Homegrown, Alex Speier
Homegrown, Alex Speier
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
Club: $13.49

Homegrown
How the Red Sox Built a Champion from the Ground Up

Author: Alex Speier

Narrator: George Newbern

Unabridged: 10 hr 34 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: HarperAudio

Published: 08/13/2019


Synopsis

The captivating inside story of the historic 2018 Boston Red Sox, as told through the assembly and ascendancy of their talented young core—the culmination of nearly a decade of reporting from one of the most respected baseball writers in the country.The 2018 season was a coronation for the Boston Red Sox. The best team in Major League Baseball—indeed, one of the best teams ever—the Sox won 108 regular season games and then romped through the postseason, going 11-3 against the three next-strongest teams baseball had to offer.As Boston Globe baseball reporter Alex Speier reveals, the Sox’ success wasn’t a fluke—nor was it guaranteed. It was the result of careful, patient planning and shrewd decision-making that allowed Boston to develop a golden generation of prospects—and then build upon that talented core to assemble a juggernaut. Speier has covered the key players—Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, Jackie Bradley Jr., and many others—since the beginning of their professional careers, as they rose through the minor leagues and ultimately became the heart of this historic championship squad. Drawing upon hundreds of interviews and years of reporting, Homegrown is the definitive look at the construction of an extraordinary team.It is a story that offers startling insights for baseball fans of any team, and anyone looking for the secret to building a successful organization. Why do many highly touted prospects fail, while others rise out of obscurity to become transcendent? How can franchises help their young talent, in whom they’ve often invested tens of millions of dollars, reach their full potential? And how can management balance long-term aims with the constant pressure to win now?Part insider’s account of one of the greatest baseball teams ever, part meditation on how to build a winner, Homegrown offers an illuminating look into how the best of the best are built.

About Alex Speier

Alex Speier has covered the Red Sox for more than fifteen years, the last four at the Boston Globe. He has also reported on the Red Sox minor league system for Baseball America since 2007.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mike

When the Boston Red Sox walked off the field as the 2018 World Series Champions, they had six homegrown players under the age of 30 who were major contributors to the team. This book is the story of The Red Sox, Their Minor League Development Program, and the players like Mookie Betts and Rafael Dev......more

Goodreads review by Ben

Great book about the Sox and how baseball farm systems work, pretty technical, but still keeps you engaged. Also great to see how so many of the 2018 players got their starts. That team was one of the most fun championship teams to watch, second only to the ‘04 team.......more

Goodreads review by Patrick

My final book of my 31 book challenge. Sort of a torture, reading about the last great Red Sox team and when they actually put an effort to field a good team. Man, I miss Mookie and Bogaerts.......more

God bless Michael Lewis. Where would we be without his seminal MONEYBALL: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game, first published in 2003? And, more specifically, where would a number of authors be? Thanks to Lewis, there’s a new subgenre for them to focus on. By my informal count, there are close to a d......more