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Because this book touched our souls....

My husband and I recently read Raising Cole by Marc Pittman. It is a true love story between a father and son. Cole Pittman, Marc's son, was a University of Texas football player. It is heartbreaking but full of faith. It can be read in a few hours and it is one of those that will always stick with you. It's good for any parent, but especially dads with sons - and would make a great stocking stuffer this Christmas. You can read more about it by doing a search - it has it's own webpage, but DON'T read too many exerpts or it'll give too much away. It is awesome. We are hearing this author speak tonight at the Anna HS athletic banquet and we get to meet with him beforehand at a coach's house.

Just thought I'd share because it really touched our hearts...
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Long live baseball - Thanks for the book recommendation. I ordered the book as a stocking stuffer and it arrived the day after Christmas. Smile I sat down on the sofa with the book yesterday and couldn't put it down until I was finished reading it. There are some great life lessons and great advice for parenting in the book. It is a quick read....I would highly recommend it. Marc Pittman shares his soul and in doing so, encourages other parents to have a special relationship with their sons just as he had a special relationship with his son.

www.raisingcole.com
Last edited by cheapseats
sky.......this day and age the peer pressure our kids are experiencing is incredible. It's hard raising kids these days and anything we can find to help just a little is a plus. I hope your son will take the time to read it all. There are many great chapters that touch on many things our kids are struggling with.

Good luck to your son next season!!
Based upon the recommendation in this thread back in December I bought and read the book Raising Cole by Marc Pittman and loved it.

Since it has been slow with all the rainouts over the last week and with my kids out of the house on vacation/camp I just finished re-reading it. Very inspiring.

Here are 22 things that Marc Pittman's teen-age son said that he learned from his dad:


 Don’t let anyone steal your dream.

 You can work now and play later, or you can play now and work later.

 If it doesn’t help you play sports, don’t do it. (drugs and drinking)

 It doesn’t matter what you can do, it matters what they think you can do.

 Appearance is everything.

 Sometimes your closest friends want to see you fail.

 A young man will hurt you. An old man will kill you.

 One-time things turn into lifelong addictions.

 Sometimes being different is a cool thing to do.

 When someone you love asks you to do them a favor, do it.

 You don’t tell someone you love them, you show them.

 You never know how many people are watching you.

 Sometimes just calling someone by their name means so much to them.

 Never cross your arms, put your hands over your package or do anything that shows weakness when you’re speaking to someone.

 A handshake tells so much about a man.

 Look everyone in the eye while you’re talking to them.

 Always walk like you’re going somewhere.

 Never, ever be late.

 You will never know why parents act the way they do until you have kids of your own.

 Also congratulate others on their accomplishments.

 Treat the not-so-attractive girls just as good as the good-looking ones.

 Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do right now.
Last edited by Frozen Ropes GM
Wanted to chime in on the endorsement of the Andy Pettitte book. Our almost 15yo, got it Christmas before last and got so much out of it. Andy P is one of his all time hero's and I can only hope that the message of the book is firmly engraved in his sweaty little teenage mind.

We even rode out the "hurricane" at the Ballpark when the Yankees were in town, with Pettitte scheduled to pitch. Then played hookey for half of the next school day to attend the make up game, with Pettitte on the mound. A friend of a friend also arranged for him to get a A.P. signed baseball. That puppy was under glass within an hour of him getting it. Death threats simultaneously went out to any younger sibling/sibling's friend who dared breathe on it...let alone put their grubby mitts on it.

I will have to pick up the other ones to add to our ever growing baseball book library. Thank goodness there are books along these lines that teenage boys actually want to read.

Thanks for sharing the titles!
quote:
Originally posted by Rock Dad:
Another book many on this site will enjoy is
"Senior Year: A Father, A Son, and High School Baseball" by Dan Shaughnessy. Dan is a sports columnist for the Boston Globe.

Here's a link to the book:
http://www.amazon.com/Senior-Year-Father-School-Basebal...id=1183403730&sr=1-1

I've only just started the book but looks to be a good one.


Got this as a Father's Day gift and would highly recommend it. A great read and some wonderful moments/memories/insights.
With all the rain we need some good baseball books to read! "Raising Cole" is excellent... ordered the Andy Petitte book and "Senior Year."

My recs:

"Little League Confidential" by Bill Geist - hilarious recollections of coaching little league.

"Ted Williams" by Leigh Montville - outstanding biography of the greatest hitter of all time.
For those of you w/son's playing in college this is a great read about the Cape Cod League:

The Last Best League


For those of you looking for something for your Middle School/Jr. High son's I suggest a book called High Heat. Without giving too much away this book deals with how a pitcher copes with some personal/home drama and how he deals with a very bad HBP situation that ultimatly changes the pitcher and the batter's lives.

I would suggest the parent reading it first then decide if it is right or not for your son. (might want to read the synopsis on this one first).

High Heat
I agree DBAT GM, "Raising Cole" was a very good book...I enjoyed it very much....It is one of those books you think about and reflect on long after you have finished reading it. My son also read it and enjoyed the book, especially the UT references.

A book I read several years ago that was about coaching little league - it was very amusing...."Joy in Mudville - A Little League Memoir" by Greg Mitchell

A book I recently read that was very interesting.... "Moneyball"

A non-baseball book I read this week that was excellent...."Same Kind of Different as Me"
I would highly recommend this book.....it is a true story about two men from the DFW metroplex, one a wealthy art dealer, the other a homeless man.

http://www.amazon.com/Same-Kind-Different-Modern-Day-In...tional/dp/0849900417
Last edited by cheapseats

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