Book 2 Review

One long season in professional baseball was enough for Matt McCarthy. During that season McCarthy would keep a diary which he later turned into the book "Odd Man Out, A Year On The Mound With a Minor League Misfit." McCarthy exposes the realities of locker room politics, paranoia and the dream of being in the major leagues.
McCarthy was a twenty-sixth round draft pick in the 2002 MLB draft. Listening on a different phone, McCarthy's father negotiated a deal and the next day he was signing a contract with the Anaheim Angels for a thousand dollars - the league minimum. He was on his way to climbing the relentless tower that is professional baseball.
The locker room politics was one of the more interesting topics throughout the book. Apparently teams are racially divided by race. The Dominicans, and the Americans. This being one of the first lessons learned entering training camp. The chase for the big leagues turned the team game into an individualistic mindset. Routing against a teammate was not uncommon, no one really cared about winning or losing, and everyone despised the guy who was drafted ahead of them. In the height of the steroid years, when sluggers like Bonds and McGuire were breaking records, the temptation of steroids was a struggle.
Friendships were made as the minor league life was rough, 76 games in 80 days. McCarthy was surrounded by guys who were in their sixth years in the minors and contemplating retirement and some would go on to be All Stars. Some were angry with the lies they felt they were fed, and some couldn't let go of the fact they would never make it to the league.
McCarthy gave readers the perfect insight to the character of baseball. From training camp to the end of his career, he would play one in one full season with the Angels' single A team in Provo, Utah. He logged appearances in 15 games and walked more batters than he struck out, but what he took with him was an experience some of us would envy.