Bullpen Gospels
New York Times Bestseller: “Bull Durham meets Ball Four in [this] hilarious and moving account of life in baseball’s glamour-free bush leagues” (Rob Neyer).
From the humble heights of a Class-A pitcher’s mound to the deflating lows of sleeping on his gun-toting grandmother’s air mattress, veteran reliever Dirk Hayhurst steps out of the bullpen to deliver the best pitch of his career—a raw, unflinching, and surprisingly moving account of his life in the minors.
Hayhurst captures the absurdities, the grim realities, and the occasional nuggets of hard-won wisdom culled from four seasons in the minors. Whether training tarantulas to protect his room from thieving employees in a backwater hotel, watching the raging battles between his partially paralyzed father and his alcoholic brother, or absorbing the verbal barbs of some less-than-impressed schoolchildren, Hayhurst reveals a side of baseball—and life—you won’t see on ESPN.
This “really enjoyable baseball read” takes an unforgettable trot around the inglorious base paths of minor league baseball, where an inch separates a ball from a strike, and the smallest margin can be the difference between “The Show” or a long trip home (Bob Costas).
“The Bullpen Gospels is a rollicking good bus ride of a book. Hayhurst illuminates a baseball life not only with wit and humor, but also with thought-provoking introspection.” —Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated
“One of the best baseball books ever written.” —Keith Olberman
From the humble heights of a Class-A pitcher’s mound to the deflating lows of sleeping on his gun-toting grandmother’s air mattress, veteran reliever Dirk Hayhurst steps out of the bullpen to deliver the best pitch of his career—a raw, unflinching, and surprisingly moving account of his life in the minors.
Hayhurst captures the absurdities, the grim realities, and the occasional nuggets of hard-won wisdom culled from four seasons in the minors. Whether training tarantulas to protect his room from thieving employees in a backwater hotel, watching the raging battles between his partially paralyzed father and his alcoholic brother, or absorbing the verbal barbs of some less-than-impressed schoolchildren, Hayhurst reveals a side of baseball—and life—you won’t see on ESPN.
This “really enjoyable baseball read” takes an unforgettable trot around the inglorious base paths of minor league baseball, where an inch separates a ball from a strike, and the smallest margin can be the difference between “The Show” or a long trip home (Bob Costas).
“The Bullpen Gospels is a rollicking good bus ride of a book. Hayhurst illuminates a baseball life not only with wit and humor, but also with thought-provoking introspection.” —Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated
“One of the best baseball books ever written.” —Keith Olberman
