Living on the Black - by John Feinstein (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Pitchers are the heart of baseball, and John Feinstein tells the story of the game today through one season and two great pitchers working in the crucible of the New York media market. Tom Glavine and Mike Mussina have seen it all in the Major Leagues and both entered 2007 in search of individual milestones and one more shot at The World Series-Glavine with the Mets, Mussina five miles away with the Yankees. The two veterans experience very different seasons -- one on a team dealing with the pressure to get to a World Series for the first time in seven years, the other with a team expected to be there every year.

Taking the reader through contract negotiations, spring training, the ups of wins and losses, and the people in their lives-family, managers, pitching coaches, agents, catchers, other pitchers -- John Feinstein provides a true insider's look at the pressure cooker of sports at the highest level.

Review Quotes

"As always, Feinstein guides readers into a world with which fans have only surface familiarity, revealing in the process multiple substrata of nuance and meaning. Baseball fans who read this wonderful book will come away with a deeper understanding of the game in addition to having encountered a pair of fascinating men who just happen to play a game for a living."--Booklist (starred review)

"One of the best sportswriters alive."--Larry King, USA Today

"When Feinstein gets [Glavine and Mussina] talking about the art of pitching, the book comes alive."--David Hinckley, New York Daily News

PRAISE FOR LIVINGON THE BLACK:

"Feinstein achieves a double play fans should savor for its scrupulous look at what life is like for the 21st-century major leaguer."--Erik Spanberg, Christian Science Monitor

PRAISE FOR AMERICA'S FAVORITE SPORTSWRITER:

"Feinstein is the most successful sportswriter in America....He has the girt of re-creating events known to us all while infusing them with excitement, even suspense."--Jay Nordlinger, Wall Street Journal

Bob D'Angelo, Tampa Tribune

About the Author

John Feinstein is the author of many widely acclaimed and bestselling books on sports, including One on One, Moment of Glory, Are You Kidding Me?, Living on the Black, Tales from Q School, Last Dance, Next Man Up, Let Me Tell You a Story (with Red Auerbach), Caddy for Life, Open, The Punch, The Last Amateurs, The Majors, A Good Walk Spoiled, A Civil War, A Season on the Brink, Play Ball, and Hard Courts. He is also the author of five sports mystery novels for young readers. He writes for the Washington Post, Washingtonpost.com, and Golf Digest, and is a regular commentator on The Golf Channel.