Senior Year: A Father, a Son, and High School Baseball

by Dan Shaughnessy

In Senior Year , Dan Shaughnessy focuses his acclaimed sports writing talents on his son Sam's senior year of high school, a turning point in any young life and certainly in the relationship between father and son. Using that experience, Shaughnessy circles back to his own boyhood and calls on the many sports greats he's known over the years -- Ted Williams, Roger Clemens, Larry Bird -- to capture that uniquely American rite of passage that is sports.

Growing up, Dan Shaughnessy was so baseball-obsessed that he played games by himself and didn?ft even let himself win. His son, Sam Shaughnessy, came by his own love of sports naturally and was a natural hitter who quickly ascended the ranks of youth sports. Now nicknamed the 3-2 Kid for his astonishing ability to hover between success and failure in everything he does, Sam is finally a senior, and it's all on the what college to attend; how to keep his grades up and his head down until graduation; and whether his final high school baseball season, which features foul weather, a hitting slump, and a surprising clash with a longtime coach, will end in disappointment or triumph.

All along the way, Dad is there, chronicling that universal experience of putting your child out on the field -- and in the world -- and hoping for the best. With gleaming insight, wicked humor, and, at times, the searching soul of an unsure father, Shaughnessy illuminates how sports connect generations and how they help us grow up -- and let go.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Memoir, Nonfiction

228 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Dan Shaughnessy is an award-winning columnist for the Boston Globe and the author of several sports books, including The Curse of the Bambino, a best-selling classic. Seven times Shaughnessy has been voted one of America’s top ten sports columnists by Associated Press Sports Editors and named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year. He has appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Early Show, CNN, Nightline, NPR, Imus in the Morning, ESPN, HBO, and many others. He lives in Newton, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first 2 chapters very much. They made me cry and laugh, but the rest of the book was dissappointing. While the father certainly had a passion for baseball, the son lacked a love of the game. It seemed that his success with the bat and the attention he got from that was more important to him than the comaraderie of the team, the senior year bonding, or the game of baseball itself. It left me empty at the end. I couldn't relate to this kid at all.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never as good as I wanted it to be. Not as funny, not as touching, not even as much baseball as I expected. It was a good glimpse into the author's family life, though, and what sports means to a small New England town. The writing wasn't even as engaging as I expected. Dan Shaughnessy seems to have just knocked this one off in between other writing gigs.

[Thomas White · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Dan Shaughnessy's book senior year. This book is about a father, a son, and high school baseball. I picked this book to read for summer reading because i love sports, especially baseball. I enjoyed this book because of the way the book is presented. Throughout this book, Shaughnessy is always straight up, he doesn't play favorites, even towards his son. He highlights that his son is a great hitter, but doesn't have a good arm. I also liked that Shaughnessy is relating his son's high school baseball to his own baseball experience. Shaughnessy played high school baseball in the late 60's and early 70's. Lastly, I like where the setting is taken place. The setting is in Newton, Massachusetts, and later on at Boston College. There isn't anything that I didn't like about this book. The strengths of this book were the fact that the book drew in sports fans, including myself, but the weakness is that if you don't like sports, you probably wouldn't like this book. This book focuses mostly on baseball, not the life of Shaughnessy and his son.

[Chris Schaffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shaughnessy is a brilliant writer in the mood of say a John Feinstein: writes wonderfully, self deprecating, brings out the feelings and emotions of scenes he’s describing, an insider but without the name dropping conceit, etc etc. it’s a nice book and a fast read. There becomes a bit of a predictable pattern with Shaughnessy harking back to his senior year of 1971 to contrast Sam’s but it doesn’t hurt the flow of the book. Good read for parents.

[Brian O'Leary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Should be titled why my son won't make it in sports, because he is doing everything wrong and has no one around him that has a clue.

[Matthew Stetz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short easy read. Rains a lot in Massachusetts spring time.

[Laree Hensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you ever had a child play high school sports, I’d highly recommend this book. Great read!

[Marie]

