I am so excited about baseball starting this year. The Spring always brings an energy. Something about fresh beginnings always puts a smile on my face.

Going to Spring Training in late March will not be bad either. It will be my last Spring Training before becoming a father, and while that has me thinking about life in a different way. After reading Out of My League, by former major leaguer Dirk Hayhurst, I will view this Spring Training a little differently too.

Dirk Hayhurst’s writing style is compelling and a great read — especially before Spring Training. By Djh57 (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

Hayhurst’s tale is one that many professional baseball players have experienced. After six years in the minor leagues, Hayhurst gets his chance at the majors and has to battle with a conflict between the mentality he thinks it takes to be a successful major league player and the mentality it takes to be a soon-to-be married man in a long-distance relationship.

In the world of baseball, where language, logic, and communication are often sacrificed for tradition and machismo, Hayhurst fights wavering self-esteem and over-thinking all the way to the Big Leagues in the Padres organization.

Hayhurst describes, among other things, what it is like to be a virgin in a minor-league environment filled with everything you would expect from a stereotypical locker room. His ability to “get along” in this environment is something that definitely sets him apart.

His insights into real conversations that happen in the bullpen, in the locker room, and outside the field are sharpened by a great writing style and snappy real-life conversations that provide a unique look into a fringe player’s true experience in Major League Baseball. More importantly, though, Hayhurst finds an honesty that strikes at a truth about families, dysfunctional relationships, and resilience.

Not everything Hayhurst does turns out positive and everything definitely doesn’t go his way. His internal monologue both between and outside the lines is something I know I related to at some level, even if I’d never experienced the pressure he clearly did.

If you’re a baseball fan and a human being, this book is definitely for you.

And I, for one, cannot wait for spring.