Major League Dads: Baseball's Best Players Reflect on the Fathers Who Inspired Them to Love the Game

by Kevin Neary, Leigh A. Tobin, Terry Francona (Foreword by)

Overview

Baseball is America's favorite pastime and one of the best ways for fathers and sons to bond. Major League Dads is an inspirational look at such connections through a collection of heartfelt essays from interviews with 150 of the top players in Major League Baseball, such as David Wright, Carlos Pena, Brad Lidge, and Derek Jeter. Through personal recollections, you can read firsthand what their dads meant to them growing up and how they coached them to success both on and off the field.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762445028
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	04/24/2012
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Kevin Neary has been a fan of the game his entire life. He worked with the Philadelphia Phillies for nine years. For the past twenty years he has worked for The Walt Disney Company and is the coauthor of Major League Dads. He lives in Celebration, FL.

Leigh A. Tobin worked for the Philadelphia Phillies for more than twenty years in PR as the writer for the club's publications and later as the Director of Media Relations. She has relationships with a great number of major league players and is the coauthor of Major League Dads. She lives in Philadelphia, PA.

Terry Francona is the two-time World Series champion manager for the Boston Red Sox and the fourth person in history to manage 1,000 games for the Red Sox.

Editorial Reviews

A perfect Father’s Day gift for baseball-loving dads, Neary and Tobin’s collection of 137 reminiscences from current and former professional baseball players who each had their fathers as their early (and sometimes pro) coaches is clearly a labor of love. Both authors spent many tears working for the Philadelphia Phillies, and both share the belief that “aseball is truly a game of tradition, heritage, and that of honoring excellence.” But the book is more that a typical sports book—it’s “less a book about baseball and more about the relationships between fathers and their sons.” All the stories are positive, and almost all the players describe their youth using some version of the sentiment expressed by current Tampa Bay Rays’ infielder Ben Zobrist: “Probably the greatest lesson my dad taught me was to work hard.” But what is also remarkable is that almost all players comment on how their father-son bonds have sustained and deepened over time. As five-time Gold Glove-winning pitcher Kenny Rogers (who also pitched the 14th perfect game in the history of major league baseball) says, “t’s not so much about how to hit or how to throw or about baseball technique anymore. It’s just talk, father and son.” (July)

Publishers Weekly

P.K. Library Journal
"…a sentimental book for readers who like the old-fashioned appeal of the father-son baseball connection... Readers will enjoy the simple reminiscences of players such as Moises Alou or Aaron Boone who had MLB fathers and who grew up around the stadium. Other sons, e.g., pitcher Greg Maddux, had dads who coached them in the early years and who were wise enough to realize the limits of their baseball knowledge. …a good option for public libraries or as a Father’s Day gift."

Publisher’s Weekly
A perfect Father’s Day gift for baseball-loving dads, Neary and Tobin’s collection of 137 reminiscences from current and former professional baseball players who each had their fathers as their early (and sometimes pro) coaches is clearly a
labor of love."
 

Boston Red Thoughts Blog
“Major League Dads is the perfect father’s Day gift for your dad, no matter what team he cheers for–and the perfect thank you for those hours teaching you to love the game of baseball. Check it out!

From the Publisher

Here's a sentimental book for readers who like the old-fashioned appeal of the father-son baseball connection. The entries are short, around one page per player, based on interviews by Neary. Readers will enjoy the simple reminiscences of players such as Moises Alou or Aaron Boone who had MLB fathers and who grew up around the stadium. Other sons, e.g., pitcher Greg Maddux, had dads who coached them in the early years and who were wise enough to realize the limits of their baseball knowledge. Some players had no fatherly attention (e.g., Alex Rodriguez), so were not interviewed. Most of the fathers provided crucial everyday advice that was more important than rule book specifics. Best to dip into for snippets, this is a good option for public libraries or as a Father's Day gift.—P.K.

Library Journal