Living on the Black

Two Pitchers, Two Teams, One Season to Remember

Contributors

By John Feinstein

Formats and Prices

Price

$25.99

Price

$33.99 CAD

This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around May 11, 2009. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

Pitchers are the heart of baseball, and John Feinstein tells the story of the game today through one season and two great pitchers working in the crucible of the New York media market. Tom Glavine and Mike Mussina have seen it all in the Major Leagues and both entered 2007 in search of individual milestones and one more shot at The World Series-Glavine with the Mets, Mussina five miles away with the Yankees. The two veterans experience very different seasons — one on a team dealing with the pressure to get to a World Series for the first time in seven years, the other with a team expected to be there every year.

Taking the reader through contract negotiations, spring training, the ups of wins and losses, and the people in their lives-family, managers, pitching coaches, agents, catchers, other pitchers — John Feinstein provides a true insider’s look at the pressure cooker of sports at the highest level.

Genre:

  • "An absorbing read. Feinstein takes a pair of opinionated veterans and picks their brains all season about the art of pitching, also relying on the thoughts of teammates, coaches, managers and families to present well-rounded, intimate portraits....What makes the book so engaging is that each pitcher faced adversity during the season, creating unexpected drama that helped give an edge to Feinstein's narrative....Another excellent story, told by one of sports' best storytellers." 
    Bob D'Angelo, Tampa Tribune
  • PRAISE FOR AMERICA'S FAVORITE SPORTSWRITER:

    "Feinstein is the most successful sportswriter in America....He has the girt of re-creating events known to us all while infusing them with excitement, even suspense."
    Jay Nordlinger, Wall Street Journal
  • "As always, Feinstein guides readers into a world with which fans have only surface familiarity, revealing in the process multiple substrata of nuance and meaning. Baseball fans who read this wonderful book will come away with a deeper understanding of the game in addition to having encountered a pair of fascinating men who just happen to play a game for a living."
    Booklist (starred review)
  • PRAISE FOR LIVINGON THE BLACK:

    "Feinstein achieves a double play fans should savor for its scrupulous look at what life is like for the 21st-century major leaguer."
    Erik Spanberg, Christian Science Monitor
  • "When Feinstein gets [Glavine and Mussina] talking about the art of pitching, the book comes alive."
    David Hinckley, New York Daily News
  • "One of the best sportswriters alive."
    Larry King, USA Today

On Sale
May 11, 2009
Page Count
560 pages
Publisher
Back Bay Books
ISBN-13
9780316113922

John Feinstein

About the Author

John Feinstein is the author of forty-five books, including two #1 New York Times bestsellers, A Season on the Brink, and A Good Walk Spoiled. His mystery novel, Last Shot, won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for mystery writing in the Young Adult category. He is a member of six Halls of Fame and is a contributing columnist for The Washington Post. Additionally, he does color commentary for VCU basketball, George Mason basketball, and Longwood basketball. He is also does commentary for the Navy radio network and is a regular on The Sports Junkies in his hometown of Washington, DC.
 

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