Titles by Mike Shalin

Speaking candidly to veteran sportswriter Mike Shalin for the first time about his often tumultuous career in Major League Baseball, Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd recounts a life that began in the Deep South of Mississippi, and the events that led him toward great heights atop the pitcher’s mound at Fenway Park. As part of a stellar rotation alongside Bruce Hurst and a young Roger Clemens, Boyd served a dazzling array of pitches to opposing batters, most notably during the Boston Red Sox ill-fated 1986 World Series run against the New York Mets; and while he was at once brilliant and focused on the mound, off the field—as he affectingly reveals here—Boyd was unraveled by the personal battles he waged with substance abuse and destructive mood swings. As one of the few African American starting pitchers in the history of baseball, Boyd offers a candid, insightful, and often funny portrait of an athlete with boundless passion for the game, his teammates, and the Boston Red Sox.

The exhaustive research of sports biographer Mike Shalin sheds new light on a baseball legend, exposing the Hall of Famer's moxie and lifelong dedication to baseball in this engaging biography. The in-depth research follows Don Mattingly, an incredibly talented and hard-working player, who, during his time with the Yankees, became one of the most beloved and popular players in the glorious history of their franchise. An insightful review of Mattingly's career, including his going from a 19th-round draft choice to the 1985 American League MVP to his true motivation behind his retirement in 1995 and his thoughts on his young coaching. Donnie Baseball: The Definitive Biography of Don Mattingly is a must-read not only for passionate Yankee fans, but for all baseball enthusiasts who want to become better historians of the game.