Odd Man Out: A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit
Encyclopedia
Odd Man Out: A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit (ISBN 978-0-670-02070-6) is a 2009 memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...

 by Matt McCarthy in which McCarthy recounts his experiences as a professional baseball
Professional baseball
Baseball is a team sport which is played by several professional leagues throughout the world. In these leagues, and associated farm teams, players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system....

 player in the Anaheim Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...

 minor-league system. Major themes include steroids, minor league living conditions, players' sexual hijinks, the crass attitudes held by players and coaches, and the clubhouse segregation between white players and "Dominicans" (a catch-all term for Latino players).

An excerpt from the book was published in the February 16, 2009 issue of Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

; the book, published by Viking Press
Viking Press
Viking Press is an American publishing company owned by the Penguin Group, which has owned the company since 1975. It was founded in New York City on March 1, 1925, by Harold K. Guinzburg and George S. Oppenheim...

, was released on February 19, 2009, and at one time was ranked at #29 on the New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

non-fiction bestseller list.

Synopsis

McCarthy, the son of two college professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

s, was born in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 but moved to Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

 at a young age when his parents took jobs at the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...

. A left-handed pitcher, McCarthy played for Bishop Moore High School
Bishop Moore High School
Bishop Moore Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando, Florida. It remains the only Catholic high school in Greater Orlando. It is located within the Diocese of Orlando. The school was built in 1954 and was named after Bishop John...

 in Orlando, and subsequently played for Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...

.

McCarthy was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the 21st round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft
2002 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft, was held on June 4 and 5.This year's draft is featured in Michael Lewis' 2003 book Moneyball.-First Round Selections:-Supplemental First Round Compensation Selections:...

, a draft that was heavily analyzed in Michael Lewis' book Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's modernized, analytical, sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team, despite...

. He participated in the Angels' minor league Spring Training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...

 and was assigned to the rookie-level Provo Angels
Orem Owlz
The Orem Owlz are a minor league baseball farm team affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball franchise. The team plays in Orem, Utah....

 of the Pioneer League.

McCarthy would spend the 2002 season going back and forth between the starting rotation
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....

 and the bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...

. Much of the book describes his life off the field during that season, such as long bus rides to away games, living in a hotel and subsequently with a Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...

 family, altercations with teammates, and acclimating to life in predominantly Mormon Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...

. He also describes several games from his own perspective on the mound or in the dugout, as well as a different perspective on games such as Joe Saunders
Joe Saunders
Joseph Francis Saunders is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-College and minor league career:...

' first start for Provo, as well as a game where Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....

 was the guest of honor.

The next spring, McCarthy returned to Spring Training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...

. He was placed on three different minor league squads, including the Triple-A squad, but was released before Spring Training ended. After his release, he enrolled in Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....

, and did work in Cameroon and Malaysia. He was a medical intern at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital is a prominent university hospital in New York City affiliated with two Ivy League medical schools: Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons and Cornell University's Weill Medical College. It is composed of two distinct medical centers, Columbia...

 at the time the book was published.

Notable people mentioned

Several notable players and other personnel are prominently mentioned in Odd Man Out. The most prominent mentions include:

  • Craig Breslow
    Craig Breslow
    Craig Andrew Breslow is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. He throws left-handed, and is considered a lefty specialist....

     – McCarthy's teammate at Yale and his best friend, drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers
    Milwaukee Brewers
    The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...

     and assigned to the Ogden Raptors
    Ogden Raptors
    The Ogden Raptors are a minor league baseball team in the Pioneer League based in Ogden, Utah, United States. The club plays at Lindquist Field, whose view beyond the outfield fence was named the best in professional baseball by a staff writer for Grand Slam Enterprises, INC.The Raptors are one of...

    , Provo's rival
  • John Stuper
    John Stuper
    John Anton Stuper is a baseball coach and former pitcher. He attended Point Park University. He was 25 years old when he broke into Major League Baseball on June 1, 1982 for the St. Louis Cardinals...

     – McCarthy's head coach at Yale
  • Joe Saunders
    Joe Saunders
    Joseph Francis Saunders is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks.-College and minor league career:...

     – McCarthy's teammate in Provo
  • Erick Aybar
    Erick Aybar
    Erick Johan Aybar is a Major League Baseball shortstop with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Dominican Republic:Aybar has also previously played in the Dominican Republic...

     – McCarthy's teammate in Provo
  • Quan Cosby
    Quan Cosby
    Quantwan Cosby better known as Quan Cosby is an American football wide receiver for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football for the Texas Longhorns...

     – McCarthy's teammate in Provo
  • Alberto Callaspo
    Alberto Callaspo
    Alberto José Callaspo is a baseball second baseman and third baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Career:Callaspo was originally signed by the then-Anaheim Angels in , playing for the Aguilas Cibaeñas of Dominican Summer League...

     – McCarthy's teammate in Provo
  • Tony Reagins
    Tony Reagins
    Tony Demetrius Reagins was an executive in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Reagins had previously served as general manager of the Angels from 2007 until his 2011 resignation...

