Did God Really Say That?

Did God Really Say That? PDF Author: Harold A. Lerch, Sr.
Publisher: Xulon Press
ISBN: 1591601045
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description

The Bullpen Gospels:

The Bullpen Gospels: PDF Author: Dirk Hayhurst
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.
ISBN: 080653396X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 352

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Book Description
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, unflinching and surprisingly moving account of his life in the minors. I enjoyed the visualizations, maybe a little too much, and would stop only when I felt I'd centered myself. . .or after one of my teammates hit me in the nuts with the rosin bag while my eyes were closed. Hilariously self-effacing and brutally honest, Hayhurst captures the absurdities, the grim realities, and the occasional nuggets of hard-won wisdom culled from four seasons in the minors. Whether training tarantulas to protect his room from thieving employees in a backwater hotel, watching the raging battles fought between his partially paralyzed father and his alcoholic brother, or absorbing the gentle mockery of some not-quite-starstruck schoolchildren, Dirk reveals a side of baseball, and life, rarely seen on ESPN. My career has crash-landed on the floor of my grandma's old sewing room. If this is a dream come true, then dreams smell a lot like mothballs and Bengay. Somewhere between Bull Durham and The Rookie, The Bullpen Gospels takes an unforgettable trot around the inglorious base paths of minor league baseball, where an inch separates a ball from a strike, and a razor-thin margin can be the difference between The Show or a long trip home. "It's not often that someone comes along who is a good pitcher and a good writer." --King Kaufman, Salon "After many minutes, hours, days, weeks, months and years spent in the bullpen, I can verify that this is a true picture of baseball." --Tim McCarver "There are great truths within, of the kind usually unspoken. And as he expresses them, Dirk Hayhurst describes himself as 'a real person who moonlights as a baseball player.' In much the same manner, while The Bullpen Gospels chronicles how all of us face the impact when we learn reality is both far meaner and far richer than our dreams--it also moonlights as one of the best baseball books ever written." --Keith Olbermann "A bit of Jim Bouton, a bit of Jim Brosnan, a bit of Pat Jordan, a bit of crash Davis, and a whole lot of Dirk Hayhurst. Often hilarious, sometimes poignant. This is a really enjoyable baseball read." --Bob Costas "Fascinating. . .a perspective that fans rarely see." --Trevor Hoffman, pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers "The Bullpen Gospels is a rollicking good bus ride of a book. Hayhurst illuminates a baseball life not only with wit and humor, but also with thought-provoking introspection." --Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated "Dirk Hayhurst has written a fascinating, funny and honest account on life in the minor leagues. I loved it. Writers can't play baseball, but in this case, a player sure can write." --Tim Kurkjian, Senior Writer, ESPN The Magazine, analyst/reporter ESPN television "Bull Durham meets Ball Four in Dirk Hayhurst's hilarious and moving account of life in baseball's glamour-free bush leagues." --Rob Neyer, ESPN.com "If Holden Caulfield could dial up his fastball to 90 mph, he might have written this funny, touching memoir about a ballplayer at a career--and life--crossroads. He might have called it 'Pitcher in the Rye.' Instead, he left it to Dirk Hayhurst, the only writer in the business who can make you laugh, make you cry and strike out Ryan Howard." --King Kaufman, Salon "The Bullpen Gospels is a funny bone-tickling, tear duct-stimulating, feel-good story that will leave die-hard baseball fans--and die-hard human beings, for that matter--well, feeling good." --Bob Mitchell, author of Once Upon a Fastball

God in the Bullpen

God in the Bullpen PDF Author: With Harold Lerch
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781079366389
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
A former Big Leaguer describes how God helped in his struggle with drug and alcohol addiction and battle with cirrhosis

Out of My League:

Out of My League: PDF Author: Dirk Hayhurst
Publisher: Citadel Press
ISBN: 0806536667
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 461

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Book Description
The New York Times bestseller from the author of The Bullpen Gospels. “A humorous, candid and insightful memoir . . . Grade: Home Run.”—Cleveland Plain Dealer After six years in the minors, pitcher Dirk Hayhurst hopes 2008 is the year he breaks into the big leagues. But every time Dirk looks up, the bases are loaded with challenges—a wedding balancing on a blind hope, a family in chaos, and paychecks that beg Dirk to ask, “How long can I afford to keep doing this?” Then it finally happens—Dirk gets called up to the Majors, to play for the San Diego Padres. A dream comes true when he takes the mound against the San Francisco Giants, kicking off forty insane days and nights in the Bigs. Like the classic games of baseball’s history, Out of My League entertains from the first pitch to the last out, capturing the gritty realities of playing on the big stage, the comedy and camaraderie in the dugouts and locker rooms, and the hard-fought, personal journeys that drive our love of America’s favorite pastime. “A rare gem of a baseball book.”—Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated “Observant, insightful, human, and hilarious.”—Bob Costas “A fun read . . . This book shows why baseball is so often used as a metaphor for life.”—Keith Olbermann “Entertaining and engaging . . . reminiscent of Jim Bouton’s Ball Four.”—Booklist “The book is a terrific read. If you loved Bullpen Gospels (I’d have a hard time believing you are a baseball fan if you didn’t) you will love Out of My League too.”—Bluebird Banter

God in the Bullpen: The Randy Lerch Story

God in the Bullpen: The Randy Lerch Story PDF Author: Randy Lerch
Publisher: Word to the World Ministries
ISBN:
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 254

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Book Description
God in the Bullpen! How else would one describe the One who rescued a major league pitcher? Many professional athletes have experimented with drugs. When I was told by a respected veteran that I would never make it in the major leagues without amphetamines, I trusted him and took them. They gave me a feeling of invincibility, but they hurt my performance. Soon, the “greenies” became a habit, and eventually I washed them down with alcohol. Of course, that became a habit, too. Eventually, addiction led to failed rehabilitation efforts and an automobile accident while driving impaired that nearly took my life. When I reached the lowest point ever, the ultimate relief pitcher, God, came from the bullpen and saved my life. I was later diagnosed with cirrhosis. My liver was incurably damaged by the alcohol. With His help, I am battling this, but only God can know how much time I have left. I want to tell my story to help others avoid the pitfalls that brought me to a time of despair. I also want to tell you that the LORD can help you if you will give your life to Him: and, He will give you eternal life in Heaven.

God's People, God's Plan

God's People, God's Plan PDF Author: Harold Lerch
Publisher: Xulon Press
ISBN: 1591603366
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description


Did God Really Say That?

Did God Really Say That? PDF Author: Harold A. Lerch, Sr.
Publisher: Xulon Press
ISBN: 1591601045
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 298

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Book Description


Bigger Than the Game

Bigger Than the Game PDF Author: Dirk Hayhurst
Publisher: Kensington Books
ISBN: 0806534877
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
"The best writer in a baseball uniform." --Tyler Kepner, The New York Times After nearly a decade in the minors, Dirk Hayhurst defied the odds to climb onto the pitcher's mound for the Toronto Blue Jays. Newly married, with a big league paycheck and a brand new house, Hayhurst was ready for a great season in the Bigs. Then fate delivered a crushing hit. Hayhurst blew out his pitching shoulder in an insane off-season workout program. After surgery, rehab, and more rehab, his major-league dreams seemed more distant than ever. From there things got worse, weirder, and funnier. In a crazy world of injured athletes, autograph-seeking nuns, angry wrestlers, and trainers with a taste for torture, Hayhurst learned lessons about the game--and himself--that were not in any rulebook. Honest, soul'searching, insightful, hilarious, and moving, Dirk Hayhurst's latest memoir is an indisputable baseball classic. Praise for The Bullpen Gospels and Out of My League "Dirk Hayhurst writes about baseball in a unique way. Observant, insightful, human, and hilarious." --Bob Costas "A fun read. . .This book shows why baseball is so often used as a metaphor for life." --Keith Olbermann "Entertaining and engaging. . .reminiscent of Jim Bouton's Ball Four." --Booklist "A rare gem of a baseball book." --Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated "A humorous, candid, and insightful memoir of Hayhurst's rookie season in the majors. . .Grade: Home Run." --Cleveland Plain Dealer

