The Wrong Stuff

The return of a sports classic with a new foreword by the author Finally back in print after many years, here is Bill Lee's classic tale of his renegade life on and off the mound. Whether walking out on the Montreal Expos to protest the release of a valued teammate or telling sportswriters eager for candid and offbeat comments more about the game than his bosses wanted anyone to know, pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee became celebrated as much for his rebellious personality as for his remarkable talent. Add to the mix his affinity for Eastern religions and controversial causes, and you can see why Lee infuriated the establishment while entertaining his legion of fans. In this wildly funny memoir that became a massive bestseller in the United States and Canada when it was first published, Lee recounts the colorful story of his life'from the drugged-out antics of his college days at USC (where he learned that "marijuana never hammered me like a good Camel") to his post'World Series travels with a group of liberal long-distance runners through Red China (where he discovered that conservatives don't like marathons because "it's much easier to climb into a Rolls-Royce"). Lee also describes his minor league days, joining the Reserves during the Vietnam War, his time with the Red Sox, and the 1975 World Series. He spares no detail while recalling his infamous falling-out with Red Sox management that led to his trade to Montreal. Full of irreverent wit, and an inherent love of the game, The Wrong Stuff is a sports classic for a new generation. From the Trade Paperback edition

it Was 1982 When Bill Lee Was Famously Booted From The Montreal Expos After He Went Awol In Protest Of Another Player’s Mistreatment By Management. His Reputation For Antics Both On And Off The Field Guaranteed That No Other Club Would Pick Him Up. The Ace From Space Had Landed On Professional Baseball’s Blacklist, And So It Was That One Of The Most Popular Major-league Pitchers Of Our Day Was Fated To Pack His Bags And Wander The Globe Searching For A Ball Game.

have Glove, Will Travel Is The Chronicle Of An Amazing Odyssey That Began More Than Twenty Years Ago And Continues Today. Unable To Live Without Baseball, Lee Went Anywhere He Could Find A Game, Beginning In The Dank And Dreary Locker Room Of A Canadian Hockey Team That Later Became A Softball Team. We Follow Him Around The World As He Competes In Pickup Games, Town Tournaments, Senior Leagues, And Fantasy Camps, Barnstorming Like A Modern Satchel Paige Around The United States, South America, China, Cuba, Russia, And Every Province In Canada.

at The Heart Of This Story Are The Rollicking, Colorful Characters Lee Meets During His Travels, And The Mishaps That Befall Him Whether He’s Sober Or Stoned. There’s The Eccentric Latin Pitching Master Lee Plays With In Cuba, Who Once Struck Out Ernest Hemingway. And A Hilarious Story That Takes Place In The Backwoods Of A British Columbia Timber Town, Where Lee And Hall-of-famer Ferguson Jenkins Go Fishing And End Up Being Chased Back To Their Pickup Truck By A 450-pound Black Bear.

have Glove, Will Travel Is So Much More Than The Average Baseball Book. Lee’s Humor, Keen Eye For Detail, And Extraordinary Pitching Intellect Are Always On Display, But In The End This Book Is A Love Story About A Middle-aged Maverick Who Refused To Stop Pursuing His Passion For A Boy’s Game Long After The Grown-ups Told Him He Couldn’t Play On Their Team Anymore. Readers Who Loved Lee’s Bestselling the Wrong Stuff, Also Written With Richard Lally, Will Find The Long Wait For This Rich And Wonderful Sequel Well Worth It. Those Who Haven’t Yet Encountered The Literary Bill Lee Have A Great Treat In Store.

the Washington Post - Jonathan Yardley

have Glove, Will Travel Is The Story Of His Baseball Life After His Baseball Death, An Occasionally Amusing And Intermittently Poignant Account Of What Happens To A Gifted Athlete Whose Strong, Eccentric Opinions And Inability To Keep His Mouth Shut Finally Get The Best Of Him. The Story Is Told Strictly From Lee's Point Of View, With No Opportunity For The Defense To Testify On Its Own Behalf, But His Case Is Convincing -- All The More So To Anyone Who Knows How Hidebound, Unimaginative And Thin-skinned The Baseball Hierarchy Is.

It was 1982 when Bill Lee was famously booted from the Montreal Expos after he went AWOL in protest of another players mistreatment by management. His reputation for antics both on and off the field guaranteed that no other club would pick him up. The Ace from Space had landed on professional baseballs blacklist, and so it was that one of the most popular major-league pitchers of our day was fated to pack his bags and wander the globe searching for a ball game. Have Glove, Will Travel is the chronicle of an amazing odyssey that began more than twenty years ago and continues today. Unable to live without baseball, Lee went anywhere he could find a game, beginning in the dank and dreary locker room of a Canadian hockey team that later became a softball team. We follow him around the world as he competes in pickup games, town tournaments, senior leagues, and fantasy camps, barnstorming like a modern Satchel Paige around the United States, South America, China, Cuba, Russia, and every province in Canada. At the heart of this story are the rollicking, colorful characters Lee meets during his travels, and the mishaps that befall him whether hes sober or stoned. Theres the eccentric Latin pitching master Lee plays with in Cuba, who once struck out Ernest Hemingway. And a hilarious story that takes place in the backwoods of a British Columbia timber town, where Lee and Hall-of-Famer Ferguson Jenkins go fishing and end up being chased back to their pickup truck by a 450-pound black bear. Have Glove, Will Travel is so much more than the average baseball book. Lees humor, keen eye for detail, and extraordinary pitching intellect are always on display, but in the end this book is a love story about a middle-aged maverick who refused to stop pursuing his passion for a boys game long after the grown-ups told him he couldnt play on their team anymore. Readers who loved Lees bestselling The Wrong Stuff , also written with Richard Lally, will find the long wait for this rich and wonderful sequel well worth it. Those who havent yet encountered the literary Bill Lee have a great treat in store. From the Hardcover edition. It is a November night in 1984. My name is Bill Lee, and I used to play professional baseball with the Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos.