Title/Author:
“Off Speed: Pitching, Baseball and the Art of Deception” by Terry
McDermott, narrated by Joe Barrett
Tags:
Baseball, professional, Mariners, memoir, audiobook
Publish date:
May 16, 2017
Length:
224 pages
Rating:
3 of 5 stars (okay)
Review:
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.
Book Format Read:
Audio book
Buying
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