John Feinstein is no stranger to taking a huge sports topic and breaking it into manageable glimpses for listeners. And count him among the group of authors who succeed at narrating their own words. Being that this is his reporting, he clearly knows the right emphasis and appropriate tones. Here, he opens up the world of minor-league baseball, where players either dream of making it to the big leagues or strive to make it back. He finds an assortment of people—players, managers, an umpire—and alternates between their stories. He does an especially good job of weaving in facts and details (exactly how much does a minor league player make?) while keeping their stories straight. No imitations here, no drawls—just the facts and anecdotes, about ballplayers and their dreams.
Pub Date: Feb. 25, 2014
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780804192064
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
More books have been written about baseball than any other sport, and audiobooks such as this allow the genre to flourish. Former pitcher Ron Darling, now a broadcaster, had a distinguished career, primarily with the New York Mets. Darling has met just about everyone in the sport for nearly four decades and demonstrates his knowledge and connections with the anecdotes in this entertaining memoir. Narrator Malcolm Hillgartner's relaxed delivery sounds as though he is in the broadcast booth with Darling. Like most audio sports memoirs, this book succeeds because of the narrator's engaging style. Hillgartner recognizes that even the duller moments in baseball are bolstered by the legacies of so many who have played the game, and were fortunate to have crossed paths with the author.
Pub Date: April 2, 2019
Duration: 7 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781721342457
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Willie Mays's baseball life was a long and rich one, worthy of multiple biographies. Known as a five-tool player--he could run, field, throw, hit, and hit for power--Mays enjoyed a long career. The tag-team narration here fits wonderfully: Larry Herron speaks in a serious and deep tone that is commanding, with appropriate doses of emotion. Julian McWilliams uses a higher voice for Mays who, in fact, does have a slightly high voice. Often, when people are quoted--like President Obama--imitations are used and fit seamlessly within the story. Off- and on-the-field anecdotes are interspersed with brief pieces of advice and mini-mantras from the baseball great.
Pub Date: May 12, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250240231
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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