TERRY McDERMOTT is a former national reporter for the Los Angeles Times and the author of three previous books: The Hunt for KSM: Inside the Pursuit and Takedown of the Real 9/11 Mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (co-authored with Josh Meyer); 101 Theory Drive: The Discovery of Memory; and Perfect Soldiers: The 9/11 Hijackers—Who They Were, Why They Did It. A native of Iowa, he now lives in southern California.
“McDermott describes nine pitches, weaving player and coach
interviews into an absorbing examination of this arcane art.”
—Daniel M. Gold, The New York Times Book Review
“A deeply felt portrayal of the men on the mound.” —Will Leitch,
The Atlantic
“A nostalgic and witty tribute to the cunning and craft of baseball
pitchers. . . . Engaging. . . . Delightful. . . . A
treat for statistics junkies [and] readers who appreciate the human
dimension of the sport. . . . McDermott is a wonderful person with
whom to share a baseball game.” —Tom Zelman, Star Tribune
(Minneapolis)
“McDermott . . . explores with great affection and insight the art
of pitching.” —Chris Foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“A literate and knowing little gem.”
—George Vecsey, author of Baseball
“What lover of the game will not delight in McDermott’s
field-of-dreams nostalgia for the baseball he played and watched
growing up in his small Iowa hometown? No one passionate about
America’s national pastime will leave these pages
disappointed.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“A lovely memoir of the game as it is played from Iowa sandlots to
the Kingdome, along with a fascinating and absorbing history of
pitching. A terrific book for both beginners and longtime
fans.”
—Kevin Baker, author of America the Ingenious
“Nine innings, nine pitches, one hell of a book. Off Speed is a
must-read for any fan of the magic that can be found at the
intersection of New School data and Old School romance.”
—Ian O’Connor, author of The Captain: The Journey of Derek
Jeter
“Off Speed is baseball magic. As soon as Terry McDermott set down
thirteen deft definitions of pitches, with which I happily began to
quibble, then gave me Willie Stargell likening the attempt to hit
Sandy Koufax to trying to drink coffee with a fork, I fell into a
flow state that held to the last chapter.”
—David James Duncan, author of The Brothers K
“A fascinating history of pitching mixed with scientific facts,
psychological insights, delightful digressions about small-town
American life, and the heart-thumping play-by-play of Felix
Hernandez’s march to perfection. I always knew that King Felix was
great, but now I know why.”
—Zack Hample, author of The Baseball
“A paean to baseball from the perspective of an experienced fan.
Off Speed is the rare book that goes deep inside the sport with an
approach accessible to insiders and novices alike. Its crisp
writing offers historic foundation while conveying, in full bloom,
the depth of the author’s passion.”
—Jason Turbow, author of Dynastic, Bombastic, Fantastic
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