Phillies Confidential: The Untold Inside Story of the 2008 Championship Season (Confidential) (Hardcover)

by Gary Matthews (Author), Scott Lauber (Author)
Key Phrases: inning tonight, clutch hits, Ryan Howard, World Series, Charlie Manuel (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Gary Matthews--All-Star player, coach, and broadcaster--led the Phillies into the World Series in 1983 after an MVP performance in the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now the Sarge gives readers a seat in the Phillies dugout as he recounts the day-to-day journey that led to the team's first World Series appearance since 1993. From the off-season acquisition of Brad Lidge to the early-season struggles of Ryan Howard to the team's down-to-the-wire quest for the NL East crown, Phillies Confidential is both an insider's peek into the 2008 clubhouse and a must-have, commemorative keepsake of a Phillies season for the ages.

From the Publisher
"These guys have a tremendous amount of respect for each other, and that comes from Charlie Manuel. They never put the blame on anybody else.... When Charlie makes a move, they pat the other guy on the back and say, `Go get 'em.' That comes down from Charlie. That's the effect he has."

--Gary Matthews, on the chemistry within the Phillies clubhouse

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (November 14, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600782027
• ISBN-13: 978-1600782022
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #198,876 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Gary Matthews Should "Phurlough" Writing, January 5, 2009

By	Joe (Mount Laurel, NJ) - See all my reviews

Gary Matthews must be one of the nicest, most personable men in baseball. I mean, he'd have to be for writing of this caliber to actually be published.

I was very excited when I heard about this book, and to be honest it is laid out very well. The story is told by month, and it alternates between a well-written newspaper-style summary of a particular game or story and a not-so-well-written Gary Matthews' first-person take on that particular story. What ruins it is Gary Matthews himself. I am convinced that all Matthews did for his piece was speak into a tape recorder after a selection of games or evenings and then transcribe his thoughts word for word into the book. It was obviously done as the season progressed and not retrospectively, and it is purely his opinions with very little about his conversations with players, experiences, or behind-the-scenes trivia. I'm also convinced that the process of editing was forgone in favor of getting the book to press, as no editor in his right mind would have let this go without at least correcting some grammar and repetition. Often times, Matthews doesn't even provide a coherent opinion.

Case in point -- Gary Matthews talking about Jimmy Rollins' early season injury: "I'm sure it's tough on him. I'm sure he wants to play. But no, I haven't really talked to him about it--having gone through injuries myself, you're either in the party or you're not, you're either playing or you're not. Period. You can do all of the talking in the world, but you're either out there or you're not. Sure, guys sympathize with you when you're hurt, but the sympathy really comes from wins and losses. It's a hard fact, but that's just how it goes." What in blazes is the point of this paragraph? What insight is revealed? Wouldn't it be more desirable to save the environment by just saying "I feel bad for the guy" and saving half a page & the trees killed to produce it? Sadly, the writing generally goes downhill from this on many pages.

Finally, I am disappointed with the minimal-to-zero references to the Phillies fans. Almost nothing is written about interaction between the players and the fans or fan opinion / sentiment during the season. When it comes down to it, isn't baseball all about the fans, especially the great ones we have in the Delaware Valley? The book smacks of Phillies organizational bias for this reason.

Other than the chronological recap, I have been disappointed by what I had hoped would be the best Phillies World Series literary recap on the market.

Gary - In the future, please remember that people generally shouldn't write the same way that they broadcast. This especially goes for you.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Half good, January 6, 2009

By	PJC "Paul the Reader" (Fort Collins, CO) - See all my reviews

It's a fun read for Phillies fans looking to relive the championship season, but Gary Matthews' "writing" is clearly just transcribed talking. Matthews repeats himself frequently and occasionally contradicts himself, but more annoying is the focus he puts on his own playing days and stories about the Cubs that are barely relevant.

Thankfully, the portions written by Gary Matthews alternate with better-written portions by journalist Scott Lauber. (For some reason, Lauber's passages are typeset in a condensed sans serif font that is difficult to read. Matthews' passages, while barely coherent, are at least set in a traditional serif font.)

It's written as a diary, which lets fans experience the highs and lows of the season as they happen, rather than from the perspective of knowing that they've won it all. If you can get past (or just skim) Matthews' sections, it's a lot of fun.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth your time - pretty terrible and dishonest in its claims, April 29, 2009

By	Christian G. Heinrich - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Inside story? You got to be kidding me. I thought I would be getting an inside view of the team, learn more about what the players were going through, etc., and this book is nothing like it purports to be. I am a lifelong Phils fan (from Scranton) and follow them religously. I was even at Games 3, 4, and 5 of the NLCS (as I now live in So Cal) and I even make an appearance on the Perfect Season DVD's shots of the celebrating crowd after Game 5. I devour everything written about the Phils and have all the DVDs. I re-watched all the Phils games on the DVD set. I still have post game celebration on my DVR. Why am I telling you all this? Because I am bored out of my mind reading this book. It's just Gary's ramblings that took 5 minutes to do a few nights over the course of the season. There's no analysis, no inside look. A lot of it is just his reflecting on his time with the Cubs years ago. I've really lost interest. I can barely force my way to get through it even though I am a diehard. That should tell you to not waste your time.