Baseball Audiobooks | Sports & Recreation

A Year of Playing Catch: What a Simple Daily Experiment Taught Me about Life

Journey with prolific author and avid baseball fan Ethan Bryan on an exciting quest to play catch every day for a year, and discover the lessons he learned about the sacredness of play, finding connections, and being fully present to the human experience. Ethan Bryan played and wrote about baseball for years. Then his daughters challenged him to set out on a yearlong experiment: to play catch with someone every day. This experience led him across 10 states and 12,000 miles on a quest both quixotic and inspiring. Taking you from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to the home of the Daytona Tortugas in Florida, Bryan played ball and swapped stories with public school teachers, veterans, journalists, nurses, musicians, entertainers, entrepreneurs, athletes from every level--amateur to pro--and members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Plus, he visited famous destinations such as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Miracle League fields, and the original 'Field of Dreams' in Iowa. But throughout the book, Bryan reveals it's about much more than who he played catch with: it's what he learned from their vastly different stories. Lessons include: - How play can reignite a fire within you and transform your life - How to find joy in the simple things - How one life can impact a whole community - . . . and more. For baseball fans and everyone who loves a good story, A Year of Playing Catch is an inspiring journey about finding joy in the simple things, and the power of play to transform our lives. A complete list of everyone who played catch with Bryan and his daughter's illustrated version of one of the stories are available in the audiobook companion PDF download.

Ethan D. Bryan (Author), Jakob Lewis (Narrator)

Audiobook

State of Play: The Old School Guide to New School Baseball

America's favorite pastime is undergoing an operations-to-field transformation. In recent years, the sabermetrics and analytics craze has infiltrated Major League Baseball-from its front offices to dugouts to clubhouses to media covering both, inciting a baseball culture war. New phrases like 'launch angle,' 'spin rate,' and 'pitch framing' have entered the vocabulary, often with little real meaning when it comes to how the game is actually played on the field. No more. In State of Play, twelve-year Major League veteran, Emmy Award-winning MLB Network analyst, and bestselling author Bill Ripken breaks down these modern statistical methods to explain which ones make sense in the game's historical context, bringing them together with proven old-school strategies. He simplifies those sabermetric terms hastily added to the baseball lexicon without being fully realized, taking new-school confusion out of old-school baseball's tried-and-true common sense. In the end, he unites the teachings of each school to show fans of both how to listen to and understand the game as it's played today and how it should be played moving forward. From a true baseball lifer, State of Play offers a fascinating insider's look at how to reconcile years of historical tradition with the rules and trends of the new millennium.

Bill Ripken (Author), Danny Campbell (Narrator)

Audiobook

Blue Monday: The Expos, the Dodgers, and the Home Run That Changed Everything

Blue Monday: one of the most unforgettable days in Canadian baseball history. Danny Gallagher leads readers up to that infamous day in October 1981 when Rick Monday of the Los Angeles Dodgers hit a home run off of Montreal Expos pitcher Steve Rogers in the ninth inning, giving the Dodgers a berth in the World Series. Readers will be taken back to 1976 when a five-year plan for winning the National League championship was set in place by the Expos with the hiring of experienced manager Dick Williams. Gallagher examines old narratives about Blue Monday and talks to all the key players involved in the game, unearthing secrets and stories never before told.

Danny Gallagher (Author), Matt Fogarty (Narrator)

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Dream Makers: Surround Yourself with the Best to Be Your Best

Jim Morris is no stranger to big dreams. Since he was five years old, he passionately yearned to play baseball in the major leagues. However, despite all his hard work and determination, a series of unfortunate events and injuries scuttled his career before he was twenty-five. Doctors told him he would never play again. Then at age thirty-five-after a string of highly implausible events and at an age when most players are retiring-Morris found himself on the mound as a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. His return to the game was so incredible that Disney made his story into a heartwarming film-The Rookie-with a stellar performance by Dennis Quaid. It was released to popular acclaim and was a huge box office success. It won the ESPY for Best Sports Movie in 2002 and the CAMIE Award for Character and Morality in Entertainment. Dream Makers picks up where The Rookie left off. This compelling memoir explores the untapped territory of Morris's life, including his contentious relationship with his father, his incessant and grueling struggle with pain and addiction, the mentorship with his wise and loving grandfather who kept him grounded, and the resolve and faith that drove him to overcome every tribulation.

