
The Tao of the Backup Catcher
Playing Baseball for the Love of the Game
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Narrated by:
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Justin Price
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Tim Brown
About this listen
This fascinating book chronicles the unsung men of baseball who serve the job, the hardships they face, and their love for a game that would not always love them back―told partly through the experiences of an MLB veteran.
In baseball there are superstars and stars and everyday players and then there are the rest. Within the rest are role players and specialists and journeymen and then there are the backup catchers. The Tao of the Backup Catcher is about them, the backup catchers, who exist near the bottom of the roster and the end of the bench and between the numbers in a sport–and a society–increasingly driven by cold, hard analytics.
The Tao of the Backup Catcher is a story of grown men who once dreamed of stardom and generational wealth. Instead, they were handed a broom and a deeper understanding of who wins and why, who stands tall and who folds, and who will invest their own lives in catching bullpens and the back ends of doubleheaders.
Backup catchers survive in part because every team needs one. They are necessary, once or twice a week. They prosper because the game, like the world around the game, still needs good souls, honest efforts, open eyes and ears, closed mouths, compassion for the sad parts, a laugh for the silly parts, and a heart that knows the difference. Backup catchers are sports’ big brothers, psychologists, priests, witch doctors, player coaches, father figures and drinking buddies, all wrapped in a suit of today’s polycarbonate armor and yesterday’s dirt. They come with a singular goal–to win baseball games. They play for the greater good. After that, they play for themselves. A reverie on loving the grind and the little things baseball can teach us, The Tao of the Backup Catcher profiles Erik Kratz, Josh Paul, AJ Ellis, Bobby Wilson, Drew Butera, Matt Treanor, and John Flaherty to name a few.
“This isn’t just a story about baseball. It’s about life and the beauty of knowing and accepting who you are.” ―Jeff Passan
©2023 Tim Brown (P)2023 TwelveListeners also enjoyed...
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“Lend Tim Brown’s inimitable voice to a sporting subculture overflowing with personality, mix in Erik Kratz’s tale of perseverance and what blossoms is magic. This isn’t a story about baseball. It’s about life and the beauty of knowing and accepting who you are.”—Jeff Passan, ESPN baseball columnist and bestselling author of The Arm
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Story
No one knows the writer's Hollywood more intimately than William Goldman. Two-time Academy Award-winning screenwriter and the best-selling author of Marathon Man, Tinsel, Boys and Girls Together, and other novels, Goldman now takes you into Hollywood's inner sanctums...on and behind the scenes for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President's Men, and other films...into the plush offices of Hollywood producers...into the working lives of acting greats such as Redford, Olivier, Newman, and Hoffman...and more.
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Classic in the field stands up
- By Jenny Jenkins on 01-01-24
By: William Goldman
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Why We Love Baseball
- A History in 50 Moments
- By: Joe Posnanski
- Narrated by: Joe Posnanski, Ellen Adair
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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New York Times bestselling author Joe Posnanski is back with a masterful ode to the game: a countdown of 50 of the most memorable moments in baseball’s history, to make you fall in love with the sport all over again. Posnanski writes of major moments that created legends, and of forgotten moments almost lost to time. It's Willie Mays’s catch, Babe Ruth’s called shot, and Kirk Gibson’s limping home run; the slickest steals; the biggest bombs; and the most triumphant no-hitters.
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Narration
- By Peter on 01-10-24
By: Joe Posnanski
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The Last Goodnight
- A World War II Story of Espionage, Adventure, and Betrayal
- By: Howard Blum
- Narrated by: Tristan Morris
- Length: 14 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Betty Pack was charming, beautiful, and intelligent - and she knew it. As an agent for Britain's MI6 and then America's OSS during World War II, these qualities proved crucial to her success. This is the remarkable story of this "Mata Hari from Minnesota" ( Time) and the passions that ruled her tempestuous life - a life filled with dangerous liaisons and death-defying missions vital to the Allied victory.
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Fascinating
- By Salui on 11-30-16
By: Howard Blum
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Narcotopia
- In Search of the Asian Drug Cartel That Survived the CIA
- By: Patrick Winn
- Narrated by: Patrick Winn
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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In Asia’s narcotics-producing heartland, the Wa reign supreme. They dominate the Golden Triangle, a mountainous stretch of Burma between Thailand and China. Their 30,000-strong army, wielding missiles and attack drones, makes Mexican cartels look like street gangs.
