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Odd Man Out
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Odd Man Out Hardback - 2009

by McCarthy, Matt

A Season on the Mound with Minor League Baseball'sMost Unlikely Pitcher

Matt McCarthy never expected to get drafted by a MajorLeague Baseball team. A molecular biophysics major at Yale, hewas a decent left-handed starter for a dismal college team. Butgood southpaws are hard to find, and when the Anaheim Angelsselected him in the twenty-first round of the 2002 draft, McCarthyjumped at the chance to live every boy's dream.

In Odd Man Out, McCarthy tells the captivating and hilariousstory of his year with the Provo Angels, Anaheim's Class A minorleague affiliate in the heart of Mormon country. He quickly discoversthe dirty truths of the minors: the Americans and Dominicansdon't speak to each other, the allure of steroids is ever present, andeveryone puts his own stats ahead of the team's success. With a brillianteye for baseball's character, McCarthy takes readers throughthe ups and downs of an antic, grueling season filled with cross-countryroad trips, bizarre rivalries, and players competing withcutthroat intensity for the ultimate prize-a call up to the majors.

In the spirit of Ball Four, McCarthy recounts inside-the-locker-roomtales of teammates who would go on to stardom, includingBobby Jenks, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana. Odd Man Out is oneof the great books about baseball life, capturing with rare perfectionthe gritty essence of our national pastime as it is played outsidethe spotlight.

Summary

A novel of chilling suspense about a father who will do anything to protect his teenage daughterFollowing the tragic deaths of his wife and son, antiques dealer Terence Cave is left alone to raise his only daughter, fifteen-year-old Bryony. As the young girl struggles to come to terms with the loss of her twin brother, Reuben, Terence observes changes in her behaviorchanges he believes are more dangerous than the common trials of adolescence. In order to protect her, he begins to follow her whenever she leaves the house, becoming increasingly paranoid about her safety.Bryony resents her fathers lack of trust and refuses to obey the draconian rules he dictates to her, despite his warnings. And when Terence realizes that the boy Bryony is in love with was present when Reuben died, his fear drives him to actwith disastrous results.A brilliant psychological investigation into the relationship between parents and teenagers, and a story of nail-biting tension, Matt Haigs compelling third novel is truly unforgettable.

From the publisher

A Season on the Mound with Minor League Baseball's Most Unlikely Pitcher
Matt McCarthy never expected to get drafted by a Major League Baseball team. A molecular biophysics major at Yale, he was a decent left-handed starter for a dismal college team. But good southpaws are hard to find, and when the Anaheim Angels selected him in the twenty-first round of the 2002 draft, McCarthy jumped at the chance to live every boy's dream. In "Odd Man Out," McCarthy tells the captivating and hilarious story of his year with the Provo Angels, Anaheim's Class A minor league affiliate in the heart of Mormon country. He quickly discovers the dirty truths of the minors: the Americans and Dominicans don't speak to each other, the allure of steroids is ever present, and everyone puts his own stats ahead of the team's success. With a brilliant eye for baseball's character, McCarthy takes readers through the ups and downs of an antic, grueling season filled with cross-country road trips, bizarre rivalries, and players competing with cutthroat intensity for the ultimate prize-a call up to the majors.
In the spirit of "Ball Four," McCarthy recounts inside-the-locker-room tales of teammates who would go on to stardom, including Bobby Jenks, Joe Saunders, and Ervin Santana. "Odd Man Out" is one of the great books about baseball life, capturing with rare perfection the gritty essence of our national pastime as it is played outside the spotlight.

Details

  • Title Odd Man Out
  • Author McCarthy, Matt
  • Binding Hardback
  • Edition First Edition
  • Pages 304
  • Language EN
  • Publisher Viking Adult, New York
  • Date 2009-02-19
  • ISBN 9780670020706

Media reviews

"Twenty years after the release of Bull Durham, the ultimate movie about the minor leagues, we now have Matt McCarthy's Odd Man Out, the ultimate minor league memoir. If you want insight, irreverence, honesty and even a healthy dose of political incorrectness-not to mention an invaluable look at the state of the national pastime-McCarthy delivers. As a pitcher, he might have been a minor leaguer; as a memoirist, McCarthy's an all-star. Odd Man Out is the best baseball book since Moneyball."
-Jeremy Schaap, author of Cinderella Man: James J. Braddock, Max Baer and the Greatest Upset in Boxing History

"So this is what it's really like to live every boy's dream of getting drafted by a big-league team! I don't know a single baseball fan who will be able to resist Matt McCarthy's portrait of his hilariously grim-and yet somehow enviable-tour in the minor leagues. Part Bull Durham, part Ball Four, Odd Man Out is simply the best baseball book I've read in years."
-Jonathan Mahler, author of Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning

"For an odd man out, Matt McCarthy is also the consummate insider. This honest account of life in the minors is equal parts rollicking travelogue, cultural criticism, and coming-of-age story. If McCarthy's pitching abilities were as accurate and strong as his storytelling talent, he'd be in The Show."
-L. Jon Wertheim, senior writer, Sports Illustrated, and author of Blood in the Cage

"Matt McCarthy has written something here that will make you laugh a lot and, even more, bring you closer to the game. It's a terrific book, and a lot of fun."
-Joe Posnanski, author of The Soul of Baseball: A Trip Through Buck O'Neill's America

"Matt McCarthy has pitched a gem: a decidedly non-dreamy-eyed look at young ballplayers in the low minors who dream of making it to the major league. Full of characters and curveballs, Odd Man Out should find a place on the shelf next to Pat Jordan's A False Spring-both tell it like it is."
-Jim Collins, author of The Last Best League

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Odd Man Out: A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit

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Odd Man Out : A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit

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