Jim Morris, Mark Stuertz (Author), Kyle Tait (Narrator)

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Big Sexy: In His Own Words

From picking coffee in the Dominican Republic to reaching icon status as a Major League pitcher in America, here is the story of baseball’s most colorful player told in his own words Bartolo Colón—also known as Big Sexy—is a baseball icon and one of the most beloved players to ever play the game. In a career spanning twenty-one years, Colón has won the Cy Young Award and won more games than any other Latin American–born pitcher. But more importantly, Big Sexy has captured the hearts of fans of the game as well as the stars he has played against. Colón plays the game the way it was meant to be. In Big Sexy: In His Own Words, Bartolo Colón opens up as never before. The result is a touching and deeply personal story of a truly unique baseball life.

Bartolo Colón (Author), Bernardo De Paula (Narrator)

Audiobook

24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid

The legendary Willie Mays shares the inspirations and influences responsible for guiding him on and off the field in this reflective and inspirational memoir. 'Even if, like me, you thought you had pretty much read and heard all there was to read and hear about Willie Mays, this warmhearted book will inform and reward you. And besides, what true baseball fan can ever get enough of Willie Mays? Say Hey! Read on and enjoy.'—From the Foreword by Bob Costas 'It’s because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for President.” — President Barack Obama This program includes a bonus conversation between the authors Widely regarded as the greatest all-around player in baseball history because of his unparalleled hitting, defense and baserunning, the beloved Willie Mays offers people of all ages his lifetime of experience meeting challenges with positivity, integrity and triumph in 24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid. Presented in 24 chapters to correspond with his universally recognized uniform number, Willie’s memoir provides more than the story of his role in America’s pastime. This is the story of a man who values family and community, engages in charitable causes especially involving children and follows a philosophy that encourages hope, hard work and the fulfillment of dreams. “I was very lucky when I was a child. My family took care of me and made sure I was in early at night. I didn’t get in trouble. My father made sure that I didn’t do the wrong thing. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for children and their well-being, and John Shea and I got the idea that we should do something for the kids and the fathers and the mothers, and that’s why this book is being published. We want to reach out to all generations and backgrounds. Hopefully, these stories and lessons will inspire people in a positive way.”— Willie Mays A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

John Shea, Willie Mays (Author), Bob Costas, Julian Mcwilliams, Larry Herron (Narrator)

Audiobook

Lou Gehrig: The Lost Memoir

"A compelling rumination by a baseball icon and a tragic hero." —Sports Illustrated The lost memoir from baseball icon Lou Gehrig—a sensational discovery, published for the first time as a book. At the tender age of twenty-four, Lou Gehrig decided to tell the remarkable story of his life and career. He was one of the most famous athletes in the country, in the midst of a record-breaking season with the legendary 1927 World Series-winning Yankees. In an effort to grow Lou's star, pioneering sports agent Christy Walsh arranged for Lou's tale of baseball greatness to syndicate in newspapers across the country. Until now, those columns were largely forgotten and lost to history. Lou comes alive in this inspiring memoir. It is a heartfelt rags-to-riches tale about a dirt poor kid from New York who became one of the most revered baseball players of all time. Fourteen years after his account, Lou would tragically die from ALS, a neuromuscular disorder now known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. His poignant autobiography is followed by an insightful biographical essay by historian Alan D. Gaff. Here is Lou—Hall of Famer, All Star, and MVP—back at bat.

Alan D. Gaff (Author), Angelo Di Loreto, Kyle Tait (Narrator)

Audiobook

Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original

From the day he first stepped into the Yankee clubhouse, Jim Bouton (1939-2019) was the sports world's deceptive revolutionary. Underneath the crew cut and behind the all-American boy-next-door good looks lurked a maverick with a signature style. Whether it was his frank talk about player salaries and mistreatment by management, his passionate advocacy of progressive politics, or his efforts to convince the United States to boycott the 1968 Olympics, Bouton confronted the conservative sports world and compelled it to catch up with a rapidly changing American society. Bouton defied tremendous odds to make the majors, won two games for the Yankees in the 1964 World Series, and staged an improbable comeback with the Braves as a thirty-nine-year-old. But it was his fateful 1969 season with the Seattle Pilots and his resulting insider's account, Ball Four, that did nothing less than reintroduce America to its national pastime in a lasting, profound way. In Bouton: The Life of a Baseball Original, Mitchell Nathanson gives listeners a look at Bouton's remarkable life. Based on wide-ranging interviews Nathanson conducted with Bouton, family, friends, and others, he provides an intimate, inside account of Bouton's life.

