Rating: 
Summary: A very interesting book, a must read
Review: This book made me laugh and also made me cry. I have a better understanding what Umpires go thru and Merrill is a great role model. His Christian Service to the kids is a God sen.
Rating: 
Summary: Pathetic editing
Review: This book MIGHT be good if the author didn't mention the same stories over and over. By page, 200, I had heard about Roberto Alomar's spitting incident, Steve Palermo, and Merrill's hand gestures entirely too many times. This book is by far the most choppy piece of writing I've ever read. I hope Merrill puts more effort into his umpiring than he does his spelling and grammar...
Rating:
Summary: Pathetic editing
Review: This book MIGHT be good if the author didn't mention the same stories over and over. By page, 200, I had heard about Roberto Alomar's spitting incident, Steve Palermo, and Merrill's hand gestures entirely too many times. This book is by far the most choppy piece of writing I've ever read. I hope Merrill puts more effort into his umpiring than he does his spelling and grammar...
Rating:
Summary: Merrill is hilarious. Jim Dent's BEST BOOK so far!
Review: This is the funniest sports/life books I have ever read. Durwood Merrill is extremely funny and Jim Dent crafts this work so well that you feel like your sitting at the ballpark and you grandpa is telling you stories. A MUST read for ALL sports fans. I got my book signed and got the opportunity to meet both men and I can say that they are two of the nicest out there. If you get the chance to get your book signed, do it. I can't wait for Mr. Dent's next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Dad Gum!!!! That darn book was pretty booring.
Review: What was billed as a wildly hysterical look at major league baseball through the eyes of an umpire turned out to be a rather booring couple of nights of reading. If you want real humor, check out Ron Luciano's efforts. If you want "ol' boy, down home country lingo" this will do. The foreward, written by Ken Griffey, Jr. is banal and self-serving. The book itself does little more than proclaim baseball analyst Tim McCarver as a jerk, superstar Reggie Jackson as the "second coming" (presumably because he professed to enjoy the author's fried chicken) and Merrill himself as a blind supporter of his fellow umpires. Funny,,, Merrill referred to former umpire Nestor Chylak as "Nestor Shylock".Didn't his editors check this out beforehand? That's reason enough for me to ask for my money back. If your looking for baseball humor, try Luciano - and leave this book on the shelf.
Rating: 
Summary: Some very funny stories, and some that are serious, too.
Review: When I first bought this book, I wasn't quite sure what to think. I had heard a few negative things about it, and kind of had a prejudice against it. Boy, was that wrong! I found this to be a very funny, lighthearted read (for the most part). There's some really wonderful insights into what it takes to become a big league umpire - never quite realized all they went through in "Umpire boot camp" (my term). It's not all fun and games, there's a few stories about how an umpire friend of his was attacked and crippled on the streets of Dallas, and the latter part talks a lot about his charity works.A great book - funny, light, and to be honest, something that surprised me in a very good way. What was personally annoying was that after I read this (during the last month of the 99 season), I wanted to watch Durwood, and then he up and retires during the playoffs (and then died a short time later). Damn. Really wanted to see him after reading his book. Oh well. Check it out, a good light read.
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