John Feinstein, who has a number of bestselling sports books to his name, goes behind the scenes of Triple-A baseball, which is just one step from the majors but a far different universe. To tell the story, he follows a cross-section of protagonists trying to reach the next level, including players, managers, and umpires.
Here’s an excerpt from “Where’s Nobody Knows Your Name”:
“It can be argued that no one enjoys spring training more than minor-league managers and coaches. Many have lived the big-league life, some for extended periods of time, some only briefly. Some have never been there and can only dream about what it must be like.
“They all get to live The Life in the spring – especially the Triple-A staff because they work side by side with the major-league staff until the very end of spring, when players are sent down to play for them and they have to start dealing with the disappointed looks on the faces of those who won’t be starting the season in the majors.
“‘The first thing I say to my team, once I have a team, is, 'I know you guys don’t want to be here,' said Charlie Montoyo, who in 2012 began his sixth season as manager of the Durham Bulls, the Triple-A farm team of the Tampa Bay Rays."