Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Excerpt: "One Step"

"It happens that quickly. Mickey Mantle defers to the great DiMaggio on a fly ball in his rookie season, trips on a drainage pipe and spends the rest of his life trying to get back to the player he was before that last step. Cliff Floyd, 22 years old and playing first base despite being the best prospect in baseball as an outfielder, breaks his left wrist chasing an errant throw. He'll be 25 before he gets back to the career he was supposed to have. Justin Morneau, on his way to a career year, the best player in his league, takes a knee to the head while trying to break up a double play and is never the same, never close to the same."