Pirate for Life

by Steve Blass, Erik Sherman

Overview

Exploring a pitching career that began with a complete-game victory over Hall of Famer Don Drysdale in 1964 and ended when he could no longer control his pitches, this book details the life of Pittsburgh Pirates great, Steve Blass. This insider's view of the humorous and bizarre journey of a World Series champion pitcher turned color commentator will delight Pirates and baseball fans alike. Recounting his first years in the Major Leagues and his battle with the baffling condition that would ultimately bear his own name, Steve Blass tells the story of his life on and off the field with a poignant, dazzling wit and shares the life of a baseball player who had the prime of his career cut short.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781600788192
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	04/01/2013
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	522,998
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Steve Blass is a former pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates and has been broadcasting their games as color commentator since 1987. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Erik Sherman has been a freelance sportswriter for more than 30 years and is a graduate of Emerson College where he lettered in baseball for four seasons. He lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Foreword Greg Brown v

Preface vii

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 They Named a Disease After Me 1

Chapter 2 Just a Skinny, Baseball-Obsessed Kid 33

Chapter 3 Life in the Bush Leagues 51

Chapter 4 A Wake-Up Call to the "University of Baseball" 71

Chapter 5 A Lesson in Perseverance 87

Chapter 6 The Year of the Pitcher 93

Chapter 7 The Clemente Mystique 105

Chapter 8 That Championship Season 119

Chapter 9 A World Series Date with the Mighty O's 137

Chapter 10 Thanks Again, Earl 155

Chapter 11 Out of Baseball and Still in the Fast Lane 181

Chapter 12 A Second Act in Baseball 189

Chapter 13 Defeating the Damn Thing 211

Chapter 14 Pittsburgh, A Love Affair 225

Editorial Reviews

"Talk about a guy whose career ran the gamut—Steve Blass went from World Series hero, to a man whose name became literally synonymous with a specific baseball malady.  He emerged from it all with humor, humanity, and perspective."—Bob Costas, NBC Sports and Major League Baseball Network

"He went from the very top of his game to the very confused. How he unraveled and overcame his malady with humor and intelligence is a lesson for all and is what this book is all about."—Tim McCarver, Fox Baseball Analyst, Recipient of the 2012 Ford C. Frick Award

"There are a lot of guys in baseball, but there are just a few you can put on one hand that have the zest for life and love of the game as Steve Blass."—Bill Mazeroski, Hall of Fame Second Baseman, Pittsburgh Pirates

"Steve Blass embodied the early '70s Pirates teams on which he starred: he was gifted, grounded, and great company. Nothing has changed in this wonderful, entertaining book. In "A Pirate For Life," Blass gives us a look behind the curtain, reintroducing us to a cast of familiar and delightful characters, including himself. He is the perfect tour guide to a golden age in Bucs history — a history he helped make."—Austin Murphy, Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated

From the Publisher