine”. After a tragic elbow injury, poor Frank was fired by none other than Pete Rose, and then let go by Minnesota a year before they won the World Series in 1987. Frank’s life and career were also shattered by this injury. He is not the only one whose life has been shattered and detoured by an unexpected set-back; however, as Frank Pastore exemplifies in his book, we can accept the cards we have been dealt, pick up the pieces and realize happiness and fulfillment with hard work, faith and optimism.
February 16, 2011
The amazing story of the pre and post pro baseball life of a former atheist turned Christian. The book takes you through Franks Pastore's life from a kid dreaming of baseball with a rough upbringing. To the elbow shattering pitch in the major leagues. To now being a Christian radio talk show host.
The stories told are engaging. I would like more details about his months of counselling and his growth from that. I liked the candor and vulnerability throughout the book.
The stories told are engaging. I would like more details about his months of counselling and his growth from that. I liked the candor and vulnerability throughout the book.
October 24, 2012
This book was a very difficult read, for me. Some personal stories were enjoyable, to others I got so frustrated I nearly abandoned the book.
Overall, I had trouble relating to this author; and didn't get in to this book till 75% of the way through. However, I think the end of the book made up for a lot.
If you really like Baseball, this book will be an easier read. My score: 2/5.
Overall, I had trouble relating to this author; and didn't get in to this book till 75% of the way through. However, I think the end of the book made up for a lot.
If you really like Baseball, this book will be an easier read. My score: 2/5.
February 16, 2012
Just can't relate to a zero-to-sixty religious conversion... But it's always interesting to read about what people go through, how they deal, and their perspectives. I'm just too liberal of a Christian to understand Evangelicals!
July 26, 2010
Amazing story; very moving and yet very witty.
January 8, 2012
excellent story!
June 6, 2011
The true story of a major league pitcher and his journey to Christ.
May 23, 2010
This is a Christian book, but anyone who is a fan of baseball will like it.
Read
January 19, 2019Listened on audiobook during road trip, and it was really entertaining!! I liked it!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews