Idiot: Beating "The Curse" and Enjoying the Game of Life

by Johnny Damon

Book Overview

Dear Baseball Fan: I know what you're thinking:Couldn't he have come up with a better title?My mother agrees with you, but unfortunatelyGeniusjust doesn't have the same ring. Let's get something straight right away. I may be an idiot, but I've tried to do more in this book than just revisit the Red Sox's Miracle Season. I want to give you a sense of what it's like to grow up with baseball dreams, to spend long years climbing the ladder, and then over the course of three years to see the building blocks of those dreams fall into place. In this book, you'll be reading about the son of an Army staff sergeant-a thrill-seeking Orlando kid who at age thirteen was gifted with a man's body, including rare speed and reflexes. It was some straight talk from my brother that kept me from abandoning that talent, which led to my eventually catching on with the Kansas City Royals and later the Oakland A's. Starting in 2002 with the Red Sox, I got to see what can happen when a determined front office decides to roll the dice and acquire players who, like me, leave the thinking out of it-who trust their instincts and play team baseball. Forget what you've read about the posse of long-haired rebels who eventually made up the 2004 Red Sox. I'll give you the straight dope, including who's got the biggest mouth (hint: his first name is Kevin); what Pedro Martinez was doing all those times when you couldn't find him on the bench; what game David Ortiz should never play; and why I sometimes question Curt Schilling's sanity. Memo to Curt: the statue of you is being erected. What's it like being responsible for the hopes of millions? In the fall of 2004 my teammates and I got to find out. What I've tried to do in these pages is bring you inside, show you the black humor that erupted when it seemed we could do nothing right, and the immense joy that followed when 25 guys took turns picking each other up, and by sheer force of will reached baseball's summit. Red Sox Nation (both natives and new arrivals), this one's for you. FromIdiotby Johnny Damon… On what it takes to make the majors…"It's never about your talent. Everybody in the minor leagues has talent. If you're planning on building a career in baseball on just talent alone, you've got no chance. Most important, you need will. You've got to work harder than the next guy, and you have to want it more than the next guy. Guys who make it do so with their heart and mind." On Nomar…"It was virtually impossible for Nomar to go out in public. If he went, he needed a private room or he had to be shielded by the other players so the public wouldn't get to him. Nomar had to deal with his superstar status every day. If one fan wanted an autograph, there'd be a hundred behind him. Nomar spent much of his time in his room getting food delivered. It was the only way he could get to eat." On "The Curse"…"When you got down toward the end of the season, that's all you heard about…'Do you believe in the curse?' 'Is the curse overtaking the team?'…Since Dan Shaughnessy is the guy who invented this curse nonsense in the first place, I find it kind of odd that he keeps talking about it. He's a bright guy. I can't believe he actually believes it. I guess the Curse of the Bambino has a better ring to it than the Curse of Dan Shaughnessy." On getting support from the fans during the A

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 030723763X
• ISBN13: 9780307237637
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.4"

Customer Reviews

What Curse?

This book is great. It is about the life of Johnny Damon and how he created a spark in the Red Sox which would lead to a World Series and an end of a historic curse. The book starts off explaining Johnny's life growing up and his experiences in high school. The book then goes into his career with Kansas City and the A's. Johnny expresses a lot in his book, from his unsuccessful first marriage to his fun partying with teammates. Later on in the Book Johnny signs with Boston and turns the team around as lead off hitter for one of the best rosters to ever play the game. The Curse of the Bambino seemed like it had once again taken down the Red Sox. However, the team is able to have what I believe is the greatest comeback ever in a series and come back from 3-0 to beat the Yankees. In the end of the book The team wins the World Series vs the Cards, finally breaking the curse. By James Privateer

Reviewed by a student of Mrs.Thomas

The book I'm reviewing is Idiot by Johnny Damon. I thought this book is awesome and deserves five stars. I think it is great because it is very, very funny. Idiot is about how Johnny Damon grows up and makes it to Major League Baseball. He then signs with the Boston Red Sox and helps them win the World Series. Idiot gives you a behind the scenes look at how the Red Sox struggle through the regular season and how they pull together as a team. I would recommend this book to Red Sox fans and kids who enjoy humor. I think baseball fans all over would enjoy the book. Idiot is more for kids who are eleven and older. There are no other books by Damon because he is a professional baseball player for the New York Yankees. Reviewed by a sixth grader.

The Inside Story

This is a great account of what it was like to live through the 2004 World Series, and everything leading up to it. If you love Johnny Damon and the Red Sox, you'll find this a good read. If you have kids who play Little League baseball, you'll also like "Seymour's Soaring Red Sox: A Bird's Eye View of the 2004 World Series", a kids' picture book which prominently features Johnny Damon.

This is it.

If you want the definitive account of the most amazing season in the history of the game, you want this book. After all the press and the hype and the call-ins, Johnny Damon reveals he is anything but his title. He even gives dates of the great games so we can go to MLB.com and watch them over again! Believe me, I've read most of the baseball lit out there, and this book is one of the best.

Almost as much fun as an afternoon at the ballpark

I couldn't put it down....received it yesterday and finished it this afternoon. The style is clean and to the point - while I got a little confused at the beginning with all the names/players, etc. it all evened out by the third chapter. A must for Red Sox fans but fans of the game (of life too?) will find it a great read and a perfect way to spend time whether or not you can get to "the park".