Welcome to the Circus of Baseball: A Story of the Perfect Summer at the Perfect Ballpark at the Perfect Time

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 197 ratings

Price: 15.75

Last update: 09-04-2024


About this item

A gloriously funny, nostalgic memoir of a popular ESPN reporter who, in the summer of 1994, was a fresh-out-of-college intern for a minor league baseball team. Madness and charm ensue as Ryan McGee spends the season steeped in sweat, fertilizer, nacho cheese sauce, and pure, unadulterated joy in North Carolina with the Asheville Tourists.

"A sweet and funny book that reminds us it’s not just the game itself that draws us. It’s also the people."—Tom Verducci, MLB Network, Fox & Sports Illustrated, and New York Times bestselling author of The Yankee Years

In the spring of 1994, Ryan McGee (new college graduate) bombed his coveted interview with ESPN—the only place he ever wanted to work. But he did receive one job offer: to work for $100 a week for the Asheville Tourists, a proud minor league baseball team in the heart of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. McCormick Field, home to the Tourists, had once been graced by Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, and Jackie Robinson. What could go wrong?

Welcome to the Circus of Baseball is McGee’s hilarious, charming memoir of his first summer working in the sporting world. He has since risen the ESPN ranks to national TV, radio, and Internet host, but his time in Asheville still looms large. Among the many jewels of his experience. . . McGee recounts one of the most entertaining on-field brawls you’ll ever witness (between the fourteen league mascots who had assembled for the all-star game—an eight-foot-tall foam-costumed crustacean, a pudgy red fox, a giant skunk . . . and they were really fighting), as well as the nervous moment he oversaw the game-day entertainer known as "Captain Dynamite and His Exploding Coffin of Death." Most important, McGee details a magical summer of baseball, of learning the ropes, of the ins-and-outs of running a minor league team, and of coming to understand how the pulse of a community can beat gloriously through a minor league ball club.

Welcome to the Circus of Baseball is a baseball classic in the making.


Top reviews from the United States

Saunders Family
5.0 out of 5 stars I lived it with McGee!
Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2024
Great fun - love Ryan’s style. I was the Asst GM for the Tourists that year. It’s all true - and then some! It was a time when Minor League Baseball was transitioning from being run like a circus to the more polished, professional, businesslike approach of today. I was pushing hard for change … but it didn’t come easy! I wouldn’t change a thing … it was a unique experience with many memorable characters and experiences.
Clemsonjak
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Gift for a Baseball Fan
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
Gave it as a gift to my brother in law. He finished it and looking forward to reading it during my next visit. Anything from Ryan McGee is gold
Phillip J. Ardoin
4.0 out of 5 stars fun book for all
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2024
I’m not a big baseball fan, but I really enjoyed this book. It’s more about a magical summer and location that happened to be a baseball field.
Awareness 4 Andrew
5.0 out of 5 stars Good
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2024
I bought this for my SIL. It was on his wish list. He loved getting it.
Mike C
5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating
Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024
A great read for all lovers of the game of baseball and in particular for those who appreciate the wonderful unique old ballparks that dot the landscape of America. Well done!
Chris Jennings
5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate account of life in Minor League baseball.
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2023
Ryan McGee has certainly captured the essence of what it is like to work in minor league baseball. This book was actually based on the summer he spent working for my dad so I can attest to the accuracy of his account. I really appreciate how he captured the ongoing struggle between the historical enjoyment of baseball and the more modern approach to ballparks and sport is entertainment. A wonderful walk down memory lane for me and for others who enjoy the old days and the old ways of the game. Also a delightful read for anyone interested in baseball.
Ronram
4.0 out of 5 stars Expecting a fastball but got a change up
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2023
I have read many books about life in the minor leagues. They always focused on the players and their unconventional sometimes ribald antics. Nothing wrong with that but often repetitive and predictable. This was a pleasant surprise. The spotlight was on author and then baseball intern for the Asheville Tourists,Ryan McGee. He described the art of rolling out the tarp, tapping kegs of beer on Thirsty Thursday until his hands bled, substituting for the AWOL mascot and other hilarious exploits. He never took himself too seriously and that greatly contributed to my enjoyment of his account.
Z. Erwin
5.0 out of 5 stars A love story for the pageantry of minor league baseball
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2023
Ryan McGee thoughtfully captures the little intricacies that make minor league baseball so special. The community that is built along with the entertainment provided make the attraction so charming in so many places around the country. Having worked in the industry myself, I was so excited to read about McGee’s deep appreciation was much like my own. I’m grateful for the good memories that I was reminded of by reading this book.

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