From the first third-generation baseball player in Major League Baseball history, a sometimes moving, always candid look at his family’s 70 years in the world of professional baseball.
Bret Boone made history in 1992 as the first third-generation major leaguer in baseball history. A five-foot-ten firecracker who was spurned by scouts for his small size, supposed lack of power, and temper tantrums (one scout called him a “helmet-throwing terror”), Bret didn’t care about family legacy; he wanted to make his own way. He did just that, building a 14-year career that included three all-star appearances, four Gold Gloves, a bout with alcoholism, and the ignominy of being traded for the infamous “player to be named later.” Now that he’s coaching minor leaguers half his age, and his 15-year-old son has the potential to be a fourth-generation major leaguer, Bret is ready to reflect on and tell the story of baseball from the perspective of his family’s 70-year history in the sport.
Combining the brashness and candor of Ball Four with a dollop of Big Russ and Me sentiment, this book will trace the evolution of the game—on the field and behind the scenes—from Ray Boone’s era in the 1950s to Bret and Aaron’s era in the 90s and 2000s, when players made millions, dined on lobster in the clubhouse, injected themselves with PEDs, and had their choice of “Annies”—female clingers-on, or as today’s players call them, “road beef.” Along the way, the book will touch on pieces of Boone family lore, including Bret hitting zero dingers in a home run derby and Aaron’s home run (if you don’t know what this is referring to, then consult the nearest Red Sox fan). Blending nostalgia, behind-the-scenes profanity, close analysis of the game that only players can offer, and insight into baseball’s ongoing evolution as a sport and a business, Bret Boone will offer a one-of-a-kind look at America’s favorite pastime from a family who has seen it all.
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“The youngest member of the first three-generation Major League family, Bret Boone, narrates his own story of following in the footsteps of his father, Bob, and grandfather, Ray. It’s a story worth telling, though the athlete author doesn’t sound like seasoned narrator…The audiobook shines when Boone is discussing specific points of the game—nuances and baseball’s code, in particular—from a player’s perspective. In the end, the book makes up for its weakness in narration with honest and interesting anecdotes.”
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