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Clubbie: A Book Review
Low level minor league baseball players are professionals.
Finding your way onto a roster is an accomplishment only a handful of aspiring prospects will ever be able to achieve. However, as you will see in Clubbie, it is far from glamorous. From the leftover food, to astonishingly low salaries, to the rationing of equipment, and the impact of strained relationships, Greg Larson gives us a peek behind the curtain of what life in the minors is really like.
I Interviewed Greg to discuss the book, and you can listen to that podcast episode below!
Greg spent two seasons as the Clubbie for the Aberdeen IronBirds, a low A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. During those seasons he had a chance to experience both the highs and lows that come with minor league baseball. In the book, we see how the day to day grind of a season demonstrates the passion and love of baseball these players and coaches have. At the same time, we get to see how at the end of the day baseball is a business and can plant a seed of cynicism that sprouts a feeling of disillusionment that’s hard to uproot.
Photo courtesy of clubbiebook.com
Respect is a key theme that runs throughout the book. Watching players, coaches, and stadium staff all vying for respect was a fascinating aspect of this story. Players fought to earn respect with each other and the coaches. The coaches, many of which had significant MLB experience, wanted respect from the players. And the stadium staff had to show they were not about to be taken advantage of by either of the other two groups, let alone their fellow staff members.
Greg also shares what he learned about himself from these two seasons. You will see his both his strengths and weaknesses exposed. He gives us a look at what navigating a long distance relationship is like, and how honesty and self-reflection is foundational to living a healthy and productive life.
In Clubbie, we see that minor league baseball can be many things to many people. For some it is a launching pad to “The Show”. For others, it deals a crushing dose of reality that their career is over. It can dig deep to expose the skeletons that have always been there, and it can provide a second chance and a sense of redemption. Minor league baseball can help you more quickly figure out what you really want in life, or it provide a way to slowly wither away, season after season, because you just don’t know any other way.
Many people have said that baseball mirrors life. As I read the book, I could see why so many feel that way. You may never play or coach minor league baseball, and you may never experience the grind of being a clubhouse attendant, but I think if you read this book and reflect, you’ll learn something about yourself along the way.
Buy your copy today on Amazon!