April 8, 2019
Former New York Yankees pitcher Cone and analyst Curry (coauthor with Derek Jeter of The Life You Imagine) deliver an enjoyable memoir that recounts Cone’s remarkable career and provides an honest look at the road to the major leagues. Cone is best remembered for his run with the late-1990s Yankees dynasty, and he also spent five seasons as a Met, where he recorded 19 strikeouts in a single game. As Cone tells it, he didn’t play high school baseball while growing up in Kansas City, and he put in his time moving up through the Class A and Class AA systems. Throughout, Cone explains the difficulty of being a pitcher (“a weighty responsibility that is like none other in sports”), alongside more lighthearted anecdotes about fellow ball players, such as his friendship with Cal Ripken Jr. and what it was like to pitch against the legend in his final game (“I wanted him to know it was going to be a matchup filled with fastballs”). Throughout, Cone provides keen insight into the mind of a pitcher, recalling with uncanny specificity the most difficult pitches of his career (notably the final pitch in his 1999 perfect game against the Montreal Expos) and how he almost always overcame adversity with triumph. While this is a must-read for Cone fans, baseball aficionados of any allegiance will surely delight in this behind-the-scenes memoir. Agent: David Black, David Black Literary.
April 1, 2019
Cone, a 17-year major league pitcher, chronicles his career and challenging moments that eventually lead to his success. Many baseball fans will remember Cone from his perfect game with the Yankees in 1999 and role on five World Series teams. What's appreciated in this refreshing account, cowritten with sports journalist Curry, is Cone's honesty about his immaturity as a young pitcher, something other top athletes might gloss over, not holding themselves accountable. Additionally, readers will value the stories about Cone's interactions with teammates, some of whom were the biggest stars in the game during the 1990s and early 2000s. Though often he refers to players without any context, so readers may lose track of who he's referring to in different places. VERDICT For baseball fans, especially those who remember Cone's career, this is a must-read. While younger audiences may not recall Cole's significant role in the Yankees dynasty or even his perfect game, anyone wishing to learn what made him a successful pitcher will find this a rewarding read.--Pamela Calfo, Baldwin Borough P.L., PA
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 15, 2019
A memoir from a former star pitcher in Major League Baseball.In his first book--written with YES Network analyst Curry (co-author, with Derek Jeter: The Life You Imagine, 2000)--five-time All-Star Cone offers advice on becoming a successful pitcher, recollections of specific games, and professional gossip about teammates and opponents encountered during his long career (1986-2003). From an early age, the author, who grew up in Kansas City, was determined to play baseball professionally--and not just as any player, but specifically as a pitcher, arguably the most important position on the field. In the early pages, Cone discusses the tireless coaching from his father as well as the influences of his mother and siblings. Quickly, however, the author moves on to baseball matters. He focuses on a professional career that began in the minor leagues on teams controlled by his hometown Kansas City Royals--and ultimately included five World Series championships. Cone concedes that sometimes he acted immaturely off the field, but his dedication to the craft of pitching is undeniable--as a student and, later, a teacher. His insights about how pitchers must develop not only physically, but also emotionally and intellectually will be enlightening for all baseball fans. Readers uninterested in the didactic pitching insights should find satisfaction in Cone's accounts of his stints with the Royals, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, New York Yankees, and Boston Red Sox. The author compliments many players, coaches, and managers, but he is also candid about the flaws of many of these individuals. Thematic chapters about the synergy--or lack thereof--between pitchers and catchers, and between pitchers and home-plate umpires, add to the richness of the narrative. Currently a broadcaster for the YES Network, Cone briefly discusses that career, as well. Although the book is mostly chronological, the ordering of the chapters is occasionally puzzling. The narrative will be best digested as individual chapters rather than a connected narrative.A well-intentioned, competent sports memoir that will appeal most to MLB fans.
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April 15, 2019
Not all pitchers can match the introspection or intensity of David Cone, a 17-year veteran of Major League Baseball, twice a 20-game winner, a perfect-game pitcher, and a Cy Young Award winner. From his childhood in Kansas City, Missouri, Cone, a lifelong student of the game, shares much of what he has learned here. He deals with the dynamics of pitching itself: the pitcher's stride, his grip and control on the ball. One chapter deals with the pitcher's relationship with the home-plate umpire, and it is both edifying and specific, naming names. Another, possibly the book's best, covers the complicated marriage (to use catcher Jorge Posada's characterization) of the pitcher with his batterymate. Cone also details the (deliberately) unknown world of signals, not all by fingers, and the (inadvertent) world of tipping pitches. He fascinatingly describes how some pitchers virtually call their own games. His style may not have the creativity of his pitching, but Cone provides a unique analysis of an intriguing game. Pair this with Roger Angell's A Pitcher's Story: Innings with David Cone (2001), which follows Cone through the 2000 season.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)