He joined the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as Mariners beat writer in September 1998 and began writing for The New York Times in 2000.
The book received mostly positive reviews from critics, and was praised for its writing style and informativeness.
[5][6] Paul Dickson of The Washington Post called it "well-written, anecdote rich and filled with seldom-shared insights by players.
"[7] Kirkus Reviews wrote that it "belongs in the first ranks of books on America's most written-about sport.
[10][11] Olive Fellows, writing for Christian Science Monitor, called it "quirky and engrossing.