Pudge

From a Casey Award finalist, the first biography of Hall of Fame catcher Carlton Fisk: "A home run all the way." —Leigh Montville, New York Times–bestselling author of The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth

Carlton Fisk retired having played in more games and hit more home runs than any other catcher before him. A baseball superstar in the 1970s and '80s, Fisk was known not just for his dedication to the sport and tremendous plays but for the respect with which he treated the game.


A homegrown icon, Fisk rapidly became the face of one of the most storied teams in baseball, the Boston Red Sox of the 1970s. As a rookie making only $12,000 a year, he became the first player to unanimously win the American League Rookie of the Year award in 1972, upping both his pay grade and national recognition. Fisk's game-winning home run in Game Six of the hotly contested 1975 World Series forever immortalized him in one of the sport's most exciting televised moments. Fisk played through an epic period of player-owner relations, including the dawn of free agency, strikes, and collusions. After leaving Boston under controversy in 1981, he joined the Chicago White Sox, where he played for twelve more major league seasons, solidifying his position as one of the best catchers of all time.


Doug Wilson, finalist for both the Casey Award and Seymour Medal for his previous baseball biographies, uses his own extensive research and interviews with Fisk's childhood friends and major league teammates to examine the life and career of a leader who followed a strict code and played with fierce determination.

Includes photos

"Wilson received much-deserved praise for his biographies of Mark Fidrych and Brooks Robinson. This fine book is every bit their equal." —Booklist (starred review)