Speaking candidly to veteran sportswriter Mike Shalin for the first time about his often tumultuous career in Major League Baseball, Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd recounts a life that began in the Deep South of Mississippi, and the events that led him toward great heights atop the pitcher’s mound at Fenway Park. As part of a stellar rotation alongside Bruce Hurst and a young Roger Clemens, Boyd served a dazzling array of pitches to opposing batters, most notably during the Boston Red Sox ill-fated 1986 World Series run against the New York Mets; and while he was at once brilliant and focused on the mound, off the field—as he affectingly reveals here—Boyd was unraveled by the personal battles he waged with substance abuse and destructive mood swings. As one of the few African American starting pitchers in the history of baseball, Boyd offers a candid, insightful, and often funny portrait of an athlete with boundless passion for the game, his teammates, and the Boston Red Sox.
They Call Me Oil Can: Baseball, Drugs, and Life on the Edge
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"A must-read for all baseball fans, never mind Red Sox fans." —Providence Journal
"Interesting, amusing, puzzling and at times unsettling... [a] blunt, honest and sometimes painful work." —The Tampa Tribune
About the Author
Dennis Boyd played for the Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos, and Texas Rangers during his 10-year Major League Baseball career. He lives in East Providence, Rhode Island. Mike Shalin covered the Red Sox during his 22-year career with the Boston Herald and is the author of Donnie Baseball: The Definitive Biography of Don Mattingly. He lives in South Easton, Massachusetts.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
OK, so I haven't read the whole book yet but I am probably "two-thirds" of the way through. Whenever trying to approximate a number, Oil Can says "two-thirds"..every time. This little nuance alone makes me believe that his facts are off, just because how can every single situation with numbers in his life involve "two-thirds". All joking aside, I really am about two thirds of the way through the book and I have some very strong opinions so far.
Oil Can talks about race, a lot. He grew up in the South and was called names and discriminated against, so I have to keep that in mind. I grew up in the middle class mixed suburbs and I am hardly familiar with the ghetto, so I try to keep that in perspective while evaluating what this man has written. It doesn't take away from the fact that this man blames every single failure in his life on the fact that he was discriminated against because he is black. He readily admits that he has a terrible temper and was quick to lash out at people but the second he starts to feel any of the repercussions of his actions, he blames it on the fact that he is black, not that he was a loose cannon or the fact that is a total drug addict.
Here is my other problem. He seems completely outraged by the "fried chicken and beer" incident with the Red Sox during their collapse in 2011 (which was one of the greatest things I have ever witnessed). He goes on to blast those involved for drinking during the game and seems like he is SOOO offended by this. However, just a couple chapters earlier he is bragging about how he never once pitched without smoking weed. He even says that he would go to his car during games to get high between innings in games that he was pitching. Give me a break.
This book is a very interesting read but it is obvious that Oil Can Boyd is not very educated and one of the most delusional men on the planet. It has actually helped me a lot, as I was recently laid off through no fault of my own and I was blaming everyone else. I have realized that sometimes bad things just happen and I need to get over it and move on with my life. Oil Can made the bad things in his life happen but it was always someone else's fault and he can't let it go.
I would recommend buying this book. It has helped me a lot.
Oil Can talks about race, a lot. He grew up in the South and was called names and discriminated against, so I have to keep that in mind. I grew up in the middle class mixed suburbs and I am hardly familiar with the ghetto, so I try to keep that in perspective while evaluating what this man has written. It doesn't take away from the fact that this man blames every single failure in his life on the fact that he was discriminated against because he is black. He readily admits that he has a terrible temper and was quick to lash out at people but the second he starts to feel any of the repercussions of his actions, he blames it on the fact that he is black, not that he was a loose cannon or the fact that is a total drug addict.
Here is my other problem. He seems completely outraged by the "fried chicken and beer" incident with the Red Sox during their collapse in 2011 (which was one of the greatest things I have ever witnessed). He goes on to blast those involved for drinking during the game and seems like he is SOOO offended by this. However, just a couple chapters earlier he is bragging about how he never once pitched without smoking weed. He even says that he would go to his car during games to get high between innings in games that he was pitching. Give me a break.
This book is a very interesting read but it is obvious that Oil Can Boyd is not very educated and one of the most delusional men on the planet. It has actually helped me a lot, as I was recently laid off through no fault of my own and I was blaming everyone else. I have realized that sometimes bad things just happen and I need to get over it and move on with my life. Oil Can made the bad things in his life happen but it was always someone else's fault and he can't let it go.
I would recommend buying this book. It has helped me a lot.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Dexter5
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I love baseball, so when I saw this book for sale I bought it. I did not finish it. Honestly, I couldn't stomach it. I've never not finished a book before...this is a first for me.
"Oil Can" spent every chapter I read (I completed five) not really talking about baseball, rather, blaming others for everything bad that occurred in his life. I was looking to be inspired by someone who overcame racism. I wanted to read about someone who overcame adversity and personal challenges. I wanted to know how he thought about the game. What he thought about his opponents. How he approached pitching. Maybe even hear from a man who's been humbled by his own mistakes, by life, to teach others not to do the same.
Instead, I read mostly about how he smoked pot and admittedly used cocaine, yet blamed "whitey" for his short career in the game when in the end it was his fault. He quit the game. The game didn't quit him. He had so many God-given talents, yet wasted them on drugs. He's bitter, and the book is a total reflection of bitterness. If you are looking for a book that is a great example of someone blaming another for their bad decisions in life, this is it.
"Oil Can" spent every chapter I read (I completed five) not really talking about baseball, rather, blaming others for everything bad that occurred in his life. I was looking to be inspired by someone who overcame racism. I wanted to read about someone who overcame adversity and personal challenges. I wanted to know how he thought about the game. What he thought about his opponents. How he approached pitching. Maybe even hear from a man who's been humbled by his own mistakes, by life, to teach others not to do the same.
Instead, I read mostly about how he smoked pot and admittedly used cocaine, yet blamed "whitey" for his short career in the game when in the end it was his fault. He quit the game. The game didn't quit him. He had so many God-given talents, yet wasted them on drugs. He's bitter, and the book is a total reflection of bitterness. If you are looking for a book that is a great example of someone blaming another for their bad decisions in life, this is it.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
How can you throw away a career?
The story of a talented athlete who cannot stay focused on his family or his job. How can you feel sorry for someone who throws it all away?
Published 9 months ago by MichaelP
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's all about race
I was listening to my local sports radio station in Boston when "'Oil Can" came on the station to publicize his book. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Weesil
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