Out of My League
The Classic Hilarious Account of an Amateur's Ordeal in Professional Baseball
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
This baseball classic that Ernest Hemingway called "beautifully observed and incredibly conceived" includes a foreword from Jane Leavy and never-before-seen content from the Plimpton archives.
The first of Plimpton's remarkable forays into participatory journalism, Out of My League chronicles with wit, charm, and grace what happens when a self-professed amateur has the chance to answer every fan's question: could he strike out a major league star?
Plimpton's inspired idea -- to get on the mound and pitch a few innings to the All-Stars of the American and National Leagues -- begins as a fun-filled stunt and comes to a deeply hellish, nearly humiliating end. This honest and hilarious tale features Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Whitey Ford, Ralph Houk, and other baseball greats and is "a baseball book such as no one else ever wrote, and one of the best ever."-New York Herald Tribune
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
George Plimpton wasn’t just a pioneer of participatory journalism. As this funny and eye-opening book proves, he also had a lot of fun with it. Published five years before his landmark first-hand adventure in baseball Paper Lion, Out of My League chronicles the author’s first nerve-wracking foray into the sport. Using his considerable charm, the Paris Review editor talked his way into pitching an entire inning of an off-season all-star game. His resulting account of throwing the ball to Hall of Famers like Willie Mays and Ernie Banks—with future manager Billy Martin chirping behind him and Mickey Mantle looking bored in the outfield—is a flop-sweat comedy masterpiece. By the time the author’s harsh inner monologue inexplicably developed a Southern accent, we were laughing out loud. Plimpton’s self-deprecating style makes this read an absolute gem, whether you love baseball or just love a good chuckle.