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.

best narrated fratire

I have over 50 Audio books under my belt. This was by far the best narrated. The reader's voices enhanced this fratire beyond its means

Great Storytelling

I wasn't sure about this book because I thought it was another Ball Four ripoff but it didn't feel like that at all. It was a very good book and it offered a very interesting and entertaining telling of Minor League Baseball.

great story

great story on the day to day life in the minor league lol funny

Hayhurst Paints the Picture of Life in the Minors

I remember first reading an article by Dirk Hayhurst in Baseball America magazine. I instantly loved his conversational style and that story is in here about the little boy stricken with liver cancer that depicted a meaning to why I idolize those who play baseball for money. This book is skillfully brought to life by Ray Porter whose voice takes on a malleable tone and brings to the forefront the guys that never made it to the big leagues, but were characters enough.

If you are a baseball fan, you will not find a better feel for how things are for minor league players. No money, a high level of loneliness and their lives outside of baseball always seem to be just outside the clubhouse door. This is the best example of what it is like to be a player at the minor league baseball level.

Outstanding book very well written

Dirk Hayhurst is outstanding. A life lesions book that happens to be about a journey through the minor leagues of major league baseball. My son played college baseball and told many of the same types of stories. Some of the funniest stuff I have ever read. The ending ties it all together. I will continue to recommend this book to anyone who will listen.