Skyhorse Publishing, 2007
Rick Wolff hosts a straightforward radio show about youth sports on WFAN in the New York market. Many is the time I almost reached for the phone to put in my two cents on the topic of the day or ask advice concerning my own child’s situation.
So it was with great curiosity that I read Harvard Boys, written with Wolff’s son, John. I wondered if it might be a case of “Do as I say, not as I do”; that the senior Wolff preached fairness and inclusion on the show, but when it came to his own, he might whistle a different tune.
What a refreshing surprise, then, to have the son take the lead, telling his story of the struggles of the low affiliate player trying not only to improve and rise in the hierarchy, but simply to survive. It’s hard to remember that these kids — many not out of their teens at these levels — are on their own for the first time, trying to eke out a reasonable existence with little money or “grown up” skills such as managing money or even doing laundry. One of the constant in minor league towns seems to be a constant boredom away from the field. The hours are lousy, the temptations, many. Keeping focus can be difficult. The juxtaposition of the generations is also noteworthy. If John and his cronies were constantly frustrated with their off time, how on earth did Rick and his contemporaries survive in an era before iPods, X-Box, and e-mail?
As John Wolff points out, most of these guys were superstars in youth leagues, high school, and college. But sports has its own trickle up theory; now comes the separation.
While John’s is the primary voice of Harvard Boys (and what are the odds of that whole scenario?), Rick adds his commentaries, always supportive, never “I would have done it this way” (remember Karl Malden in Fear Strikes Out?).For most of the book, John seems to be progressing nicely, but, as he points out, none of that matters if you’re not on “the organization’s” radar. The future franchise players need teammates to play with, but the majority of these supernumeraries never makes it past the first couple of years.
We also realize the concept that “Man plans, God laughs.” It only takes a pebble on the infield to set the stage for a career-ending injury (although in John’s case it was shoulder problems). Thank goodness for that Harvard education.
The book is told in a “PG” manner. There’s no mention of drugs (recreational or performance-enhancing) or sex, which, in this TMZ day and age is amazing. And, at least for this reader, it didn’t detract anything from the story. I guess there are two guys out there who realize this is still a family-oriented game for the fans.
is available on Amazon.com,
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