Description
Book SynopsisLefty and Tim explores the close-knit relationship between pitcher Steve Carlton and catcher Tim McCarver, forged in 1965, when they were batterymates with the St. Louis Cardinals, and culminating in 1980, when the Phillies won their first World Series title.
Trade Review“Steve Carlton needed Tim McCarver to reach for the stars. In all my years covering baseball, I’ve never seen a pitcher-catcher relationship quite like theirs. McCarver did more than merely help Carlton rediscover his slider and recapture his greatness. He found a place inside Carlton’s circle of trust that reshaped both of their careers. Kashatus does a beautiful job of delving into what made their bond so special, on and off the field.”—Jayson Stark, baseball writer for the
Athletic and the
Philadelphia Inquirer, 1979–2000, and 2019 J. G. Taylor Spink Award winner
“Bill Kashatus takes an inside look at a historic baseball brotherhood, revealing in riveting detail how Tim McCarver helped push a pitcher he claimed had an ‘irascible contempt for being human’ to superhuman heights no pitcher may ever reach again.”—Tyler Kepner, author of
K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches“It was amazing to play behind Carlton and McCarver. Steve was a fast worker and Tim knew the hitters so well that the Phillies could count on winning every time they started a game. Lefty and Tim tells the story of that winning combination.”—Mike Schmidt, Phillies Hall of Fame third baseman, 1972–89
“Steve Carlton was a special project for me when he came to the Phillies in 1972. He could be strong-willed and stubborn, and we had many battles. But he also became the best pitcher I ever coached.
Lefty and Tim reveals how Carlton became a Hall of Famer. It is one of the best books I’ve ever read.”—Ray Rippelmeyer, Phillies pitching coach, 1970–78
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations
Foreword by Larry Christenson
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Always a Catcher
2. Odd Couple
3. Learning Curve
4. Moneyball
5. Reunited
6. Drinking Coffee with a Fork
7. Sphinx of the Schuylkill
8. McCarver’s Pitch
9. Lefty
10. Closer Than Sixty Feet, Six Inches
11. Mastery and Mystery
12. Cooperstown Bound
Appendix A: Baseball’s Best Battery
Appendix B: Steve Carlton’s Career Pitching Statistics
Appendix C: Tim McCarver’s Career Batting Statistics
Notes
Bibliography
Index
