Twice Around the Bases: The Thinking Fan's Inside Look at Baseball - Softcover

Kennedy, Kevin; Gutman, Bill

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060734647 ISBN 13: 9780060734640

Publisher: It Books, 2006

Synopsis

Nobody knows baseball like Kevin Kennedy!

Kevin Kennedy was a catcher and a Montreal, coach in the minors, a farm director for the Expos and a bench coach for Felipe Alou before moving on to manage the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox. Now one of the sport's most respected analysts and commentators, he offers a fresh look at baseball from the viewpoint of a "lifer," capturing the intricacies of the professional game with a sharp analytical eye and unabashed candor, including:

• The lengths to which teams and players will go to gain the competitive edge -- from doctored playing fields to performance-enhancing drugs
• The politics and egos that keep the managerial carousel spinning
• The often delicate balance when managing superstar players like Roger Clemens, Pudge Rodriguez, and Jose Canseco
• The little-known world of the Latin American winter leagues

Intelligent, insightful, and engaging, Twice Around the Bases is a treat for anyone who truly loves the game.

About this title

About the Author:

Kevin Kennedy is the two-time Emmy-nominated host for Fox's national Major League Baseball package, serves as lead baseball analyst for several Fox Sports Net shows, including the Los Angel's Dodgers and Angels pre- and postgame shows, broadcasts on Fox Sports radio on Sundays, and writes a regular column for FoxSports.com. He also cohosts a daily show on XM Radio's 24/7 Major League Baseball Channel.

A freelance writer for more than thirty years, Bill Gutman's books include When the Cheering Stops and The Giants Win the Pennant! The Giants Win the Pennant! with Bobby Thompson.

From Publishers Weekly:

Kennedy has many great baseball stories. As a minor league player, he took part in two of professional baseball's longest games, including a 33-inning marathon in 1981 that featured future stars like Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. He went on to manage minor league teams for several seasons until George W. Bush hired him to run the Texas Rangers; two years later, he led the Red Sox to the playoffs. When he draws upon experiences like these, the Fox Sports analyst is a lively raconteur, telling stories that illustrate his beliefs about the sport, from the importance of the running game to the valuable role Latin American winter leagues play in developing new talent. Unfortunately, that only accounts for about half the book. The rest is rather pedestrian stuff, including several chapters detailing Kennedy's unsurprising picks for the greatest stars of his lifetime. The lack of frank discussion of baseball's steroid problem is a more substantial weakness, and ho-hum "controversies" like corked bats and spitballs are an unsatisfying replacement. Kennedy is smart and passionate about baseball, but his deliberately inoffensive style won't generate enthusiasm among fans who love a good argument as much as a great game. (On sale July 5)
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About this edition

• Publisher: It Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0060734647
• ISBN 13: 9780060734640
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288