Customer Reviews

Still Pitching: Musings from the Mound and the Microphone

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I found this book an inordinately refreshing change of pace from the usual self-aggrandizing, back-biting, and vituperative drivel that one often finds in books of this nature. Instead of bludgeoning his readers with an endless series of cheap ad hominem attacks on his ex-teammates, or whining incessantly about the "wanton cruelty" of the "mass media" (again, an all too common feature in sports biographies these days), Mr. Kaat conveys to his readers something much more profound here: His undying and unconditional love for the sport he played.

While it may seem almost Kafkaesque to laud an ex-athlete for "doing the right thing" in his memoirs, that is not to say, however, that Mr. Kaat doesn't offer any criticism of some the men that he played with. It is just done tactfully, and in a manner that is devoid of the sort of malignant narcissism that one finds in say, David Wells' Tell-all tale.

Indeed, this book does feature more than its fair share of criticism against those who Mr. Kaat feels could have done more to help themselves, and their respective teams. For example:

- Did you know that Harmon Killebrew, while a great ballplayer, lacked the sort of leadership skills that one would hope for in a star of that magnitude? His passivity, especially with regards to his sheepish acceptance of any contract offered him by ownership, helped to undermine the position of many of his teammates when negotiating contracts.

Remember, this was long before professional athletes earned the sort of money they do today. They measured their financial success, as did most Americans at that time, in the tens of thousands, not the tens of millions that they do today.

- Did you know that George Steinbrenner, while always willing to spend millions on high-profile free agents, was capable of lying to and then chiseling aging veterans, like Jim Kaat, out of a meager few thousand dollars? (hehe...surprised? Nor was I).

Now, Mr. Kaat does not frame his criticism of King George in quite the same way as I did above. But his anger was, nonetheless, evident. There are, of course, more such examples of this book's critical offerings, but the two I've provided above should suffice.

Any Yankee fan, like me, who has listened to Mr. Kaat broadcast Yankee games for the past nine years, knows that he is literally a bottomless well of baseball anecdotes. One of my favorites from his book is the story he tells about Graig Nettles, the great Yankee third baseman from 1973-83, who had started his career with Minnesota in late-60s.

Kaat and Nettles had been good friends during their days together in Minnesota. Subsequently, after Nettles had been traded to Cleveland and then to New York, the two faced each other many times, with Nettles usually getting the better of Kaat. Kaat speculates that this was so because they had been such good friends in Minnesota. Nettles, therefore, felt comfortable batting against Kaat-too comfortable. One night, Nettles, while batting against Kaat, was being pestered by a moth that kept flying around his face. Nettles jokingly barked out at Kaat, "hey Jim, was that your fastball?" Angered by this, and by all the previous success that Nettles had had against him, Kaat threw the next pitch, a fastball, right under Nettles' chin. Nettles fell backward and looked out at Jim in stunned disbelief. Suffice it to say, Nettles never again enjoyed the same success against Kaat after that.

That is but one of many charming stories that Jim shares with his readers. This is a book that any true baseball fan will enjoy reading. Mr. Kaat's sincerity, straight-forwardness, and love for the game of baseball is as refreshing as a cold iced-tea is on a hot summers day...a day which is perfect for baseball.

Jim Kaat's 20+ years on the mound translates into a good understanding of pitching which benefits his announcing and his book writing. Instead of wasting time with gossip, he offers solid and concise analysis of baseball, much of it unconventional.

He thinks that pitchers shouldn't be running before ballgames, because they are strengthening the wrong muscles. Pitchers can best get in shape by pitching and conditioning the same muscles they will need when they are working late in a game. He also thinks that pitchers should be throwing everyday to keep those muscles limber. There must be something to it. When Kaat retired, no one had played as many seasons and his only stint on the DL was when he broke his arm sliding into second base.

He also thinks that pitchers get into trouble over-thinking situations. A good example is Mike Mussina, a Stanford graduate. Kaat makes a good case that there is no substitute for throwing strikes. He points out that even the best hitters can't hit every pitch out in batting practice when they know what's coming. Why do pitchers worry that putting it across the plate is going to be disaster? David Wells is his example of a guy who just battles the hitters with his best stuff.

