Sports Stories: Inside the Mental Game and Physical Challenge

Pedro, by Pedro Martinez and Michael Silverman
It’s an incredible journey: Pedro Martinez was born into poverty in the Dominican Republic. In 2015, the first year of his eligibility, he was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. One of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history, Martinez is quite small compared to other power throwers—indeed, early in his career, the Los Angeles Dodgers traded him to Montreal because they thought he was too weak to start. Pedro chronicles the player’s rise to stardom and provides an absorbing look into a man who overcame seemingly impossible odds.

Natural Born Heroes: How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance, by Christopher McDougall
This one is a fascinating blend of stories: a war story, an outdoor sports memoir, and a meditation on heroism. McDougall, the bestselling author of Born to Run, follows in the footsteps of a band of WWII Resistance fighters on the Greek island of Crete who kidnapped a Nazi general despite enormous physical challenges. He uses this story, along with the geography and past of Crete itself, as a starting point from which to consider the history of heroism, and what makes a hero today.

Every Day I Fight, by Stuart Scott, with Larry Platt
ESPN anchor Stuart Scott finished writing Every Day I Fight shortly before his death from cancer in January 2015. This hopeful, poignant memoir is the story of his seven-year battle with the disease—the chemo, the surgeries, and the incredible determination it takes to keep fighting—and also of his childhood, family, and career as a sportscaster. An inspirational book, and a courageous one, Every Day I Fight is a great read even if you’d sooner watch C-SPAN than ESPN.

The Game: Inside the Secret World of Major League Baseball’s Power Brokers, by Jon Pessah
Sports journalist Jon Pessah takes us inside baseball’s most turbulent years in this juicy, meticulously researched book. In the early ’90s, wracked by disagreements, scandal, and steroid addiction, the sport was facing both public condemnation and the cancellation of a World Series. Pessah follows Commissioner Bud Selig, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, and Major League Baseball Players Association leader Don Fehr as they struggle for power and, eventually, work together to save our national pastime. A fascinating look at the business end of a beloved—and lucrative—game.

The A Swing: The Alternative Approach to Great Golf, by David Leadbetter, with Ron Kaspriske
Famous golf instructor David Leadbetter counts as his students any number of successful competitive golfers, including Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, and Ernie Els. In The A Swing, his first book in nine years, Leadbetter details a simple, biomechanically sound swing that’s easy to learn and to individualize. Along with more than 200 illustrations and clearly written instructions, the book includes a “7-Minute Practice Plan” to help golfers from beginner to pro develop a great swing—and have fun doing it.

The Journey Home: My Life in Pinstripes, by Jorge Posada, with Gary Brozek
This memoir from superstar catcher Jorge Posada is a loving look at his 17 seasons with the New York Yankees, but it’s also the story of his family and the father-son relationship that was the bedrock for his eventual success. The Journey Home traces Posada’s family roots, reaching back through three generations of fathers and sons and across four different countries. A warm-hearted and inspirational book about sports, friends, and families.
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