I loved this book for so many reasons. My daughter is a dancer and not a baseball player but I sure could appreciate looking over the past years and thinking of all the practices, competions, dancers and familes that are part of my life and soon will not be. I will gladly give up waiting for the college acceptances, that was so nerve wracking!! Going through Senior year was not what I had expected, too many ups and downs. Like Dan, I too recived the warnings from the guidance office every semester, and being told, by my daughter no worry, I have it under control. I keep those letters to reming myself not to worry everything turned out ok. Senior Year ends with award nights, prom, Graduation parties, and more parties, then finally dance ends and lots of new beginnings. My daughter is going to a great college and I sure will miss Senior Year, it was a trip!!!
Saying goodbye to the past is scary , I loved this book because I realized how many parents are going through what I am experiencing. Now I am getting ready to say good bye to her when I drop her at her dorm room!!!!!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shaughnessy writes about the impact that sports had on his life, from an early age and weaves in parts of his son's story along the way. Written well with humor, I wonder if perhaps it was too much too soon. He seems to be trying to strike a balance between analyzing his love of sports and baseball and all it did for his life and career, against the interest of his son. Any good kid would be hard pressed to want to intentionally disappoint a loving parent, and Dan certainly makes clear he doesn't want his son to be doing something just because dad wants him to, but both kid and parent seemed to need some perspective on what the senior year, and the potential for a future in baseball might mean. Time might have provided that. On the other hand, its a tribute to a parents love of his child and that's something that can be looked back on and shared and appreciated forever.

Plus Shaughnessy's wife is a Michigan State grad, go Green!

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Senior Year is nonfiction about Dan Shaughnessy's (Boston sports writer) son's Senior Year and the stress he as a parent had. It gives insight into a parent's feelings and thoughts about raising a senior. The son was a ballplayer and the dad was very much into watching his games and hoping he would get a sports scholarship for college. The father often compares his son's actions and events to his own memories from when he was that age. It covers the following issues: grades, driving, prom, sports, choosing a college, sportsmanship, respecting the game.

I think parents of teens would like this book.

--Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

[Brian · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an OK read about a father describing his son's senior year of high school and comparing it to his own senior year some thirty or so years earlier. The book is centered around the son's high school baseball team in a suburb of Boston. The author is a sports writer for the Boston Globe.

There were some definite "truisms" and interesting points made by the author in comparing how things used to be back in the 1970's versus how things are today - I could identify with these points. But ultimately I found the book to be on the boring side.

[Lee Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the Dan Patrick show I often hear Dan Shaughnessy on the radio. I find him to be funny and interesting (even if he is a Red Sox fan). Because of the DP Show, I decided to give "Senior Year" a go. I also happen to love books about baseball, and sports is an interest I too share with my dad. All in all, it was a nice read and very much enjoyed. Baseball lovers should read this one.

Thank you Mr. Shaugnessy for letting us into your life. Although, I do wonder if your daughters now want you to write a book about them.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I don't know why I didn't rate it five stars, maybe one day I'll go back and change that. I've heard from prominent teachers that they all have books that they are unwilling to share with their classes (even though they have an enormous desire to promote reading), and this will be the the book for me. I never thought I would keep a book all to myself (or in this case between me and my dad), but this one is it for me.

[Cady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Senior Year was an enjoyable read for me. Shaughnessy's account of his son Sam's senior year of high school was not one of great drama or excitement, but a comfortably honest story about family bonds, mistakes made and lessons learned. While mainly focusing on sports, I saw this as a parenting memoir, and I appreciated the message about savoring the moments (good, bad, and the ugly) from a "seasoned" father of 3.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. I remember Dan from high school, always smiling and busy going place to place, person to person. It was fun to read about the people and places I'd known growing up, almost like being there. Not being a sports fan, I would glaze over reading the technical descriptions of games, but this book was heartfelt and a wonderful read.

[Hillary · Rating 3 out of 5]

More about parenthood and father-son relationships than baseball, which is good because baseball is not one of my favorite topics for reading. but mr. shaughnessy's book makes the baseball language extremely accessible to the non-baseball fan.

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very quick and more fun to read if you have played or coached in the Bay State League in Boston. It also makes seeing Dan Shaugnessy's son play baseball more interesting. If you like baseball and live in Massachusetts, I would recommend it.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you graduated from Newton North High School you should read this book. Yes ladies, its about fathers/sons and baseball but it's still worth it. A really quick read that will bring you back to the halls of NNHS.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty here for a baseball parent to relate to, although I would have preferred a little less Dan Shaugnessy and a little more Sam Shaugnessy, his ball-playing son who is ostensibly at the center of this memoir.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a sucker for anything Shaughnessy writes. Especially recommended for parents of athletes.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great father/son look that any parent can relate to, regardless of a baseball appreciation. It helps, but isn't necessary.

[Daigo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book with tons of good baseball quotes. I'd like to re-read it when my son gets older...

[Joe Zenir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book by well known sportswriter and kid kids senior year in High school, parenting, role of sports in fatherhood etc...

[Scott Dailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

High school reunion coming up, seemed appropriate. Good summer read

[Brendan O'Meara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Not great. Good solid 3 stars. Hit home in a lot of ways.

[Emily Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I love baseball, naturally I loved this book. It was super super good!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read. Great book for parents of high school kids. Especially interesting for those with kids at newton north high school.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice story about a father and son relationship that was solidified by baseball.

[Mitch Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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