We don’t play enough—and our lives pay for it.
For one year, I played catch, crossing 10 states and 12,000 miles on a quest both quixotic and inspiring.
In A Year of Playing Catch, “ride along” as a passenger in the Bryan Family Millennium Falcon as I travel the Midwest with my wife and daughters, making new friends and learning about all of life through the pop, pop, pop of gloves and baseballs.
With stops including Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Wallingford, Iowa; and Rockford, Illinois, I played catch and swapped stories with public school teachers, military veterans, journalists, nurses, musicians, entertainers, entrepreneurs, athletes of every level—amateur to pro—and members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Plus, I visited famous destinations such as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Millennium Park, and the original Field of Dreams in Iowa.
“How is playing catch changing you?” one reporter asked me. That question chased me all year long. Sharing conversations I had with catch partners and the wisdom I gathered from their stories, I learned:
—How play is a critical part of what it means to be human
—The importance of celebrating life in the present tense
—How taking risks is part of chasing dreams
—And much more
Robert Benson, author of The Game: One Man, Nine Innings & a Love Affair With Baseball, wrote, “This book is a gem like baseball itself — everyday, interesting, thoughtful and funny. It is an inside the book home run.”
For anyone who loves a good story, A Year of Playing Catch is a journey about finding joy and beauty in the ordinary and about the power of play to transform our lives.
Order copies for yourself and favorite catch partners here.
And keep your glove nearby.