The Grind: Inside Baseball's Endless Season

Were I not a regular listener of the podcast of the Tony Kornheiser Radio Show, I would not be aware of Washington Post baseball writer Barry Svrluga, a regular guest on the show, nor would I be aware of his new book, "The Grind", released earlier this week and that would be too bad, because it is a book well worth reading for every baseball fan. I read it in two days.Svrluga follows the Washington Nationals throughout "the grind" of the 2014 baseball season, by covering certain members of the Nationals and certain people within and around the organization who are all involved in what goes into and around a baseball season: The Veteran, The Wife, The Scout,The Starter, The Twenty-sixth Man, The Glue (this is two people: the traveling secretary and the clubhouse manager), The Reliever, and The General Manager. And if you are thinking, "I don't want to read a book about the Washington Nationals" consider this passage from Svrluga's introduction:"This book, it would seem, is about the Washington Nationals. But the characters in it and those around them will invariably agree: It could be about any of the thirty major league teams. In baseball, these themes are universal."Ever wonder about the life of a baseball wife with two young children and a third one on the way goes through? Chelsey Desmond, wife of infielder Ian Desmond will let you know.When does "the season" start for a ball player? For Ryan Zimmerman, it starts before the Christmas holidays.Ever wonder what a starting pitcher does between starts? For Doug Fister, preparation for the next start actually begins before he leaves the clubhouse after his current start.How about traveling and moving equipment on road trips? in 2014, the Nats' travel schedule included 33 flights, 2 train trips, and 5 bus charters. From the book: "The last of the Nationals' 12 road trips (in 2014) would go through 3 cities and involve 1 train ride, 3 flights, 46 bus rides, 78 passengers, 25 equipment trunks, 6 sets of golf clubs, 70 equipment bags, 1 massage table, 125 pieces of luggage, including 2 guitars. What could go wrong?" As Ryan Zimmerman said of the clubhouse/travel staff: "He's got to deal with twenty-five prima donnas that get paid a lot of money that want everything that they want, and he's got to make them all happy. That can't be easy."And when does "next season" become "this season" for the General Manager? For Nats' GM Mike Rizzo, it began on the plane ride back to Washington after the Nats were eliminated from the playoffs by the Giants.No, I am not going to feel sorry for ball players making millions of dollars while putting up with "the grind", but I do have a new level of respect for them - and for every one within an organization - after reading this book.And if you are still thinking that this book is only about the Nationals, consider this post-season quote from Zimmerman when he contemplates the future:"After this year, the landscape can change. If a couple of guys are gone, the goal would be the same again, but the situation would be different. It's almost a lot more emotional for the fans than for us. If it was up to me, I'd keep everyone and pay everyone and have the same team for ten years, but we understand that that's just not how it works. You can't keep everyone."As a Pirates fan this season when the long term futures of fixtures like Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez have been topics of discussion, that quote hits home.Really good book.

I had higher hopes. But, this book is organiized as a collection of feature stories on individuals, with very little connection between the stories. Once the chapter on a player was finished, he largely disappears from the narrative. We don’t see the “grind” in the context of the same people over time. A book focusing upon fewer players organized by months in the year would have been better illustrated the “grind.”

The casual baseball fan really does not know what goeson day to day, hour by hour, mile by mile, in order to make a baseball team run.The Grind, takes the reader behind the closed locker room doors, to see the part of the game the TV cameras don't cover.You are also taken on a ride along with a team scout, as he crosses the country, looking for future players in both the minorleagues and in college.It indeed is an endless job.You are there on the field and in the locker room, when the team iseliminated from the playoffs. And for a few players, ending their time with the team.But, for the team's General Manager, the endless season, is just that, endless.Good job, Barry Svrluga.

I absolutely loved this book, mainly because I am such a huge baseball fan. I thought all of it was extremely interesting because this is such an inside look at all that goes on within a major league season. The family, the job of playing, the travel, the pressure, the jobs other than being a player within the organization, and I could go on and on. Everyone outside the game thinks that playing in easy and is what the players like to do, but i quickly found out it is not that easy. For a baseball fan, like myself, I think you will find this a very enjoyable and informative read. I am glad i made this selection.

Sure, I am a baseball fan, but much more so an avid reader (at least a book a week). My bar is high when it comes to quality writing.- Excellent book,I read it in one sitting. Baseball fans will love it as it truly gives a fresh, serious, yet entertaining view of the game. I can recommend this book to sports fans in general and , also <non-fan> readers who enjoy stepping into another world to which we would otherwise never have access. This is not a generic rah-rah baseball book. It truly focuses on The Grind. Its a really well written excellent book- no need to add a "baseball" qualifier.

Great read by Svrluga. If you read his series on "The Grind" in last year's Washington Post, you'll definitely want to read the additional pieces. If you didn't, then you'll find a non-traditional baseball book that focuses on specific aspects of a team's season -- wives, scouts, equipment guys, a pitcher's off-day regimen, etc.. I can't recommend it more highly to any fan, Nats or not. Have bought copies for a number of friends and family and they have all loved it.

Not a long read by any means but an eye-opener even for baseball fans. The 162 game season is the longest season in professional sport and Svrluga looks at the impact that has on a host of different people involved in the game. I particularly enjoyed the perspective of the Scout and the Spouse.Yes, it has the feel of a series of newspaper 'long reads' but that doesn't take away from what is a really entertaining book.It helps to have at least a passing interest in the game but I would recommend it as a fascinating insight into the all-consuming nature of America's pastime.

This short book is full of interesting insights into the work it takes on the part of players, executives, officials and employees to get a baseball team through a 162 game season. Is it particularly perceptive? Not really, and I think it is better suited to its original genesis as a series of newspaper pieces than as a book - but it's well written and pretty enjoyable.

This is a warts and all account of the efforts required to keep a team in top shape to play 162 games each year, with accounts from the players, managers, grounds crew, player's wives and logistics staff. A real eye opener for those who only ever think about the game at hand and the money the players receive.

A good in depth view about sports longest season.