My Turn at Bat
Book Review
My Turn at Bat: The Story of My Life, written in 1969, could be the
name of any number of hitters that have played the game of baseball.
It could even be a metaphor for something that doesn’t even relate to
the game of baseball. But that’s not the case here, this book is
about, arguably the greatest hitter to ever play the game. This book
is about the only player to ever hit .400. The only man to be inducted
into seven different hall of fames. This book tells the story of Ted
Williams through his eyes, the way he lived on and off the field. The
author John Underwood does a good job in terms of letting the reader
get a first person point of view when it comes to the life of this
Boston Red Sox legend.
The book first starts out with Ted Williams stating that, “I’m glad
it’s over”, he then goes on to explain what he means by this. Williams
says that he is so grateful for what baseball has done for him as a
person but he was glad to be out of the game as a player. He tells the
reader through out the book that if he could go back to when he was 18
or 19 years of age he wouldn’t do it because knowing now what was in
store for him. He says that he had to deal with so much physical pain,
the weight of the world being on his shoulders, and last but certainly
not least the Boston reporters. At that point in his life, Ted
Williams had finished playing Major League Baseball for the Boston Red
Sox and moved on to managing the Washington Senators, a move that he
wasn’t all that comfortable with, but was willing to try. This book is
a constant one-way conversation with the reader. It seems that is just
the way Williams wanted it to be, just so he could tell the story
without any interruptions.
Williams’s talks about how he always wanted to be the greatest hitter
of all time through out the book. He says that a man needs to have a
goal for a day, a lifetime and his was to hear people say, “there goes
Ted Williams the greatest hitter of all time”. Williams also talks
about how his 22 years of playing the game were the best years of his
life but they were also some of the unhappiest. Through out his time
as a professional ball player, he felt that people didn’t like him,
In nineteen thirty-five, Joe DiMaggio was invited to go to spring training with the New York Yankees. He met the baseball player Lou Gehrig, and other great ball players. Jerry Coleman, the Yankee’s second baseman, said about Joe, “Nothing made Joe happier then to do well in a big series and help the club win. He was a winner in the finest sense of the word. He was simply the greatest ball player I ever saw and it’s not easy to carry that burden. Joe carried it with class and dignity.” When the Yankee’s left fielder, Charlie Keller met Joe, he said, “When...
Albert Pujols said, “Baseball was an outlet for him to be able to do that, and he had some special talent to go through what he did and still set an example for others. You cannot replace it.”
“Did you see the 15 year old who hit the game winner for American Heritage last night? He’s not even a freshman and he’s already playing with the big boys.” The name of this baseball prodigy is David Villar. Villar was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but is of Cuban descent which can be easily noted from hearing his heavy accent. Villar moved to Pembroke Pines when he was just a couple months old and lived there until recently when he moved to Tampa to take on the next journey in his athletic life. When asked when he started to play the sport he responded, “I was 2 ½ years old when I started to play, I don’t even remember any point of my life without baseball.” In the 16 years since first picking up the bat he’s won multiple accomplishments such
It’s the triumphs as well as the defeats, that I will remember most about my life when I look back in thirty years. If I can look back and say, “I didn’t think I could ever accomplish this, but I gave it my all.” Pursuing the next challenge along with being a well-rounded, compassionate person will allow me to consider my life a success in thirty years. Nothing in my life emulates this attitude towards what I will consider a success, in terms of pushing my limits, in thirty years, than my current pursuit of collegiate level sports.
714 career home runs, had 2,209 career RBI's, and 2,873 total hits, all in only
If you have ever met me, or know me, you would know that I love sports, and you would know my favorite sport of all time is baseball, and that my favorite sports team is Boston Red Sox. I am what you call a die-hard Red Sox fan; you can compare me as Red Sox fan to actor Jimmy Fallon’s character in the movie, Fever Pitch. My strong love for the Red Sox comes from my step-dad Phil. Phil has always been like a second father to me since he and my mom got together, back in early 2000s. Phil is always trying to teach and help me learn from my mistakes, and I have made my share of them. Nevertheless, I also cherish the moments I spend with him at Red Sox games. The experiences I have at Red Sox games are moments in my life, I will never forget, that I will always remember, One game in particular I most remember is my first Red Sox game at Fenway Park.
