Sunday, May 29, 2011

On the Beat with Steve Fireovid-Part 2

Yesterday, I posted the first part of a Q&A I had with former pitcher Steve Fireovid.  Today, I am presenting the second part.

Q-How did your book, The 26th Man, come to be?
SF-The 26th Man was really meant to represent a whole lot of players, not just me.  There were (and are) so many people who were never really given the opportunity truly deserved.  I think I pointed out in the book that this is true of most professions -- not just baseball players.  I was at the point in my career where I knew I could speak with a bit of authority on the matter and I probably heard a dozen players every year say, "I should write a book about all of this crap."  So I did.  I've always been at ease with writing,so I felt comfortable doing it.  It was a nice summer project and I had the kind of year on the field to easily justify my point.

Q-What is your favorite vacation spot?
SF-My favorite vacation spot is virtually anywhere that is not here.  For me, it's more about what I'm leaving and who I'll be spending time with than where I'm going.  Don't get me wrong though-- given a choice between Toledo and a nice condo on the ocean, I'll take the water.

I have read The 26th Man a few times over the years.  I am also one of a few people who reviewed it on Amazon.  I thought it was a great book.  It had laughs, honesty, great stories and interesting insight into baseball, life and Steve himself.  I have read a lot of books, specifically many autobiographies and The 26th Man is one of the best.
I really appreciate Steve taking time to answer my questions. I followed Steve's career, collected his cards (although I wish he had a White Sox card!) and read his book.  I had a lot of fun following him through the years.  It means a lot that Steve would take the time to thoughtfully answer my questions.  I am an even bigger fan of his now!

3 comments:

Cleveland Mike said...

I never knew he had a book out. I'll check on Amazon or the library and pick it up. Sounds interesting. Great post.

Corky said...

Pretty interesting Q&A. I remember Mr. Fireovid from his time in SD. I always thought he deserved a better shot at the majors.
Thanks to him for answering the questions.

Jimmy said...

II read his book in 8th grade for a school project. I enjoyed it a lot. Plus I got an B. I wonder if I would have gotten an A if I had talked to him (lol). Seriously, I really love following players like Fireovid. I find him very interesting.