The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound

Rating:
Summary: Not what I had hoped for
Review: As the pitching coach for a junior college team, I bought this book hoping for something new--some revelations, so to speak. Sorry, nothing new here. In fact, the book seems to have no connective thread. It doesn't even read like a book. Just a bunch of disconnected ramblings. One of the few interesting interviews was with Leo Mazzone, the Atlanta Braves pitching coach. Unfortunately, Mazzone said nothing that he hadn't already said in his own book, Pitching Like a Pro. (No surprise there.) Mazzone's book is a slim paperback that you could own for half the price of this book. Kahn's concept is a good one. The chess game between pitcher and batter, especially played out at the highest level of the game, is worthy of a book-length treatment. Too bad Kahn couldn't close the deal.

Rating:
Summary: A great view from the mound
Review: I am a big fan of Roger Kahn so I knew I was in for a good read. Yes, the title may suggest the psychological warfare that exists between pitcher and batter, and some of that does exist in the book. I CAN understand why those who expected more of this in the book would be disappointed. I appreciated reading about players from the 19th century in addition to those who dominated during the 20th century. Kahn didn't disappoint me in what he had to say about the pitchers he discusses. It isn't a tired rehash of what other authors have to say. Roger has a way of expressing himself in ways that I appreciate and find interesting. In regard to the whippersnappers at ESPN who voted Michael Jordan as the greatest athlete in the 20th century, Roger asks you to consider the fact that can it be that "the greatest athlete of the century couldn't hit .250 in the minor leagues." Kahn would pick either Jackie Robinson "because no one was as good as Robinson in as many sports" or Babe Ruth because "Ruth might have become baseball's greatest pitcher if he had not changed course and become baseball's greatest slugger." If you are looking for a technical book about baseball try "Tim McCarver's Baseball for Brain Surgeons and Other Fans." If you want a great read about some of baseball's best pitchers you can't go wrong with The Head Game by Roger Kahn. Trust me on this one.

Rating:
Summary: The Head Game : Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound
Review: I really wanted to like this book. I have been a fan of Roger Kahn's work for many years and I consider his "Boys of Summer" to be the best baseball book ever written. Unfortunately, I found this effort to be repetitive, poorly researched, and lacking in delivery on the promise of the title. "The Head Game: Baseball Seen from the Pitcher's Mound" is really only a series of sketches about some of the great pitchers of the game. One could certainly argue with the editors' choices and omissions but that would miss the point. I expected a work titled as this one is to deliver an analysis of the art of pitching, a discussion of the various theories employed by great pitchers in this greatest of all sports encounters, and the authors' explanations of the things that made each of these pitchers special. I expected these theories to be written in the informative and entertaining fashion I have come to expect from Mr. Kahn.

Instead what I read was a series of biographical sketches of some of the great and near-great pitchers in the game's history. Some of these were interesting, many of them were a rehash of previous material about the athletes. Rarely did I see tremendous insight into the "head game." That apparently will have to wait for a while.

A marginally enjoyable read but not what I expected. Too bad.

Rating:
Summary: The Learning Game
Review: I thought I knew a lot about baseball, but Roger Kahn taught me that I had a lot more to learn. In his entertaining style, Kahn explains that pitching is much more than having a strong arm and putting lots of "stuff" on the ball. Pitching is mental, or as Kahn calls it, "The Head Game". Did you ever wonder why a can't miss pitching prospect does not make it? Read this book and you will understand why. Not only is this an informative book, it is riviting. As a baseball fan, I had trouble putting it down until I finished it.

Rating:
Summary: The Head game
Review: The book The Head Game, is written by the famous author Roger Kahn. He is the author of the book The Boys of Summer. I think this is great book to read. The stories are incredible and describes something I could only imagine. The book goes beyond the game and contains exciting historical accounts. The pictures in this book are amazing. The Head Game taught me how to throw a curve ball. Overall this book is wonderful, everything you want in a book is in The Head Game.

Rating:
Summary: The Head game
Review: The book The Head Game, is written by the famous author Roger Kahn. He is the author of the book The Boys of Summer. I think this is great book to read. The stories are incredible and describes something I could only imagine. The book goes beyond the game and contains exciting historical accounts. The pictures in this book are amazing. The Head Game taught me how to throw a curve ball. Overall this book is wonderful, everything you want in a book is in The Head Game.