Bat Boy - by Matthew McGough (Paperback)

About the Book

In the fall of 1991, 16-year-old Matthew McGough asked the general manager of the New York Yankees for a position as a bat boy. He got the job and walked into the madness of the Yankee clubhouse on Opening Day, thus beginning two years of adventures and misadventures.

Book Synopsis

Most of us have dreamed of sitting in the dugout with our favorite baseball team, and at sixteen Matt McGough was no different. A few months after sending a blind application letter to George Steinbrenner, on Opening Day 1992 Matt found himself walking into the legendary Yankee clubhouse. There, amid the chaos and excitement, he was greeted by none other than his idol Don Mattingly -- who promptly played a prank on him.Thus began two years of adventures and misadventures, from being set up on a date by the bullpen to playing blackjack on the team plane to studying for an exam at 3 am in Yankee Stadium. Through these often hilarious experiences, and especially through his friendships with the ballplayers, Matt learned priceless lessons about honor, responsibility, and the importance of believing in oneself. A magical tale of what happens to a young man when his fondest dream comes true, Bat Boy wonderfully evokes that twilight time just before adulthood, ripe with possibility, foolishness, and hard-won knowledge.

Review Quotes

"Wonderful. . . . It should eventually find its way to that very short shelf of enduring sports nonfiction, perhaps somewhere between Ball Four and Friday Night Lights." --Leigh Montville, author of Ted Williams and The Big Bam"A terrific memoir, combining an endearing coming-of-age story with a unique window on the inner world of baseball. It is warm, witty, shrewd, and entertaining from start to finish." --Doris Kearns Goodwin"[McGough] writes fondly and opens a window that baseball fans rarely see."--The Tampa Tribune"McGough provides humorous, often poignant, observations about Bronx Bombers legends." --USA Today

About the Author

After his two-year career as a Yankee bat boy, Matthew McGough graduated from Regis High School, Williams College (George Steinbrenner's alma mater), and Fordham University School of Law. After law school he clerked for a district court judge at the Federal Courthouse in Lower Manhattan. McGough lives in New York City.