Living on the Black - by John Feinstein (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Pitchers are at the heart of baseball. Each has the potential to make his team a winner or, very quickly, a loser. The pressure is huge. In the end, only those with both the arm and the heart and the ability to manage extraordinary stress will emerge as champions.

John Feinstein looks into this complex side of the game through the events of one nerve-racking season and through the eyes of two great pitchers trying to perform at the highest possible level in the twilight of their careers in the biggest media fishbowl in America. Tom Glavine and Mike Mussina have seen it all in the Major Leagues, remarkable highs and heartbreaking lows. Both entered the 2007 season in search of individual milestones and one more shot at the World Series--Glavine with the Mets, Mussina a few miles and one borough away with the Yankees. Despite their proximity, they experienced very different seasons--one pitching for a team dealing with the pressure of trying to qualify for the World Series for the first time in seven years; the other with a legendary team, expected to be there every year.

Feinstein captures the rollercoaster that was the 2007 season for both teams through the experiences of two pitchers at the center of it all. John Feinstein provides a true insider's look into the most intensely watched and scrutinized position in sports--Major League starting pitcher.

Review Quotes

"As always, Feinstein guides readers into a world with which fans have only surface familiarity, revealing in the process multiple substrata of nuance and meaning. Baseball fans who read this wonderful book will come away with a deeper understanding of the game in addition to having encountered a pair of fascinating men who just happen to play a game for a living."--Booklist (starred review)

"One of the best sportswriters alive."--Larry King, USA Today

"When Feinstein gets [Glavine and Mussina] talking about the art of pitching, the book comes alive."--David Hinckley, New York Daily News

PRAISE FOR LIVINGON THE BLACK:

"Feinstein achieves a double play fans should savor for its scrupulous look at what life is like for the 21st-century major leaguer."--Erik Spanberg, Christian Science Monitor

PRAISE FOR AMERICA'S FAVORITE SPORTSWRITER:

"Feinstein is the most successful sportswriter in America....He has the girt of re-creating events known to us all while infusing them with excitement, even suspense."--Jay Nordlinger, Wall Street Journal

Bob D'Angelo, Tampa Tribune

About the Author

John Feinstein is the author of many widely acclaimed and bestselling books on sports, including One on One, Moment of Glory, Are You Kidding Me?, Living on the Black, Tales from Q School, Last Dance, Next Man Up, Let Me Tell You a Story (with Red Auerbach), Caddy for Life, Open, The Punch, The Last Amateurs, The Majors, A Good Walk Spoiled, A Civil War, A Season on the Brink, Play Ball, and Hard Courts. He is also the author of five sports mystery novels for young readers. He writes for the Washington Post, Washingtonpost.com, and Golf Digest, and is a regular commentator on The Golf Channel.