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When I’m working with the kids I coach, I sometimes get a bit over enthused about pitching. I love pitching. I love watching a pitcher work. I love when a pitcher is on his game and controlling the tempo and flow of the game. I love when a pitcher doesn’t have his best stuff and tries to get by with whatever is working. I get caught up sometimes to the point I have to say to myself “too much inside baseball, keep it simple†but I can’t help it I love pitching and that’s why I love Ron Darling’s new book THE COMPLETE GAME, Reflections on Baseball, Pitching, and Life on the Mound (Published by KNOPF)
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Darling splits the book into Innings and recounts games, some he pitched in, some he broadcast and gives the reader an education in how a pitcher goes about his business on the mound and his preparation off it as well. Darling gives us insight in what goes through a pitchers mind when it comes to pitch selection, how the pitcher keeps a Rolodex of batters in his head and how scouting reports click in during the at bat and his plan of attack.
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You get a feel for the life a player leads in the minors to how his life changes when he gets “The Callâ€
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As great as Darling is on TV with his analysis he’s even better on the printed page. This book is not just a book for Mets fans but for all baseball fans who want some good solid “Inside Baseball†reporting.  Â
Ron Darling will be at BORDERSÂ @ 100 Broadway today at 12:00PM to sign copies of his book
I am looking forward to reading this book now. Sometimes you just know what a pitcher is thinking on the mound because you have been in those situations, those critical moments when you know you have to throw a great pitch to end the inning when all is at stake.