The Tao of the Backup Catcher: Playing Baseball for the Love of the Game

Many children worldwide dream of becoming baseball stars and making loads of money. In reality, however, only a tiny percentage of those actually achieve this dream. Sports journalist Brown (The Phenomenon), cowriting with former pro baseball player Eric Kratz, tells a story about men who have pursued a baseball career into adulthood but who ultimately didn’t achieve the hoped-for superstar status. It is told mostly through the eyes of Kratz, a former catcher who, after realizing that superstardom would elude him, still found the goodness that can come from helping others achieve success in a sport that often seemed heartless and unforgiving to him. Kratz’s experiences are woven together with interviews of several other professional baseball players and managers. This highly recommended book is a refreshing and inspiring baseball story that will resonate with the 99 percent who never make it big. It will likely enlighten and inspire baseball players and non-athletes alike into learning that greater joy can come from serving others instead of just being served.