Pinnacle on the Mound: Cy Young Award Winners Talk Baseball by Doug Wedge (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Pinnacle on the Mound: Cy Young Award Winners Talk Baseball by Doug Wedge Andrew J. Mauldin Doug Wedge. Pinnacle on the Mound: Cy Young Award Winners Talk Baseball. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2022. 218 pp. Cloth, $32.00. "Undoubtedly, observing a master at work provides insights. By no means does it guarantee a replication of success . . . but studying these masters and how they approach their craft can help inform others. An idea or an approach that has worked effectively for one. Ay work just as effectively for someone else" (ix). In his book Pinnacle on the Mound, Doug Wedge takes the reader on a journey into the lives, careers, and personalities of ten of the best pitchers to ever play the game of baseball. Wedge takes a qualitative inquiry into several aspects that have contributed to the successes of these players. Although these Cy Young Award winners all had different styles and played in different eras, they were able to utilize their skill set to reach the pinnacle of success at their position. From Jim Lonborg to Corey Kluber, Wedge gathers practical wisdom that this book passes on to future generations of pitchers. One common theme discussed in this book is the idea of athlete identity. Although these athletes have devoted the majority of their lives to their craft, many of these pitchers make it a point to not place their identity in baseball. This theme is best demonstrated by R. A. Dickey, who states, "I want to be remembered as a good father, good husband. A God-fearing, kindhearted, generous, hardworking citizen." He continues, "Those are attributes that people should value. I think a Cy Young is awesome. I just didn't want it to be the thing that was the most important thing about me" (163). Barry Zito also discusses in-depth the pressure that is placed on an athlete and the importance of finding his identity in something other than baseball. This is an important discussion that Wedge repeatedly brings forth in this book. Wedge does a great job of describing the wear and tear these pitchers placed on their bodies. Many fans might not initially realize the strain that the sport puts on the pitcher's body, specifically their throwing arm. This theme is best described during his interview with LaMarr Hoyt. Wedge describes interviewing [End Page 144] Hoyt at a pool in South Carolina. While at the pool, someone threw a football to Hoyt, knowing he was a former Cy Young winner. Hoyt caught the ball and handed it to someone else for them to throw it back. When asked why he didn't throw it back, he simply replied, "I can't throw the ball, I wish I could" and later stated, "When you tear three of the tendons that tie your rotator cuff together, and you've only got four of them, [and you] never had the operation, that's kind of what happens over the years" (72). Wedge does a fantastic job of emphasizing the importance of the catcher and coaches on the success of the pitcher. Almost every Cy Young winner describes the importance of trusting their catcher. Dickey explains, "There would be times when [Josh Thole, the catcher] would give me fastball, and I'd go no. And he would give it to me again and then I would realize he sees something. Whether the hitter is moving up in the batter's box or he knew that his approach was going to be to wait back and try to hit the knuckleball to right field, and I could throw it by him inside. So, we had this thing where, if he would give the sign twice, I didn't question it ever" (185). Jack McDowell tells stories about the legendary Carlton Fisk teaching him how to utilize the inside fastball. Hoyt discusses how he struggled facing George Brett, and his pitching coach told him to walk Brett twice to disrupt his timing. Hoyt then went on to have success against the Royals' star third baseman. Although there are many more themes discussed in this book, Wedge does a fantastic job of tying them all together to provide...