M Christopher's Reviews > The Bullpen Gospels: Major League Dreams of a Minor League Veteran

This book has been compared to Jim Bouton's "Ball Four," which I first read as a preteen and is still one of my all-time favorites. The comparison is somewhat unfair to "The Bullpen Gospels" -- Hayhurst's work is less consistently funny and by no means as shocking but is more personal and touching than Bouton's work. Hayhurst is willing to reveal more of his own internal struggles than Bouton and includes his sad family history and its ongoing impact on his career. As he lets the reader into this very intimate story, one feels connected to him in a different way than with Bouton and the difficulties of the Hayhurst clan become just as important to the reader as Dirk's career.

All in all, I found this a very satisfying book, as a baseball fan, as a reader, and as one who hopes the best for troubled families. Be ready to laugh and be ready to shed a tear.