This is an emotionally driven illustrative true story about the life and tragic death of the baseball great Lou Gehrig. His teammates and fans due to his record 2,130 games as a New York Yankee affectionately knew Gehrig as the “Iron Horse”. Gehrig put up numerous other records in the early twentieth century, including three of the top six RBI seasons in baseball history and the most career grand slams. However, what he is most known for is his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease as it is known here in the United States and Canada. Diagnosed with the disease in 1939, only then did Gehrig retire from baseball with an emotional speech the book details as urged on by the Yankee faithful. In his speech, Gehrig said, “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.” The reason the hall of fame first baseman was able to say this was due to the overwhelming support he received from the community. In an effort to pay back the city, he worked for the municipal department until June 1939 when he lost his battle with ALS, much to the agony of New Yorkers and baseball fans worldwide.
...all. One of the things the game and the players have always done is give back. They’ve never taken for granted what they have. To make a lasting contribution to these communities is really important to these guys”. What can be found intriguing about this quote is that when one keeps in mind that this charity or volunteer work was done during the MLB All-Star game weekend, when MLB players are normally focused on playing well and winning the All-Star game so that their league whether it be the American League or National League wins home field advantage in the World Series. One can thus see that the game of baseball is not just about pleasing its fans based off of the performances of MLB players on the field during games, but it is also about helping out the community in an effort to once again be able to promote the general well-being of others in any way possible.
Back in 1987 Ken Griffey Jr. was just starting his career as a professional baseball player, and little did he know that he would help many people and inspire them. Griffey has help his community and teams throughout his life. He invented new ways to play baseball, and impacted so many children’s lives. He has been an inspiration to heros across the world, who themselves have saved people's lives. But the most important thing he has ever done is that he has also always been able to make people laugh and put an everlasting smile on their faces. Ken Griffey Jr. innovated a new way to play the game of baseball, by involving a power swing and speed to his game along with some comedy, while at the same time creating an everlasting smile on children who watched him and children whom lives were impacted and saved by his foundation .
Atwood, Margaret. “My Life as a Bat.” Collections, edited by Kylene Beers, et al, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017, pp. 71-74.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame is an American history museum dedicated to only the most elite baseball players to play the game. It’s whole reason for existing is to preserve the history of the game, honor its outstanding contributors, and connect generations of fans. The Hall of Fame is the home of baseball history. As of now, there are 312 members, all of which have excelled in playing, managing, or serving the sport in one way or another (“BBWAA ELECTION RULES”). One of the rules for being inducted into the Hall of Fame is that the votes should be based on the player’s record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played. In order to be inducted, candidates must be
I stood yesterday afternoon engaged in the immense time consuming game of baseball. I stood there contemplating on what ideas, mainly about baseball, were being distorted and confused. Then it hit me…
The great Mickey Charles Mantle took his position at home plate with the crowd roaring like a tsunami all around him. Mickey swung at the zooming fastball and crack! The Mick had done it; two long bomb home runs in one game on both sides of the plate. Mickey Mantle was one of the best players to ever play the game of baseball.
America, and the world love sport; there are hundreds of types, but the one thing that links them all together is the emotion. For players and fans alike, the emotional involvement with the game is what draws them to it; and for Americans, there is one sport in particular that ignites their passion – baseball. Baseball has been called “America’s pastime” for a reason; the suspense, drama, and pride wrapped up in this game have captivated generations. The poem, “Casey at the Bat” effectively captures the emotion tied into the sport of baseball. “Casey at the Bat” is a poem about the last inning of a Mudville baseball game. The team is down two points, and the first two of their batters had already been sent back to the dugout. However, luck seemed to be on their side, the next two batters reached base, and the best hitter on the team was up to bat; Casey. The confident-cocky Casey let the first two balls go by; both were strikes. Then the last pitch came, the crowed held their breath as Casey took a swing; and to quote the poem, “but there is no joy in Mudville -- mighty Casey has struck out.” There are two distinct psychological personalities present in this poem; these emotional beings are the audience and Casey. The actions and words of both shed light on each others personality and mental state during that final, historical inning.
Many people don't understand the point in playing baseball. Why would someone swing a stick, hit a ball, and try to get back to where they started before the ball returns? What pleasure is there in that? Why not participate in a sport like wrestling or track where there is an obvious level of individual improvement and therefore pleasure. Well, I play baseball because of the love I have for the sport, and because of the feeling that overwhelms me every time I walk onto a baseball field. When I walk onto a field I am given the desire to better myself not only as an athlete, but also as a person. The thoughts and feelings I get drive me to work hard towards my goals and to be a better person. The most relevant example of these feelings is when I stepped on the field at Runyon Complex in Pueblo, Colorado during our high school state playoffs in 2003. This baseball field will always be an important place to me.