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A must listen for Asia history buffs
- By philip beere on 03-01-24
By: Patrick Winn
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How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog
- By: Chad Orzel
- Narrated by: Will Collyer, Cassandra Morris
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But what about relativity? Physics professor Chad Orzel and his inquisitive canine companion, Emmy, tackle the concepts of general relativity in this irresistible introduction to Einstein's physics. Through armchair- and sometimes passenger-seat-conversations with Emmy about the relative speeds of dog and cat motion or the logistics of squirrel-chasing, Orzel translates complex Einsteinian ideas into examples simple enough for a dog to understand.
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Amazing!
- By Anonymous User on 11-08-23
By: Chad Orzel
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A Baseball Gaijin
- Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back
- By: Aaron Fischman, Don Nomura - foreword
- Narrated by: Brian Nishii
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Like many American boys, Tony Barnette yearned to one day make it to “The Show,” playing baseball professionally. The Arizona State pitcher was drafted in 2006 by the in-state Diamondbacks. Gradually ascending the minor-league ladder, it looked like this was the beginning of a blessed life, where he could play the game he loved on the grandest of stages. But things don’t always work out the way we want. On the verge of achieving his lifelong dream after notching a league-high 14 wins in Triple A, Tony looked ahead to 2010 with optimism. That’s when Japan came calling.
By: Aaron Fischman, and others
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Dark City (Revised and Expanded Edition)
- The Lost World of Film Noir
- By: Eddie Muller
- Narrated by: Eddie Muller, Erin Bennett
- Length: 12 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Dark City expands with new chapters and a fresh collection of restored photos that illustrate the mythic landscape of the imagination. It's a place where the men and women who created film noir often find themselves dangling from the same sinister heights as the silver-screen avatars to whom they gave life.
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Good overview, summary of the genre
- By Buretto on 03-31-22
By: Eddie Muller
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Motorhome Prophecies
- A Journey of Healing and Forgiveness
- By: Carrie Sheffield
- Narrated by: Carrie Sheffield
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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In the vein of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy comes a young woman’s memoir chronicling her harrowing journey from despair to salvation that showcases the depths and resilience of the human spirit and empowers listeners on their own paths toward healing, forgiveness, and redemption.
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Beautiful conclusion!
- By Cathy Groth on 04-06-24
By: Carrie Sheffield
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Yogi
- A Life Behind the Mask
- By: Jon Pessah
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 21 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Lawrence "Yogi" Berra was never supposed to become a major league ballplayer. That's what his immigrant father told him. That's what Branch Rickey told him, too—right to Berra's face, in fact. Even the lowly St. Louis Browns of his youth said he'd never make it in the big leagues. Yet baseball was his lifeblood. It was the only thing he ever cared about. Heck, it was the only thing he ever thought about.
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"YOGI BERRA HITS A GRAND SLAM!"
- By USA VETERAN on 05-15-20
By: Jon Pessah
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The Richest Man in Babylon
- Original 1926 Edition
- By: George S. Clason, Charles Conrad
- Narrated by: Charles Conrad
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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The ancient Babylonians were the first people to discover the universal laws of prosperity. In The Richest Man in Babylon, George S. Clason reveals their secrets for creating, growing, and retaining wealth. Through these entertaining tales of merchants, tradesmen, and herdsmen, you'll learn how to save more out what you earn, get out of debt, put your money to work, attract good luck, choose wise investments, and safeguard a lasting fortune.
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Excellent book
- By A. Chouinard on 04-27-19
By: George S. Clason, and others
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They Called Me God
- The Best Umpire Who Ever Lived
- By: Doug Harvey, Peter Golenbock
- Narrated by: Robert Brown
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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In the pageantry of baseball, one select group is virtually unknown in the outside world, derided by fans, faced with split-second choices that spell victory or defeat. These men are up-close observers of the action, privy to inside jokes, blood feuds, benches-clearing brawls, and managers’ expletive-filled tirades. In this wonderful memoir, Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey takes us within baseball as you’ve never seen it, with unforgettable inside stories of baseball greats such as Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, and Whitey Herzog.
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The Best? Possibly.