Dear Baseball Gods: A Memoir

Dear Baseball Gods: A Memoir PDF Author: Dan Blewett
Publisher: Dan Blewett
ISBN: 1727813936
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 293

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Book Description
Dear Baseball Gods, Why didn't you look out for him? Didn't he deserve better? He hustled, competed, and played the game the right way. What happened wasn't fair. A Second Comeback Dan sat by a tree, staring at the ground trying to decide what he would do next. The doctor had just explained that everything he worked for was now ruined. A second Tommy John surgery? Does anyone come back from that? Is my career over? Is this it? A Winding Road to the Top As a walk-on in college, Dan had to earn everything. He pitched on three hours sleep, lived in the clubhouse, played for a team that collapsed mid-season, and endured more arm pain than any kid should. A Way to Move On When finally forced to hang up his cleats, Dan looked in the mirror and didn't recognize the man peering back. If no longer a ballplayer...what would he do? What had been the point of it all? Who was he? The Deeper Side of Life as an Athlete In this philosophical memoir, written as a series of letters, you'll learn that the pinstripes don't wash off so easily.

Meditations for People Who (May) Worry Too Much

Meditations for People Who (May) Worry Too Much PDF Author: Anne Wilson Schaef
Publisher: Ballantine Books
ISBN: 0804151148
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 386

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Book Description
Anne Wilson Schaef's bestselling Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much invited women to do less and live more. In this wise and graceful sequel to that beloved book, which is also a collection of daily meditations, Schaef encourages us to give up the worries that trouble so many of our lives. Schaef helps us to smile at our worries and encourages us to re-examine our discontent and our desperate need to control our lives. She ponders with us the true nature of love, solitude, creativity, friendship, sorrow, intimacy, and all the experiences that go into making a life. Best of all, she inspires us to respect our own particular inner rhythm and intuitive wisdom, to live this moment, now, with trust and joy.

The Closer

The Closer PDF Author: Mariano Rivera
Publisher: Little, Brown
ISBN: 0316400750
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 275

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Book Description
The greatest relief pitcher of all time shares his extraordinary story of survival, love, and baseball. Mariano Rivera, the man who intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, he had never flown in an airplane, had never heard of Babe Ruth, spoke no English, and couldn't imagine Tampa, the city where he was headed to begin a career that would become one of baseball's most iconic. What he did know: that he loved his family and his then girlfriend, Clara, that he could trust in the Lord to guide him, and that he could throw a baseball exactly where he wanted to, every time. With astonishing candor, Rivera tells the story of the championships, the bosses (including The Boss), the rivalries, and the struggles of being a Latino baseball player in the United States and of maintaining Christian values in professional athletics. The thirteen-time All-Star discusses his drive to win; the secrets behind his legendary composure; the story of how he discovered his cut fastball; the untold, pitch-by-pitch account of the ninth inning of Game 7 in the 2001 World Series; and why the lowest moment of his career became one of his greatest blessings. In The Closer, Rivera takes readers into the Yankee clubhouse, where his teammates are his brothers. But he also takes us on that jog from the bullpen to the mound, where the game -- or the season -- rests squarely on his shoulders. We come to understand the laserlike focus that is his hallmark, and how his faith and his family kept his feet firmly on the pitching rubber. Many of the tools he used so consistently and gracefully came from what was inside him for a very long time -- his deep passion for life; his enduring commitment to Clara, whom he met in kindergarten; and his innate sense for getting out of a jam. When Rivera retired, the whole world watched -- and cheered. In The Closer, we come to an even greater appreciation of a legend built from the ground up.