Knuckler - My Life with Baseball's Most Confounding Pitch

?A terrific book about one of baseball's most underrated pitchers, not to mention baseball's most misunderstood pitch.? ? Stephen King

Tim Wakefield is an enigma. At forty-four years old, he is the longest-serving member of one of baseball's most popular franchises. He has pitched more games than any other player in Red Sox history, and in 2011 he reached the milestone of 200 career victories. Yet few realize the full measure of his success. In fact, that his career can be characterized by such words as longevity and consistency defies all odds, because he has achieved all of this with the game's most mercurial weapon?the knuckleball.

Knuckler is the story of how a struggling position player risked his future on a fickle pitch that would eventually define his career, making him one of the most respected players in the game. It is also a lively and entertaining meditation on the dancing pitch, its history, its mechanics, its mystique, and the inevitable ironies it brings to bear.

?This book is about resiliency, diligence, and the tunnel vision required to live by what appears to be the most fanciful pitch thrown by man.? ? Peter Gammons, MLB analyst

?Knuckler gives readers a rare glimpse of the man behind the baseball and his remarkable work on and off the field.? ? Carlton Fisk, Hall of Fame catcher

About the author

TIM WAKEFIELD has pitched for the Red Sox since 1995 and has won two World Series. Noted for his charitable contributions off the field, he has been nominated seven times for the Roberto Clemente Award.

Summary

“A terrific book about one of baseball’s most underrated pitchers, not to mention baseball’s most misunderstood pitch.” – Stephen King

Tim Wakefield is an enigma. At forty-four years old, he is the longest-serving member of one of baseball’s most popular franchises. He has pitched more games than any other player in Red Sox history, and in 2011 he reached the milestone of 200 career victories. Yet few realize the full measure of his success. In fact, that his career can be characterized by such words as longevity and consistency defies all odds, because he has achieved all of this with the game’s most mercurial weapon—the knuckleball.

Knuckler is the story of how a struggling position player risked his future on a fickle pitch that would eventually define his career, making him one of the most respected players in the game. It is also a lively and entertaining meditation on the dancing pitch, its history, its mechanics, its mystique, and the inevitable ironies it brings to bear.

“This book is about resiliency, diligence, and the tunnel vision required to live by what appears to be the most fanciful pitch thrown by man.” – Peter Gammons, MLB analyst

“Knuckler gives readers a rare glimpse of the man behind the baseball and his remarkable work on and off the field.” – Carlton Fisk, Hall of Fame catcher

Additional text

"An incredibly intelligent, self-aware glimpse inside an admirable career. The preseason pick for best baseball book of the season." –Booklist (starred review) "A must-read." -- Boston Globe “Knuckler is a terrific book about one of baseball's most underrated pitchers, not to mention baseball's most misunderstood pitch. There are wonderful stories and anecdotes here, but it's also a portrait of a humble, caring man who has carved out a special niche for himself. If you love baseball (not just Red Sox baseball), Knuckler is for you. If you don't care a hang about baseball, but like stories about exceptionally talented people behaving decently, Knuckler is also for you. And if you're sick to death of sports stories about athletes behaving badly, Tim Wakefield's book is the perfect antidote.” –Stephen King

“To read Knuckler is to appreciate that there is no gimmick, no fluke, no chance to Tim Wakefield approaching 200 wins and 20 major league seasons. This book is about resiliency, diligence and the tunnel vision required to live by what appears to be the most fanciful pitch thrown by man." –Peter Gammons, MLB baseball analyst and member of the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame

"Tim Wakefield’s Knuckler is a fastball right down the middle of the plate. It is an honest, straightforward and very enjoyable account of the national pastime.”  –Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner of Baseball

"I have always admired Tim Wakefield, as he plays baseball with a great deal of integrity, the way the game should be played.  Knuckler gives readers a rare glimpse at the man behind the baseball and his remarkable work on and off the field."  –Carlton Fisk, Hall of Fame catcher "Competent and entertaining, Wakefield's book is one to savor, especially for the stat-obsessed baseball fan and the novice pitcher in search of a knuckleball to call his own." –Publishers Weekly

"Provides valuable insights on perseverance, professionalism, and the ability to forget the last pitch." –Library Journal

Product details

• Authors: Tim Wakefield
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 06.03.2012
• EAN: 9780547750347
• ISBN: 978-0-547-75034-7
• No. of pages: 304
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 203 mm x 18 mm
• Weight: 281 g
• Subjects: Guides > Sport; BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Sports, SPORTS & RECREATION: Baseball / History, SPORTS & RECREATION: Baseball / General