HEART OF THE GAME : The Education of a Minor-League Ball Player

Rating:
Summary: Excellent, true baseball book
Review: As a Boston Red Sox fan, I can lay as great a claim as anyone to loving baseball. Only in recent years (by virtue of the Double-A Eastern League's Portland SeaDogs) have I been able to get into minor league ball, as well. This book - and Malloy - captures everything great about the game, and it has prompted me to follow his career, as well as that of minor league superstar Tony Graffannino, a physically gifted and talented keystoner, who was always one step ahead of Malloy in development. This book captures the heroism of hard work, and that tragedy so poignantly seen in baseball: hustle goes a long way, but there's no substitute for God-given talent. Great writing, all around. One of those books you wish you never had to finish.

One objection, though: Hemphill refers to the "Peanuts" catcher as Linus, when we all know it's Schroeder.

Rating:
Summary: Book captures minor league life & one kid's determinatio
Review: I bought this book because I had seen Marty Malloy play the game. In 1996, I was an usher for the Greenville Braves, Atlanta's AA affiliate in the Southern League. The Marty Malloy in Hemphill's book is exactly the player I watched every night that season: a bunt here, a stolen base there, and chase the foul pop up after others had given up. In minor league baseball everybody hustles...if you don't you're unemployed. But Marty Malloy won an award for being the league's best hustler in '96. The book captures the determination of this player, and the fun of watching minor league baseball. Part of the fun of watching minor league ball is seeing kids you watched at this level go on to the big leagues. For what it's worth, today, Sep 6, 1998, Marty Malloy hit his first MAJOR LEAGUE homer for Atlanta! Keep hustlin Marty

Rating:
Summary: This book gives the reader a great "feel" for the minors!
Review: Paul Hemphill does a very good job chronicaling Marty Malloy's year in the low minor leagues. All too often we think of only the "romance" of playing baseball - the glory, the headlines, and the money. That is the major leagues. This book shows us the other side - and shows it well.

Since reading this book a year or so ago, I've been following Malloy's career. After many struggles, he made it to the majors on September 6, 1998. To top it off, he hit a home run in his very first game for the Atlanta Braves. Way to go Marty!