The Knuckleball Club: The Extraordinary Men Who Mastered Baseball's Most Difficult Pitch

(Hardback)

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Description

The knuckleballso difficult to hit but also difficult to control and catchhas been a part of major league baseball since the early 1900s and continues to be used to this day. This remarkable and unusual pitch is the instrument of a special breed of pitcher, a determined athlete possessing tremendous concentration, self confidence, and a willingness to weather all kinds of adversity. In The Knuckleball Club: The Extraordinary Men Who Mastered Baseball's Most Difficult Pitch, Richard A. Johnson provides an informal history of the wildest, weirdest, most mesmerizing pitch of all time. Beginning with an examination of the invention of the knuckleball, Johnson then briefly touches upon the science and psychology of the pitch before profiling the games great knuckleballers. Rich in anecdotes and interviews, this book shares the unique stories of Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil Niekro, Jim Bouton, Tom Candiotti, Tim Wakefield, R.A. Dickey, and many others. Also featured are the stories of the best knuckleball catchers, from Bob Uecker and Doug Mirabelli to Rick Ferrell and Paul Richards. While knuckleballers today are an anomaly, decades ago a surprisingly large number of major league pitchers used the knuckler. The Knuckleball Club is the first book to provide a comprehensive survey of the pitch and the players who used it, offering a deep understanding of how the knuckleball has fit into the fabric of the game over the past one hundred years. Anyone wanting to learn more about this unusual pitch, from baseball historians and fans to current and former players, will find this book an entertaining and enlightening read.

Reviews

An in depth look at the most confounding pitch ever to grace the game of baseball. The whos, whats and whys of this quirky pitch are covered in this book. It also shares the stories of the Pitchers and Catchers who shared the success of the weird and wild pitch. This is the first book I have found that has shown how it fits into the fabric of the game, and is great knowledge for the average baseball fan. Check it out, you wont be disappointed. * Gregg's Baseball Bookcase *
[I]nformative and enjoyable [is the] book The Knuckleball Club.... Johnsons most impressive achievement might be in helping his readers understand the mental discipline common to successful knuckleballer pitchers. * The Inside Game: The Official Newsletter of SABR's Deadball Era Committee *
The Knuckleball Club needs to be readI know you will really enjoy it. -- Phil Niekro, Hall of Fame pitcher
I could throw every pitch but onethe knuckler! Enjoyed reading about these unique pitchers with a very unique talent to throw the most unique pitch of them allthe knuckleball! -- Frank Tanana, MLB pitcher and three-time All Star selection

Author Bio

Richard A. Johnson is Print Editor of Automotive News, the worlds largest auto industry business publication. He has written feature articles for several magazines, including American Heritage, Golf Magazine, and Psychology Today, and is the author of two books, American Fads and Six Men Who Built the Modern Auto Industry.