First published 2009
Matt McCarthy never expected to trade his Yale laboratory for a minor league baseball diamond. The young scientist finds himself drafted by the Anaheim Angels organization despite his academic focus, thrust into a world where his intellectual background sets him apart from his teammates. McCarthy navigates the harsh realities of professional baseball's lowest rungs, enduring punishing travel schedules that leave players exhausted and demoralized. Racial divisions fracture the clubhouse, creating an atmosphere of mistrust and isolation. The pressure to succeed leads some players toward performance-enhancing drugs, a temptation that follows McCarthy throughout his journey. As he struggles to prove himself worthy of his unexpected opportunity, McCarthy discovers that succeeding in baseball requires more than talent or education. The gap between his scientific training and the brutal demands of minor league life forces him to confront who he really is and what he's willing to sacrifice for his dreams.
Genres: contemporary, biography-memoir, baseball, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Anaheim, Yale
Period: 21st-century
295 pages · Hardcover · Viking Adult