At a time when our beloved baseball is bejibbered by wearying sabermetrics, garish infield shifts, noxious pitch counts, leveraging, players' household squabbles, and the mysterious inability to lay down a simple bunt, Mr. Wedge's extremely welcome book, zero-ing in on these Cy Young Award winners of the not-so-distant past, feels to be just what I'm hungriest for as a life-long baseball fan — the real skinny, the low-down about the game itself.
I enjoyed reading Pinnacle on the Mound. You can tell that this book is a labor of love, and it reminds me of what makes baseball such a great game — the competition, the preparation, and the execution of nine guys on the field, working together. Read these stories about R.A. Dickey, one of my favorites, and Jack McDowell, one of the most competitive guys I ever coached. This book does them and the game great justice.
In Doug Wedge’s Pinnacle on the Mound, we get a closer look at some of the men who won baseball’s preeminent pitching award. There are conversations with 10 Cy Young winners whose historic seasons span over half-a-century, devoted to shining a light on the particularities that allowed these hurlers to be, for one season at least, the very best in the game.... Pinnacle on the Mound is a quick, breezy read—the kind of book that can and will be eagerly consumed by fans of baseball history. Wedge has done good work in putting together a varied collection of arms, featuring those who would go on to immortality, those who would go on to crash and burn, and those who would … go on. Informative, entertaining and fun — this is a book that will have you yearning for the pop of the mitt and the crack of the bat. It’s a book by a baseball lover for baseball lovers—and Doug Wedge has his fastball working.
There are enough baseball books in the world to fill Yankee Stadium and probably Fifth Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens, too. But you need to make room for one more, thanks to Doug Wedge, whose passion for the game, mercifully, has not been diminished by the current obsession with spin rates, launch angles, and all things analytic. In Pinnacle on the Mound, Wedge offers readers ten profiles of Cy Young winners, every one of them rich with insight, honesty, and pitching wisdom. If you love baseball and have ever wanted to crawl into the psyche of an elite pitcher, to understand their craft, their doubts, and their unending pursuit of outs, Pinnacle on the Mound is a must read.
Doug Wedge’s book about ten Cy Young Award winners is a most enjoyable read for all baseball fans. The chapter on R. A. Dickey was superb. R. A.’s story, from a struggling minor leaguer to a 20-game winner and a Cy Young, is one of the most heartwarming tales in the history of the game.
I have believed and lived my life in serendipity. Doug Wedge’s book Pinnacle on the Mound is yet another example. I couldn't get past chapters one and two without a reread. Jim Lonborg and Mike McCormick. If Lonnie doesn't get hurt I don't get called up to the show. In my first game, on the very day I got called up, I am pitching with my Mike McCormick glove (not kidding). Written on the thumb and fingers is, “Be Smooth, Throw Strikes, Keep Ball Down, Don't Alibi, and Hustle!” All of these Cy Young winners had their mentors that subtly tweaked their deliveries to make all the difference. Mine was my dad, with my first major league glove! Amazing book, Doug.
Wouldn’t you just like to talk to baseball players who made it to the top of their game? Here you can come close. Hearing from Cy Young Pitching Award winners from the last 50 years, you’ll enjoy funny, engaging, and serious ‘talking baseball’ stories. What’s more, you’ll discover what they learned about the game, and about themselves. Doug Wedge, attorney and author of two previous baseball books, one emphasizing Alabama hardballers, brings us an insightful study of what kind of player makes it to the “pinnacle” of his field,
Wedge, the author of two previous baseball history books, interviewed ten pitchers who had won the Cy Young Award, an annual award to Major League Baseball's best pitchers in both the National League and the American League, spanning 50 years: Jim Lonborg, Mike McCormick, Randy Jones, Ron Guidry, LaMarr Hoyt, Dennis Eckersley, Jack McDowell, Barry Zito, R. A. Dickey, and Corey Kubler. All pitchers interviewed are retired, with the exception of two-time American League winner Kubler. Common threads include that pitchers' successes result from years of work perfecting their craft, and that mentorship by coaches, managers, and fellow pitchers plays an important role. Interviews also touched on the close collaboration and teamwork between pitcher and catcher, the revelation of a particularly effective pitch and/or approach to pitching the subject developed and perfected, the superior defense on the field during a given year, and team chemistry, which may not necessarily be duplicated from year to year. The author complements the interviews with discussion of the finer points of technique in pitching. Readers will conclude that there is no sure-fire path to success in pitching. The book will be a welcome addition to all collections. Recommended. All readers.
Wedge, the author of two previous baseball history books, interviewed ten pitchers who had won the Cy Young Award, an annual award to Major League Baseball's best pitchers in both the National League and the American League, spanning 50 years: Jim Lonborg, Mike McCormick, Randy Jones, Ron Guidry, LaMarr Hoyt, Dennis Eckersley, Jack McDowell, Barry Zito, R. A. Dickey, and Corey Kubler. All pitchers interviewed are retired, with the exception of two-time American League winner Kubler. Common threads include that pitchers' successes result from years of work perfecting their craft, and that mentorship by coaches, managers, and fellow pitchers plays an important role. Interviews also touched on the close collaboration and teamwork between pitcher and catcher, the revelation of a particularly effective pitch and/or approach to pitching the subject developed and perfected, the superior defense on the field during a given year, and team chemistry, which may not necessarily be duplicated from year to year. The author complements the interviews with discussion of the finer points of technique in pitching. Readers will conclude that there is no sure-fire path to success in pitching. The book will be a welcome addition to all collections. Recommended. All readers.
