Swing and a Hit

The fun and fiery memoir of All Star Yankee and five-time World Champion, Paul O’Neill. In SWING AND A HIT, O'Neill elaborates on his most important hitting principles, lessons and memories—exploring these elements across 10 chapters (to align with the nine innings of a baseball game and one extra inning). Here, O’Neill, with his fiery temperament, describes what he did as a hitter, how he adjusted to pitchers, how he boosted his confidence, how he battled with umpires and (water coolers) and what advice he would give to current hitters. O’Neill has always been a tough out at the plate. Recalling how he started to swing a bat competitively as a 5-year old and kept swinging it professionally until he was 38, O'Neill provides constant insights into the beauty and the frustration of playing baseball. The legendary Ted Williams said using a round bat to hit a round ball is the most difficult thing to do in sports. Naturally, O’Neill, who once received a surprise call from Williams that was filled with hitting advice, agrees. SWING AND A HIT features O'Neill's best insights and offers clubhouse stories from some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball—hitters, managers, and teammates like Joe Torre, Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, Pete Rose and Bernie Williams. Remember, O’Neill, ever the perfectionist, is the type of hitter who believes that pitchers didn’t ever get him out. For that reason and so many others, SWING AND A HIT is essential reading for any baseball fan.