Sports & Outdoors
Biographies
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Swing and a Hit: Nine Innings of What Baseball Taught Me
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
The fun and fiery memoir of All Star Yankee and five-time World Champion, Paul O'Neill.
In SWING AND A HIT, O'Neill elaborates on his most important hitting principles, lessons, and memories-exploring those elements across ten chapters (to align with the nine innings of a baseball game and one extra inning). Here, O'Neill, with his intense temperament, describes what he did as a hitter, how he adjusted to pitchers, how he boosted his confidence, how he battled with umpires (and water coolers), and what advice he would give to current hitters.
O'Neill has always been a tough out at the plate. Recalling how he started to swing at bat as a two-year-old and kept swinging it professionally until he was thirty-eight, O'Neill provides constant insights into the beauty and frustration of playing baseball. The legendary Ted Williams said using a round bat to hit a round ball is the most difficult thing to do in sports. Naturally, O'Neill, who once received a surprise call from Williams that was filled with hitting advice, agrees.
SWING AND A HIT features O'Neill's most thoughtful revelations and offers clubhouse stories from some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball-hitters, managers, and teammates like Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Pete Rose, and Bernie Williams.
Remember, O'Neill, ever the perfectionist, was the type of hitter who believed that pitchers didn't ever get him out. For that incredible reason and so many others, SWING AND A HIT is essential reading for any baseball fan.
The fun and fiery memoir of All Star Yankee and five-time World Champion, Paul O'Neill.
In SWING AND A HIT, O'Neill elaborates on his most important hitting principles, lessons, and memories-exploring those elements across ten chapters (to align with the nine innings of a baseball game and one extra inning). Here, O'Neill, with his intense temperament, describes what he did as a hitter, how he adjusted to pitchers, how he boosted his confidence, how he battled with umpires (and water coolers), and what advice he would give to current hitters.
O'Neill has always been a tough out at the plate. Recalling how he started to swing at bat as a two-year-old and kept swinging it professionally until he was thirty-eight, O'Neill provides constant insights into the beauty and frustration of playing baseball. The legendary Ted Williams said using a round bat to hit a round ball is the most difficult thing to do in sports. Naturally, O'Neill, who once received a surprise call from Williams that was filled with hitting advice, agrees.
SWING AND A HIT features O'Neill's most thoughtful revelations and offers clubhouse stories from some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball-hitters, managers, and teammates like Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Pete Rose, and Bernie Williams.
Remember, O'Neill, ever the perfectionist, was the type of hitter who believed that pitchers didn't ever get him out. For that incredible reason and so many others, SWING AND A HIT is essential reading for any baseball fan.
Editorial Reviews
"I've always known how superb and how prepared Paul O'Neill was as a hitter. After reading SWING AND A HIT now I know all of O'Neill's secrets and sacrifices and everything that helped make him such a splendid hitter. With every page I read, it was evident how Paul obsessed over the art of hitting and how he learned from some of the game's best hitters. I loved competing with and against Paul. I loved this book just as much."―David Cone, Five-Time World Series Champion, Cy Young Award Winner and baseball announcer for The Yes Network and ESPN
"Paul O'Neill's passion to get a hit was obvious every time he stepped in the batter's box. He was a fierce competitor who never thought he should make an out. And, in SWING AND A HIT, Paul intimately describes the journey that led to him being such a special hitter. This book is as entertaining and illuminating as one of O'Neill's feisty at bats. Add another hit to O'Neill's stats." ―Buck Showalter, Manager of The New York Mets, former manager of the N.Y. Yankees and three-time Manager of The Year
"Paul O'Neill is so much more than "the warrior." He is a baseball savant and an incredible student of the game. He and Jack Curry peel away the layers of the five-time world champion in this riveting read. I've known Paul for 30 years and I came away knowing much more about hitting and about him than before I picked up this fascinating read." ―Michael Kay, Yankees' Play-By-Play announcer for the Yes Network
"Paul O'Neill is one of my all-time favorite teammates. I loved his approach to the game, his passion, his commitment, and his relentless competitive spirit. Paul's work ethic was unmatched. As a hitter, he was never satisfied. If you want insight into one of my favorite players, read SWING AND A HIT. I guarantee it won't disappoint."―Don Mattingly, Miami Marlins' manager and former Yankees' captain
"Paul had an incomparable combination of being the fiercest competitor on the field, and the nicest, most affable guy off the field. It was like there were two completely different people. His success story began long before he became my teammate. SWING AND A HIT tells that story…and, yes – it is a hit! What else would you expect from Paul O'Neill?"―Bernie Williams, Yankees' center fielder and four-time World Series champion
"This is a book for baseball fans, many of whom will enjoy O'Neill's unique insights on some of the greatest hitters of all time."―Library Journal
"Paul O'Neill's passion to get a hit was obvious every time he stepped in the batter's box. He was a fierce competitor who never thought he should make an out. And, in SWING AND A HIT, Paul intimately describes the journey that led to him being such a special hitter. This book is as entertaining and illuminating as one of O'Neill's feisty at bats. Add another hit to O'Neill's stats." ―Buck Showalter, Manager of The New York Mets, former manager of the N.Y. Yankees and three-time Manager of The Year
"Paul O'Neill is so much more than "the warrior." He is a baseball savant and an incredible student of the game. He and Jack Curry peel away the layers of the five-time world champion in this riveting read. I've known Paul for 30 years and I came away knowing much more about hitting and about him than before I picked up this fascinating read." ―Michael Kay, Yankees' Play-By-Play announcer for the Yes Network
"Paul O'Neill is one of my all-time favorite teammates. I loved his approach to the game, his passion, his commitment, and his relentless competitive spirit. Paul's work ethic was unmatched. As a hitter, he was never satisfied. If you want insight into one of my favorite players, read SWING AND A HIT. I guarantee it won't disappoint."―Don Mattingly, Miami Marlins' manager and former Yankees' captain
"Paul had an incomparable combination of being the fiercest competitor on the field, and the nicest, most affable guy off the field. It was like there were two completely different people. His success story began long before he became my teammate. SWING AND A HIT tells that story…and, yes – it is a hit! What else would you expect from Paul O'Neill?"―Bernie Williams, Yankees' center fielder and four-time World Series champion
"This is a book for baseball fans, many of whom will enjoy O'Neill's unique insights on some of the greatest hitters of all time."―Library Journal
Readers Top Reviews
ACRon
Good quick read, Paul O'Neill is awesome and the book is a tamed down version of him and his humor. Still a good insight on his life as a baseball player
Sandra Major
As a long time yankee fan, it was fun to read h the is book by Paul O’Neill about his time on the yankees during one of the best eras to play the game!
Matt PollicovePD
Part biography, part masters class in hitting, it was a fun and easy read. Some nice chuckles along the way. Could have done with a touch more editing to reduce some repetition and clarify when it moves away from Paul's memories to Jack's research and quoting, but solid. Yankees fans, Paul O'Neill fans, and baseball fans would enjoy this read.
Daren Lucchesi
Just finished it last night, excellent book. The book has many stories about Paul from his youth, from his days with the Reds, with the Yankees and some from his post playing days. The book talks some about hitting and gives advice for those who still play. Talks about the game tody vs. when Paul played having all the shifts in todays games a lot of the players today swinging for the fences no matter the count instead of choking up and looking for a hit. He also has interviews with many opposing pitchers that talk about how they went after Paul and regular players on what it was like to play against him. Paul talks about playing in some of his biggest games and his best teamates. Why he became the ballplayer he was and had the swing he did, I found it to be a very good book.