- By Rick on 07-12-14
By: Doug Harvey, and others
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The Baseball 100
- By: Joe Posnanski
- Narrated by: Cary Hite
- Length: 30 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Longer than Moby-Dick and nearly as ambitious,The Baseball 100 is a one-of-a-kind work by award-winning sportswriter and lifelong student of the game Joe Posnanski that tells the story of the sport through the remarkable lives of its 100 greatest players. In the book’s introduction, Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator George F. Will marvels, “Posnanski must already have lived more than 200 years. How else could he have acquired such a stock of illuminating facts and entertaining stories about the rich history of this endlessly fascinating sport?”
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Just OK. Too Tangential & Distracting
- By Matthew R. on 01-21-23
By: Joe Posnanski
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The Big Myth
- How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market
- By: Naomi Oreskes, Erik M. Conway
- Narrated by: Liza Seneca
- Length: 21 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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In the early 20th century, business elites, trade associations, wealthy powerbrokers, and media allies set out to build a new American orthodoxy: down with 'big government' and up with unfettered markets. With startling archival evidence, Oreskes and Conway document campaigns to rewrite textbooks, combat unions, and defend child labor.
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Refuting the Chicago School
- By Todd W. Laveen on 06-01-23
By: Naomi Oreskes, and others
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Manhunt
- The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer
- By: James L. Swanson
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin, John Wilkes Booth, led Union cavalry and detectives on a wild 12-day chase through the streets of Washington, DC, across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness.
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Written by a Booth fanboy.
- By Alan on 08-18-16
By: James L. Swanson
What listeners say about The Tao of the Backup Catcher
Highly rated for:
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- Isha
- 09-16-23
Different and Interesting Persoective
I really enjoyed this book! I think it gave a great peek into the mentality needed to stay in the game when you’re not a star or even an every day player. My main takeaways were about the importance of being patient, not overstepping, being thankful, working hard, and being humble. Love having a different perspective on the game.
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- hennish
- 07-19-23
Loved it
This is a Love letter to the Baseball player who was just good enough. I’ll listen to The intro over and over!!
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- S. O.
- 07-28-23
A great book for baseball and non baseball fans
This book dives into what it means to chase your dreams and understand that embracing what you have achieved. Regardless if your dream turned out a little different than you expected. The book was well read and was very enjoyable.
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1 person found this helpful
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- JR in VT
- 07-28-23
Wonderful Book
This is more than a baseball book, it’s a journey that you’re allowed to take along with truly exceptional people who love and honor baseball.
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- Cirque Du Sewell
- 04-18-25
Insightful, optimistic, and encouraging
Great book! Really captures the dreams of becoming a ball player and gives a palpable idea of what it is actually like. Reader has a great voice, but is obviously not a baseball guy. Mispronounced multiple HOFer's names, baseball terms - pulls the listener away from the overall authenticity of the story. Surprised that wasn't caught during post production, honestly.
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- Judy Davis
- 02-10-24
The story and background of the players.
Liked that the tone of the reader, matched the story. Mellow. Family’s mattered to the players.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Bill Keithler
- 07-27-23
Every Baseball fan should read this book
This book provide tremendous insight into the hidden game of baseball and hidden aspect of a baseball players life. It takes a very special person to be a back up catcher and have a career like Eric Kratz has had
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- Theodore B.
- 08-06-23
I too was a backup catcher.
A fun read…it called to my mind some personal experiences but mainly reminded me of some of the great players and managers of a sport I love.
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- Alex M
- 12-24-24
We don’t have to be the best
From Biff Pocoroba to Lil’ d, I have long had an affinity for the back-up catcher and the overlooked general. Having always been “good enough” at most things in life, yet never the very best at anything I’ve done, the back-up catcher and all the role entails has provided invaluable insights into the game I love, as well as life itself. This wonderfully written journalistic telling of the story rarely told represents all that is good in baseball and in the world. Thank you for reminding us to give more than we get and to always pay “it” forward. Thank you to all those who gave selflessly… yet again… to teach the rest of us a little something they have known all along.
Rick M
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- Will Barrett
- 05-03-24
A great story
An awesome, realistic look at the men who played for the love of the game and helped others improve theirs.
I loved the stories about, not just Erik Kratz, but others like him. Class acts devoted to their craft.
I love baseball but always sucked at it, so I didn't continue with it. This was a well written, well narrated story of those who did (and do) have the talent and the determination to keep playing and realizing there was an important role for them in this great game.
I HIGHLY recommend the book for anyone who loves baseball!
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1 person found this helpful