"Former Sports Illustrated writer Kaplan gets to the core of this talented yet complex man on the anniversary of his 100th birthday."—USA Today Baseball Weekly

"Grove was irascible, which makes for interesting reading. . . . (Kaplan''s book) is meticulously researched, with good historical sketches of Philadelphia in the ''20s and Boston in the ''30s. Because Grove pitched until he was 41, teammates such as Ted Williams, Billy Werver and Charlie Wagner are still around to relate memories."—Philadelphia Inquirer

Lefty Grove may have been baseball’s best pitcher. He was certainly one of its most interesting. A three-hundred-game winner during 1925–41, he captured an unmatched nine ERA and five winning-percentage titles. While starring for the Philadelphia Athletics he was known for “a fastball and a mean disposition,” qualities best exemplified in 1931, when he won thirty-one games and wrecked a clubhouse. Grove finished his career with the Boston Red Sox, where he injured his arm and reconstructed himself as a fabulous control artist.