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Rating: 
Summary: Sinatra did it his way. Kaat does it the right way.
Review: I found this book an inordinately refreshing change of pace from the usual self-aggrandizing, back-biting, and vituperative drivel that one often finds in books of this nature. Instead of bludgeoning his readers with an endless series of cheap ad hominem attacks on his ex-teammates, or whining incessantly about the "wanton cruelty" of the "mass media" (again, an all too common feature in sports biographies these days), Mr. Kaat conveys to his readers something much more profound here: His undying and unconditional love for the sport he played. While it may seem almost Kafkaesque to laud an ex-athlete for "doing the right thing" in his memoirs, that is not to say, however, that Mr. Kaat doesn't offer any criticism of some the men that he played with. It is just done tactfully, and in a manner that is devoid of the sort of malignant narcissism that one finds in say, David Wells' Tell-all tale. Indeed, this book does feature more than its fair share of criticism against those who Mr. Kaat feels could have done more to help themselves, and their respective teams. For example: -Did you know that Harmon Killebrew, while a great ballplayer, lacked the sort of leadership skills that one would hope for in a star of that magnitude? His passivity, especially with regards to his sheepish acceptance of any contract offered him by ownership, helped to undermine the position of many of his teammates when negotiating contracts. Remember, this was long before professional athletes earned the sort of money they do today. They measured their financial success, as did most Americans at that time, in the tens of thousands, not the tens of millions that they do today. -Did you know that George Steinbrenner, while always willing to spend millions on high-profile free agents, was capable of lying to and then chiseling aging veterans, like Jim Kaat, out of a meager few thousand dollars? (hehe...surprised? Nor was I).
Now, Mr. Kaat does not frame his criticism of King George in quite the same way as I did above. But his anger was, nonetheless, evident. There are, of course, more such examples of this book's critical offerings, but the two I've provided above should suffice. Any Yankee fan, like me, who has listened to Mr. Kaat broadcast Yankee games for the past nine years, knows that he is literally a bottomless well of baseball anecdotes. One of my favorites from his book is the story he tells about Graig Nettles, the great Yankee third baseman from 1973-83, who had started his career with Minnesota in late-60s. Kaat and Nettles had been good friends during their days together in Minnesota. Subsequently, after Nettles had been traded to Cleveland and then to New York, the two faced each other many times, with Nettles usually getting the better of Kaat. Kaat speculates that this was so because they had been such good friends in Minnesota. Nettles, therefore, felt comfortable batting against Kaat-too comfortable. One night, Nettles, while batting against Kaat, was being pestered by a moth that kept flying around his face. Nettles jokingly barked out at Kaat, "hey Jim, was that your fastball?" Angered by this, and by all the previous success that Nettles had had against him, Kaat threw the next pitch, a fastball, right under Nettles' chin. Nettles fell backward and looked out at Jim in stunned disbelief. Suffice it to say, Nettles never again enjoyed the same success against Kaat after that. That is but one of many charming stories that Jim shares with his readers. This is a book that any true baseball fan will enjoy reading. Mr. Kaat's sincerity, straight-forwardness, and love for the game of baseball is as refreshing as a cold iced-tea is on a hot summers day...a day which is perfect for baseball.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Just Another Ex-Jock Book
Review: Jim Kaat's 20+ years on the mound translates into a good understanding of pitching which benefits his announcing and his book writing. Instead of wasting time with gossip, he offers solid and concise analysis of baseball, much of it unconventional. He thinks that pitchers shouldn't be running before ballgames, because they are strengthening the wrong muscles. Pitchers can best get in shape by pitching and conditioning the same muscles they will need when they are working late in a game. He also thinks that pitchers should be throwing everyday to keep those muscles limber. There must be something to it. When Kaat retired, no one had played as many seasons and his only stint on the DL was when he broke his arm sliding into second base. He also thinks that pitchers get into trouble over-thinking situations. A good example is Mike Mussina, a Stanford graduate. Kaat makes a good case that there is no substitute for throwing strikes. He points out that even the best hitters can't hit every pitch out in batting practice when they know what's coming. Why do pitchers worry that putting it across the plate is going to be disaster? David Wells is his example of a guy who just battles the hitters with his best stuff. The book is pretty short, because unlike most authors who go on and on about a subject hitting it at the edges, Kaat aims square in the middle and moves on to something else. The publisher's worry about the book's shortness has lead to a bunch of filler material like Kaat's Teammate All-Star teams and greatest catchers he's seen. There's also a section at the end full of newspaper stories written about Kaat during his playing career. The main body of the book may be short, but the wisdom contained within is worth more than books twice the size. I think Jim Kaat could write a really good book in the style of George Will's MEN AT WORK if some publisher gave him the opportunity.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just Another Ex-Jock Book
Review: Jim Kaat's 20+ years on the mound translates into a good understanding of pitching which benefits his announcing and his book writing. Instead of wasting time with gossip, he offers solid and concise analysis of baseball, much of it unconventional. He thinks that pitchers shouldn't be running before ballgames, because they are strengthening the wrong muscles. Pitchers can best get in shape by pitching and conditioning the same muscles they will need when they are working late in a game. He also thinks that pitchers should be throwing everyday to keep those muscles limber. There must be something to it. When Kaat retired, no one had played as many seasons and his only stint on the DL was when he broke his arm sliding into second base. He also thinks that pitchers get into trouble over-thinking situations. A good example is Mike Mussina, a Stanford graduate. Kaat makes a good case that there is no substitute for throwing strikes. He points out that even the best hitters can't hit every pitch out in batting practice when they know what's coming. Why do pitchers worry that putting it across the plate is going to be disaster? David Wells is his example of a guy who just battles the hitters with his best stuff. The book is pretty short, because unlike most authors who go on and on about a subject hitting it at the edges, Kaat aims square in the middle and moves on to something else. The publisher's worry about the book's shortness has lead to a bunch of filler material like Kaat's Teammate All-Star teams and greatest catchers he's seen. There's also a section at the end full of newspaper stories written about Kaat during his playing career. The main body of the book may be short, but the wisdom contained within is worth more than books twice the size. I think Jim Kaat could write a really good book in the style of George Will's MEN AT WORK if some publisher gave him the opportunity.
Rating:
Summary: Very Easy Read
Review: This book really captures Jim Kaat. Having listened to him broadcast over the years I could almost hear him speaking the words from this book. It's a nice story by a guy who doesn't have an axe to grind with anyone. It was also a great example of how someone can be very opinionated without being controversial or nasty. As another reviewer hinted, this won't go down as a landmark in sports literature, but it is a really nice, easy read and is an all-around interesting story.
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