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You Never Forget Your First: Ballplayers Recall Their Big League Debuts
 
 
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You Never Forget Your First: Ballplayers Recall Their Big League Debuts [Hardcover]

Josh Lewin (Author)
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Book Description

August 31, 2005
Having already penned Getting in the Game, his inside scoop on the mayhem within baseball's winter meetings, Josh Lewin once again gives baseball fans a window into the big leagues. By interviewing big league ballplayers about their first day in the majors, Lewin creates fascinating mini-biographies of the players, highlighting the personalities hidden behind the on-field accomplishments. He lets the players recount their own memories of how they made it to the big leagues.

In You Never Forget Your First, Lewin shares the stories of players great and less so. Tony Gwynn recalls singling in his first at bat and finding Pete Rose waiting for him at first base with a wink and a warning: "Don't break my record all at once, kid." Bob Brenly heard of his call-up on the car radio while on a family trip to the Grand Canyon. He then stood helplessly in the middle of the Arizona desert after his transmission gave out, trying to convince passersby he was a ballplayer heading to the big leagues and needed a lift to the airport. Duane Kuiper witnessed a fight both on the field and in his own clubhouse his first day in Cleveland. Greg Maddux recalls being stuck at the Chicago River drawbridge, convinced he'd never make it to Wrigley Field in time for his debut.

Lewin interviews modern star players such as A-Rod, Barry Bonds, and Manny Ramirez, as well as Hall of Famers such as Jim Palmer, Don Sutton, and George Brett. More than 100 popular baseball players are profiled, complete with the box scores of their big league debuts.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Great stories plus great memories equals great reading." --Tim McCarver

From the Publisher

Players describe what happens when they "make the show"

Features the box score and other significant events of the player's debut game

From the author of Getting in the Game --This text refers to the Paperback edition.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (August 31, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1574889613
  • ISBN-13: 978-1574889611
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,984,864 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Rote Information, Very Repetitive, June 13, 2010
When I checked this book out from my local library, I was expecting good things due to the interesting title and little-covered subject matter (a ballplayer's major league debut). Unfortunately, what I ended up with was an index of players, a whole bunch of box scores, some short biographies, and some usually uninteresting player commentary.

The book follows this basic formula: author Josh Lewin lists a bunch of ballplayers (250 pages worth, from past to present) in alphabetical order, gives a one-page biography of them, then a half-page of their comments about their major league debut. Each player synopsis ends with the box score of their respective debut.

While presented in an interesting and eye-catching format, the book fails on both levels of reader interest: "rookie" baseball fans will become bored with the repetitive formula, while hard-core fans (like myself) will find the content to be 98% biographical commentary from Lewin (featuring stats/stories we already known), and 2% of rather uninteresting commentary from players (they all recount basically the same story of getting told in the minors they were going up to the "Big Show").

I made it almost 100 pages into the book before getting antsy and starting to skip around, reading about the players from my hometown team or those I have a strong interest in. Otherwise, it would have been a struggle to get through.
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4.0 out of 5 stars A little disappointing so far, July 12, 2008
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This review is from: You Never Forget Your First: Ballplayers Recall Their Big League Debuts (Hardcover)
I pretty much agree with what the first reviewer wrote, but here's why I'm a little disappointed with the book (I'm about 1/3 through it right now) - it seems a little repetitive, getting basically the same story from a number of players. Who told them they were going to the majors, who did they call (and how), how did they get to the city of their first game. All good stuff, but a little heavy on the logistics of the call-up and not as much emotion as I'd hoped for. There are some tidbits that are really cool (such as Josh Beckett once threw a pitch at the FATHER of an opponent because he thought the guy was giving away pitch locations).

What I think would make a more interesting book would be a slightly different look. Ask the players about how they were first scouted, signed, moved their way up through the minors. Did the great players always know they'd be great, or did they have their moments when they were ready to give up (as Willie Mays and Mickey Mantle both did early in their careers). Did marginal players also believe they'd have better careers than they wound up having? Also interview some highly touted prospects who never quite made it. Stuff like that.

Anyway, this is a great concept turned into a worthwhile read by one of baseball's better TV announcers.
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4.0 out of 5 stars a book you'l keep wanting to delve back into., June 20, 2008
By 
G. Bagshaw (isle of wight, england) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: You Never Forget Your First: Ballplayers Recall Their Big League Debuts (Hardcover)
This book covers over 100 players and for each in 2-3 pages tells you a biography of a player, the player describing their debut in the bigs and a box score from that game. My favourite element was the last element though a fact about something that also happened on that day and a second fact which links the first to the player being profiled. Certainly not a book to be read in one go and best read a few stories at a time. Most of the players are fairly modern but there are a few players from the 60's and the 70's.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
As Dennis Eckersley's minor league roommate in the Indians system, Larry Andersen picked up both the subtleties of a good slider and the importance of having fun. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
big league debut, big league history, big league seasons, big league career, big league game
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Time of Game, New York, World Series, Kansas City, San Diego, Baltimore Orioles, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins, Florida Marlins, Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Hall of Fame, Pittsburgh Pirates, National League, Cincinnati Reds, Yankee Stadium
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