The book is pretty short, because unlike most authors who go on and on about a subject hitting it at the edges, Kaat aims square in the middle and moves on to something else. The publisher's worry about the book's shortness has lead to a bunch of filler material like Kaat's Teammate All-Star teams and greatest catchers he's seen. There's also a section at the end full of newspaper stories written about Kaat during his playing career.

The main body of the book may be short, but the wisdom contained within is worth more than books twice the size. I think Jim Kaat could write a really good book in the style of George Will's MEN AT WORK if some publisher gave him the opportunity.

If you remember the typical sports biography before Jim Bouton wrote Ball Four, arguably the best baseball book -- and the only sports book on the New York Times top 100 books of the last millennium -- this is that "good old days" genre.

Kaat, with Phil Pepe, is a long way from David Wells, who now plays for the team for which Kaat announces, the New York Yankees. And the difference just isn't in the books Wells and Kaat had published this year. Wells will finish with about 80 fewer career wins than Kaat, but most certainly has more headlines than Kaat ever did. Considering the careers of the two, that seems somewhat unfair. Not that Kaat would complain.

You'll have to read between the lines when Kaat dislikes someone, although it's clear everything in his 25-year major league career wasn't a "gee whiz experience." In fact, it could be argued Kaat's book is an exercise in tact. His restraint in personal attacks is almost an education.

If you grew up in the '50s or '60s -- particularly in the Midwest -- you might enjoy Kaat's book immensely. Surely Minnesota Twins' fans who have begun to read "Best Places to Retire" will enjoy it.

For any baseball fan, certainly the most poignant aspect that surfaces is baseball might be a warm game to play if you're in love with the sport, but it's a cold business. Despite his near Hall of Fame credentials, Kaat received his share of poor treatment in his career.

For instance, it certainly would surprise most fans under 25 that despite his statistics in Minnesota, he took a pay cut during 7 of his 13 years with the Twins. And when he details his releases from these teams, well, it doesn't say much about people who run the game. I suppose no real baseball follower will be surprised, but they might be interested.

Despite all that, it's clear Kaat's a good guy with more humility than you'll find among some people who work in middling "front office" positions in the game today.

I was a sports writer during the tail end of Kaat's career, and interviewed him a couple times after he left the game as a player. He's as classy and tactful in real life as he is in this book. He's far more entertaining in person or as a broadcaster than he is here.

Still, stories about advice dad gave him when it came time to sign his first pro contract are certainly interesting, and if you have a kid who is a budding big-leaguer maybe reading Kaat's book will educate the youngster about the game, offer some history and help make him a better person. I'd rather have my kid read Kaat than David Wells.

This book really captures Jim Kaat. Having listened to him broadcast over the years I could almost hear him speaking the words from this book. It's a nice story by a guy who doesn't have an axe to grind with anyone. It was also a great example of how someone can be very opinionated without being controversial or nasty. As another reviewer hinted, this won't go down as a landmark in sports literature, but it is a really nice, easy read and is an all-around interesting story.

Excellent book on one of my favorite baseball players Jim Kaat! Should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame! Great career! I followed him for years and found book to be informative and intersting. Jim Kaat told it like it was and should be! Harry

STILL PITCHING COVERS THE LONG CAREER IN A SHORT BOOK ABOUT JIM (KITTY) KAAT. JIM TELLS US A BIT ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND HIGH SCHOOL DAYS BUT MOST IS ABOUT HIS MAJOR LEAGUE AND BROADCASTING CAREER. SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE PITCHING AGAINST SANDY KOUFAX DURING 1965 WORLD SERIES AND HIS THOUGHTS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH DICK ALLEN, HARMON KILLEBREW AND MANY OTHERS. IT IS AN EASY READING BOOK AND MOVES ALONG AT A NICE PACE. I REALLY ENJOYED THIS AND RECOMMEND IT FOR ALL BASEBALL FANS. ( AND THAT AINT NO KITTY LITTER)