Mitchell Nathanson (Author), Barry Abrams (Narrator)

Audiobook

Mr. Met: How a Sports-Mad Kid from Jersey Became Like Family to Generations of Big Leaguers

Anyone who knows Jay Horwitz knows he loves stories, and has a wealth of them to share. As the beloved, longtime PR director for the New York Mets, he has witnessed and quietly shaped some of the most memorable moments in team history, becoming a trusted friend and mentor to generations of players, from Darryl Strawberry to Jacob deGrom. In this fascinating memoir, Horwitz tells the unlikely story of a childhood dream come true, offering an unparalleled insider's perspective on four dynamic and unpredictable decades of Mets baseball. Featuring reflections and anecdotes only Horwitz can tell, on subjects ranging from clubhouse hijinks, to the chaotic New York media scene, to navigating moments of greatness and defeat, Mr. Met is a remarkable behind-the-scenes ride that fans will not want to miss.

Jay Horwitz (Author), Barry Abrams (Narrator)

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The Wax Pack: On the Open Road in Search of Baseball's Afterlife

Is there life after baseball? Starting from this simple question, The Wax Pack ends up with something much bigger and unexpected-a meditation on the loss of innocence and the gift of impermanence, for both Brad Balukjian and the former ballplayers he tracked down. To get a truly random sample of players, Balukjian followed this wildly absurd but fun-as-hell premise: he took a single pack of baseball cards from 1986 (the first year he collected cards), opened it, chewed the nearly thirty-year-old gum inside, gagged, and then embarked on a quest to find all the players in the pack. Absurd, maybe, but true. He took this trip solo in the summer of 2015, spanning 11,341 miles through thirty states in forty-eight days. Balukjian actively engaged with his subjects-taking a hitting lesson from Rance Mulliniks, watching kung fu movies with Garry Templeton, and going to the zoo with Don Carman. In the process of finding all the players but one, he discovered an astonishing range of experiences and untold stories in their post-baseball lives, and he realized that we all have more in common with ballplayers than we think. While crisscrossing the country, Balukjian retraced his own past, reconnecting with lost loves and coming to terms with his lifelong battle with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Brad Balukjian (Author), Brad Balukjian (Narrator)

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Oscar Charleston: The Life and Legend of Baseball's Greatest Forgotten Player

Buck O'Neil once described him as 'Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Tris Speaker rolled into one.' Among experts he is regarded as the best player in Negro Leagues history. During his prime he became a legend in Cuba and one of black America's most popular figures. Yet even among serious sports fans, Oscar Charleston is virtually unknown today. In a long career spanning from 1915 to 1954, Charleston played against, managed, befriended, and occasionally fought men such as Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Jesse Owens, Roy Campanella, and Branch Rickey. He displayed tremendous power, speed, and defensive instincts along with a fierce intelligence and commitment to his craft. Charleston's competitive fire sometimes brought him trouble, but more often it led to victories, championships, and profound respect. While Charleston never played in the Major Leagues, he was a trailblazer who became the first black man to work as a scout for a Major League team. From the mid 1920s on, he was a player manager for several clubs. In 1932 he joined the Pittsburgh Crawfords and would manage the club many consider the finest Negro League team of all time, featuring five future Hall of Famers, including himself, Cool Papa Bell, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson, and Satchel Paige.

Jeremy Beer (Author), David Sadzin (Narrator)

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Future Value: The Battle for Baseball's Soul and How Teams Will Find the Next Superstar

An unprecedented look inside the world of baseball scouting and evaluation from Fangraphs' lead prospect analysts For the modern major league team, player evaluation is a complex, multi-pronged, high-tech pursuit. But far from becoming obsolete in this environment. But far from becoming obsolete in this environment-as Michael Lewis's Moneyball once forecast-the role of the scout in today's game has evolved and even expanded. Rather than being the antithesis of a data-driven approach, scouting now represents an essential analytical component in a team's arsenal. Future Value is a thorough dive into the world of the contemporary scout-a world with its own language, methods, metrics, and madness. From rural high schools to elite amateur showcases, from the back fields of spring training to major league draft rooms, FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel break down the key systems and techniques used to assess talent. It's a process that has moved beyond the quintessential stopwatches and radar guns to include statistical models, countless measurable indicators, and a broader international reach. Practical and probing, discussing wide-ranging topics from tool grades to front office politics, this is an illuminating exploration of how to watch baseball and see the future.

Eric Longenhagen, Kiley Mcdaniel (Author), Perry Daniels (Narrator)

Audiobook

Baseball Audiobooks in Sports & Recreation