     – the Angels' director of player development, presently the Angels' general manager
    General manager (baseball)
    In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....

  • Tom Kotchman
    Tom Kotchman
    John Thomas Kotchman is a scout and a manager in the farm system of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball.-Biography:...

     – McCarthy's manager in Provo
  • Bill Stoneman
    Bill Stoneman
    William Hambly Stoneman III is a consultant for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. From 1999 to October 15, 2007, he served as the general manager of the Angels...

     – the Angels' general manager


Other notable personnel McCarthy mentions meeting and/or playing against include Bobby Jenks
Bobby Jenks
Robert Scott "Bobby" Jenks is an American professional baseball relief pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball...

, Chris Young, Derrick Turnbow
Derrick Turnbow
Thomas Derrick Turnbow is a former right-handed Major League Baseball relief pitcher.-Early career:...

, Prince Fielder
Prince Fielder
Prince Semien Fielder is a Major League Baseball free agent who plays first base. He is currently listed at 5' 11" and . He was selected by the Brewers in the first round of the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft out of Eau Gallie High School in Melbourne, Florida.He is the son of former Detroit...

, Manny Parra
Manny Parra
Manuel Alex "Manny" Parra is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.-Early life:...

, Jonathan Broxton
Jonathan Broxton
Jonathan Roy Broxton is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball...

, Brian Harper
Brian Harper
Brian David Harper is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played for teams in both the American and National Leagues during his 16-year career and is currently the manager of the Chicago Cubs' AA club, the Tennessee Smokies.-Minor leagues:Harper was drafted by the California Angels in...

, Casey Kotchman
Casey Kotchman
Casey John Kotchman is an American Major League Baseball first baseman.-High school:He was on the 2001 national champion team of Seminole High School in Seminole, Florida.-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim:...

, Howie Kendrick
Howie Kendrick
Howard "Howie" Joseph Kendrick III is a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Early life:...

, Ervin Santana
Ervin Santana
Ervin Ramon Santana is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Name:...

, Mike Napoli
Mike Napoli
Michael Anthony Napoli is a Major League Baseball catcher/first baseman with the Texas Rangers.-Early career:Napoli attended Charles Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Florida...

, Jarrod Washburn
Jarrod Washburn
Jarrod Michael Washburn is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and currently resides in his hometown of Webster, Wisconsin.-High school / college:...

, Bengie Molina
Bengie Molina
Benjamin José "Bengie" Molina , nicknamed "Big Money", is a former Major League Baseball catcher.He is the older brother of major league catchers José Molina and Yadier Molina....

.

Controversy

McCarthy has stated that much of the book's content was taken from detailed journals he kept while he was playing. However, several people mentioned in the book have criticized its factual accuracy. Two reporters from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

pored over box scores and transaction listings, as well as interviews with people named in the book, and concluded that "many portions of the book are incorrect, embellished, or impossible." Examples include:
  • McCarthy claims Provo manager Tom Kotchman
    Tom Kotchman
    John Thomas Kotchman is a scout and a manager in the farm system of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball.-Biography:...

     ordered a pitcher to hit
    Hit by pitch
    In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...

     an opposing batter after Erick Aybar
    Erick Aybar
    Erick Johan Aybar is a Major League Baseball shortstop with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.-Dominican Republic:Aybar has also previously played in the Dominican Republic...

     had been hit twice, when box scores from all games in that series showed no Provo batter had been hit.
  • Matt Brown denies he was involved in an incident described in the book that involved the son of CNN
    CNN
    Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...

     talk show host Larry King
    Larry King
    Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....

     punching him in the groin, as he was not on the Provo roster at the time.
  • Tony Reagins
    Tony Reagins
    Tony Demetrius Reagins was an executive in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Reagins had previously served as general manager of the Angels from 2007 until his 2011 resignation...

    , the Angels' director of player development at the time the book's events took place and the team's general manager
    General manager (baseball)
    In Major League Baseball, the general manager of a team typically controls player transactions and bears the primary responsibility on behalf of the ballclub during contract discussions with players....

     when it was published, denies two specific incidents McCarthy describes, one involving a meeting between McCarthy and Reagins where Reagins allegedly restructures McCarthy's contract, the other involving "tears streaming down [Reagins'] face" when releasing McCarthy.

See also

  • Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
    Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
    Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game is a book by Michael Lewis, published in 2003, about the Oakland Athletics baseball team and its general manager Billy Beane. Its focus is the team's modernized, analytical, sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team, despite...

  • Ball Four
    Ball Four
    Ball Four is a book written by former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Bouton in . The book is a diary of Bouton's 1969 season, spent with the Seattle Pilots and then the Houston Astros following a late-season trade. In it Bouton also recounts much of his baseball career, spent mainly with the...

  • Bull Durham
    Bull Durham
    Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....


External links

  • Matt McCarthy on his year as an Angels minor leaguer – excerpt from Odd Man Out published in Sports Illustrated
    Sports Illustrated
    Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK