Customer Reviews

Bat Boy: My True Life Adventures Coming of Age with the New York Yankees

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's a tribute to the author that I, an ardent Mets fan and Yankee-hater, really enjoyed the book. Maybe that's because, for all the funny baseball anecdotes and fascinating insider scoops, this isn't just a baseball book--it's a memoir, and the coming-of-age thrust of the narrative is quite effective. McGough manages to convey both the arrogance and insecurity that a 17-year-old boy in an infinitely enviable position--hanging out with his heroes, traveling with them, getting paid (among other perks)--must have felt.

The story is touching without being overly sentimental, and it rings true. Best of all, this isn't one of those corny "Baseball=life" stories; McGough skillfully interweaves the two main elements of his story with humor and a light touch. I actually laughed out loud in some parts, and was genuinely moved in others.

While baseball fans will surely enjoy this book on another level than their non-baseball-loving peers, any reader with an appreciation for clever writing and hilarious tales of hubris and naivete should read this book.

i read this terrific memoir during the first warm afternoon of the spring, and would encourage anyone to spend a similar afternoon this summer. mcgough shares some great stories from his time as a bat boy and the first-hand accounts of mingling with legends of the yankee's near and distant past have a wonderful immediacy and economy - the author deftly avoids dipping into the grab-bag of sports clichés. mcgough depicts some admirable yankees - mattingly, abbott, williams and o'neill - without lapsing into hero worship, and he has the good taste and discretion to avoid dishing whatever dirt he may have witnessed along the way.

above all though, this is not a book about baseball, or - thank god - a book about how baseball is the ultimate metaphor for american life. this is a story of one young man's experiences growing up among a group of men who are paid millions to play a child's game. mcgough seems to have acquired more maturity and wisdom through his adventures than many of the more famous inhabitants of the bronx clubhouse apparently did.

mcgough doesn't labor to make his experiences seem universal, and perhaps because of this they actually do resonate as familiar boyhood adventures - disastrous early encounters with girls, struggling to acclimatize as the youngest person at your first job, fretting over college admissions, being taken-in by get-rich-quick schemes - mcgough's anecdotes are both amusing and heartfelt.

there were various points when i laughed out loud, and almost as many where i had to pause and wonder what it must have been like to have so many terrific experiences at such a formative age. what mcgough has achieved here is a sincere and entertaining coming-of-age story that avoids sentimentality, well worth a read.

one additional note: judging from the cover and jacket photos of the author, it is clear that mcgough never succumbed to the siren song of steroids, and the fact that they are not mentioned in the book represents another differentiating factor from the saccharine-dipped or cliché-ridden or self-serving sports memoirs likely to be jostling for shelf space along side mcgough's first rate book.

This guy got to live my childhood dream... to be a bat boy for the New York Yankees! He met players like Mattingly and Mantle and got to play baseball with his buddies at 3AM... in Yankee Stadium! And the best part is, he did it all on his own... no connections. Just perserverance and a dream.

It's an unbelievable story that flies off the page. A great summer diversion.

For a transplanted New Yorker who did not grow up a Yankee fan, Bat Boy tells a story that is relatable to everyone. It is a quintessential summer read, full of funny anecdotes while delivering a message that hard work and perseverance pay off.

Bat Boy is a compelling and entertaining book, even for someone who isn't necessarily a baseball fan. It is a story about the dreams of youth, when everything is still new and possible because we haven't yet been made timid by caution and restraint. Bat Boy is about deciding what you want, going for it, and miraculously getting it. And what is perhaps even more rare, finding that achieving and living a dream can be as good or better than the fantasy.

I didn't know I was a baseball fan until I read this book. Matthew McGough conveys the beauty of the game with such humor and heart, I feel an urge to actually go to a game myself -- but even more than that, I want to read more Matt McGough! This is an exquisitely written and observed book about growing up -- elegant, hilarious, smart and assured, it's a big-hearted look at the game of life, and I laughed, cried, and stomped my feet. Now I want more. I'm back on-line to score copies for freinds and family -- this is a wonderful read for young and old, sports fans and sports phobics. It's a great book to share with a circle of people of all ages, inspiring one's own youthful memories and family tales to be told together over hot dogs, beer and lemonade. Don't miss this one -- it belongs on your shelves for generations to read over the years.

Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down. The author (Matthew McGough) takes you behind the scene of one of the most prestige franchise of any sports teams. You'll experience what it was like to be on the inside of Yankee Stadium. The star struck kid interacting with the "Stars in Pinstripes". It's a must read book for anyone who has ever dreamed of being a bat boy for a professional baseball team. Anyone who has ever wanted to know what takes place before, doing, and after a baseball game this is also a must read book. You'll also read about the "good guys" and the not so friendly guys who played for the Yankees. Find out it's not always glamorous being a "bat boy". Finally a "kudos" to his parents who made sure school work was always his priority over working Yankees games. Enjoy the adventure!

Andre' Fontenot (former bat boy San Francisco Giants 1974)

This was an amazing book and probably one of the best autobiographys I've ever read. Growing up in California I've been a hard core Oakland a's and San Fransico Giants fan. Reading this book makes you love the Yankees. Mr.Mcough's writing gives you the feeling that you're actually at the baseball game. Matt gives you a full on description of everything he does and if he does something bad or gets in trouble it makes you relate when something like that happened to you. It's great description and humor this definitely a must read for anyone.

I can't recommend this book enough for any Yankee fan who suffered through the '80's and early '90's. Perfect read for a day at the beach or a plane ride.

There are so many wonderful moments in this book that I don't know where to begin: the naive and persistent phone calls that led to the job, the letter McGough's father wrote him on his first day of work (read it and see if you don't shed a tear), the part where McGough loses his meal money to fellow players playing blackjack on the team plane, and a relief pitcher gives him a $100 bill, the road trip to Fenway Park, where the players set him up on his first date... the list goes on, but even more poignant are the personal experiences McGough had with heroes Don Mattingly and Jim Abbott, who are portrayed as both noble and funny. Talk about meeting your heroes and having them exceed your expectations.

This is a beautiful book written with great sensitivity and insight.