Smart, Wrong, and Lucky Audiobook By Jonathan Mayo cover art

Smart, Wrong, and Lucky

The Origin Stories of Baseball's Unexpected Stars

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Smart, Wrong, and Lucky

By: Jonathan Mayo
Narrated by: Walter Dixon
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About this listen

In the plainest of terms, baseball scouts are tasked with seeing the future—a distant future, at that. Baseball's long developmental arc leaves room for plenty of twists and turns on the way to The Show. Some prospects shoot like arrows toward their projected potential, while others fizzle out or chart an unexpected course.

Joey Votto was a lightly scouted high schooler out of Ontario. Charlie Blackmon was once coveted for his left arm more than his offensive potential. Mookie Betts "lost interest in the draft" as he went unselected round after round. Jacob deGrom refused to relinquish his role as a shortstop. Lorenzo Cain never even put on a baseball glove until high school—and then wore it on the wrong hand.

Smart, Wrong, and Lucky explores how first impressions measure up to their aftermaths: the draft, years of progression, and for a talented few, major-league success. MLB.com writer Jonathan Mayo profiles a diverse range of modern stars and looks at them through the eyes of those who noticed them first as prospects.

Featuring exclusive interviews with scouts, players, coaches, and more, this fascinating collection of origin stories is an ode to baseball's endless possibilities.

©2023 Jonathan Mayo (P)2023 Tantor
Baseball & Softball Sports
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What listeners say about Smart, Wrong, and Lucky

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Each chapter is written well in a story like format.

Well, worth the read for anybody who likes baseball. Highly recommended for anybody that does scouting.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great story and look into the flawed scouting system

I enjoyed this book. While I was craving a little more about about each player , some great insider content provided

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Great stories from the scouts

Mayo does an amazing job of conveying the connections these players, coaches and scouts build during the process of being scouted for the draft. These aren't the headliners that we are used to reading about in other publications as they are coming up. Instead Mayo focuses on the other routes these players took. The unconventional nature in which these players were discovered or lucked into by scouts and coaches make for stories rich in the dirt of hard work and the baseball field. Loved it!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Great read for a baseball loyalist

Great stories about the beginnings of some good to great baseball players. As this book reflects the story of baseball is the story of life

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