The Bullpen Gospels

Major League Dreams of a Minor League Veteran

By: Dirk Hayhurst

Narrated by: Ray Porter

Upon its release, The Bullpen Gospels was a direct hit to the New York Times best seller list. With comparisons to Jim Boutons’s Ball Four, The Bullpen Gospels is slated to be a classic of the genre.

From the humble heights of a Class-A pitcher’s mound to the deflating lows of sleeping on his gun-toting grandmother’s air mattress, veteran reliever Dirk Hayhurst steps out of the bullpen to deliver the best pitch of his career—a raw and unflinching account of his life in the minors.

Whether training tarantulas to protect his room from thieving employees in a backwater hotel or absorbing the gentle mockery of some not-quite-starstruck schoolchildren, Hayhurst reveals a side of baseball—and life—rarely seen on ESPN.

©2010 Dirk Hayhurst (P)2010 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“One of the best baseball books ever written.” (Keith Olbermann)

“Hilarious, Poignant, a really enjoyable read.” (Bob Costas)

“Dirk Hayhurst has written a fascinating, funny and honest account on life in the minor leagues. I loved it.” (Tim Kurkjian, Senior Writer, analyst/reporter ESPN television)

Incredible

Very well written and a wonderfully told story! I enjoyed every minute of it! I love baseball, but this book was so much more than a baseball story!

Funny, bawdy, and thoughtful

Ray Porter's performance perfectly captured Dirk Hayhurst's humor, fear, sarcasm, sadness, & love during his struggles both in minor league baseball and in life. Some of it made me laugh out loud. Since the subject matter is men in their 20s, the humor is occassionally puerile and vulgar, but not enough to spoil Hayhurst's engaging tone, anecdotes, and characters. I deliberately did not look up Hayhurst's career stats or personal information because I wanted the plot to tell me about his success or failures. And I won't tell you, either.

Grand Slam!!!

Very well written and very well read book! Lots of highs and deep lows! Fun listening!!!

so much more than baseball

The baseball stories I came for were there and what I expected to hear and brought a smile to my face, what I didn't expect was to to learn about life. about what is important and how we all come to that point at a moment in our own lives. How to deal with frustrations and work though the struggles. fun, entertaining and great narration.

Great Story in Baseball

It’s a very real look into people in baseball, specifically minor leaguers. Definitely worth a read/listen. Great story.