Senior Year

In Senior Year, Dan Shaughnessy focuses his acclaimed sports writing talents on his son Sam's senior year of high school, a turning point in any young life and certainly in the relationship between father and son. Using that experience, Shaughnessy circles back to his own boyhood and calls on the many sports greats he's known over the years -- Ted Williams, Roger Clemens, Larry Bird -- to capture that uniquely American rite of passage that is sports.

Growing up, Dan Shaughnessy was so baseball-obsessed that he played games by himself and didn't even let himself win. His son, Sam Shaughnessy, came by his own love of sports naturally and was a natural hitter who quickly ascended the ranks of youth sports. Now nicknamed the 3-2 Kid for his astonishing ability to hover between success and failure in everything he does, Sam is finally a senior, and it's all on the line: what college to attend; how to keep his grades up and his head down until graduation; and whether his final high school baseball season, which features foul weather, a hitting slump, and a surprising clash with a longtime coach, will end in disappointment or triumph.

All along the way, Dad is there, chronicling that universal experience of putting your child out on the field -- and in the world -- and hoping for the best. With gleaming insight, wicked humor, and, at times, the searching soul of an unsure father, Shaughnessy illuminates how sports connect generations and how they help us grow up -- and let go.

What happens when a famous sportswriter turns his focus from the pros to his own son’s last season?
A Father-Son Story: Follow Dan, the acclaimed sportswriter, and Sam, the “3-2 Kid,” as they navigate a pivotal year in their relationship, both on and off the diamond.High School Baseball: Experience the pressure and glory of senior year—from hitting slumps and clashes with coaches to the unforgettable final game.Sports Writing Legend: Gain insight from a veteran journalist who draws on memories of Ted Williams, Larry Bird, and other greats to frame the universal rite of passage of high school sports.Parenting and Letting Go: A funny, honest, and heartfelt look at the universal experience of watching your child step up to the plate—and out into the world.