Amazing Book

I finished a book prior to this book that I would rather not discuss. It was a tough read and I feel that I am worse off for reading it. Not very often does that happen with me, but that one was a tough one and I pushed through it so I could finish all along with Kiss It Good-Bye on the horizon.

Last night I finished Kiss It Good-Bye and I have to say that it was the most amazing book. I don't know if it is because I had just read a horrible book or not. Nevertheless it was a great book and a fun read.

Kiss It Good-Bye is a book by John Moody who grew up in Pittsburgh watching the Pirates play baseball. John is not LDS but he came to love Vern Law who was pitching in Pittsburgh at that time. As a young boy he saw Vernon Law as one of the most unique and upstanding players who played for the Pirates. For one Vern was a "Mormon" and their weren't many on the east coast. Two Vernon was a great pitcher, someone to look up to who respected the game.

The book is taken partly from Johns memory but mostly from Vern Laws journals. The time line starts with Vern growing up in Meridian Idaho and goes through the 7th game of the 1960's World Series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees. The book is full of great stories from the mouth of the man who lived it.

The thing that makes the book so much fun is the fact that I got to meet Vern Law at a BYU Management Society meeting a few months ago where I bought this book and book for my father. Vernon is the epitome of class and a true hero. As I walked away from that meeting, after listening to him speak for two hours (it was only suppose to go one hour), a guy I went with turned to me and said "They don't make ballplayers like that anymore". I would have to agree with that especially after reading this book. I encourage anyone to read this book. There are great LDS stories, there are great baseball stories and overall it is just a great uplifting book. Something I needed after my last book.