The baseball term, "snake jazz," refers to those squiggly pitches
(curve, slider, screwball, etc.) that deviate from a direct path on
their way to the catcher. This could also describe the strange and
sometimes amusing twists in Dave Baldwin's progress on his way to
the big leagues.
As a skinny, awkward kid in the 1940s, Dave learned to throw under
the searing Arizona sun amidst cacti and snakes. Despite that
modest beginning, his father convinced him that success would come
with focused hard work. His dad's encouragement enabled him to
become one of the most highly sought-after pitching prospects in
the nation as a teenager. Scouts and sportswriters said he was a
"natural," "another Bob Feller." He began to see his ability as a
gift. Scouts had a favorite mantra - "We can teach a kid to throw a
curve, but he has to be born with a fastball." Upon hearing this
often from the "experts," Dave lost the idea of self-development
his father had instilled. If baseball skill is genetic, there's
nothing to be done. Either the kid has the genes or he doesn't.
This philosophy seemed to work well enough until one day during his
sophomore year at the University of Arizona he threw a curveball
that severely damaged his arm. All that "natural" ability went out
the window.
This would have ended his career before it began except he couldn't
see life continuing without baseball. Thus, he started a desperate
eight year struggle that culminated in his transformation into an
unorthodox but successful major league pitcher - the drastic
changes in his throwing style inspired by insights gained from his
study of ecological genetics and advice he received from Max
Surkont, an aging pitcher in Dave's first spring training camp.
On Dave's baseball odyssey he found a roommate who sleepwalked
swinging a bat, another who chewed Gillette double-edged razor
blades, and still another who was working up to a stretch in
prison. He eavesdropped on the witty repartee aboard a burning
airplane and a death-defying bus trip, during epicurean brushes
with the criminal underworld, and in that awkward moment right
after a bullet had ripped through a taxi window. He got to dodge
tornadoes, lightning, and baseball hobgoblins. He experienced the
bonding effect of minor league pranks and comedy acts, and got a
taste of what it was like playing baseball askew in the
metaphysical whirl of Steppenwolf and the hippie generation. And he
learned the irresistible attraction of Janis Joplin and the dry
spitball.
The odd adventures didn't end once Dave made it to the major
leagues. He spent a season busily tormenting Ted Williams, and once
he unexpectedly found himself teaching the knuckleball to Seri
Indians in a remote desert village in northern Mexico.
Snake Jazz includes a number of anecdotes reflecting the world
around baseball during the 1960s and '70s, such as the beginnings
of the Viet Nam war and the impact on baseball of racial bigotry
during the Civil Rights Movement. One chapter recounts the peculiar
and dangerous situation of American ballplayers in Havana shortly
after Fidel Castro's rebels had gained control of Cuba.
Snake Jazz is more than a series of remarkable anecdotes, however.
It is a demonstration of the importance of motivation and mindset
in reaching objectives. Dave's dream of playing major league
baseball and his stubborn determination drove him to overcome the
notion that ability is inherent. If his dad was right, there must
be some way to make it to the majors through hard work, even after
inherent advantage had been lost. The big question was, "Work hard
at what?" He needed a good pitching coach to give him that critical
suggestion that would turn his career around. He rarely saw a
pitching coach in the minor leagues, and those few that were
available did more harm than good.
He continued to work hard to improve, but he was still practicing
the same way
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
