
The Matheny Manifesto
A Young Manager's Old-School Views on Success in Sports and Life
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Narrated by:
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Mark Deakins
About this listen
"Nothing worth doing right is easy." - Mike Matheny
Mike Matheny was just 41, without professional managerial experience and looking for a next step after a successful career as a Major League catcher, when he succeeded the legendary Tony La Russa as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2012. While Matheny has enjoyed immediate success, leading the Cards to the postseason three times in his first three years, people have noticed something else about his life, something not measured in day-to-day results. Instead, it's based on a frankly worded letter he wrote to the parents of a Little League team he coached, a cry for change that became an Internet sensation and eventually a "manifesto."
The tough-love philosophy Matheny expressed in the letter contained his throwback beliefs that authority should be respected, discipline and hard work rewarded, spiritual faith cultivated, family made a priority, and humility considered a virtue. In The Matheny Manifesto, he builds on his original letter by first diagnosing the problem at the heart of youth sports - hint: it starts with parents and coaches - and then by offering a hopeful path forward. Along the way, he uses stories from his small-town childhood as well as his career as a player, coach, and manager to explore eight keys to success: leadership, confidence, teamwork, faith, class, character, toughness, and humility.
From "The Coach Is Always Right, Even When He's Wrong" to "Let Your Catcher Call the Game," Matheny's old-school advice might not always be popular or politically correct, but it works. His entertaining and deeply inspirational book will not only resonate with parents, coaches, and athletes, it will also be a powerful reminder, from one of the most successful new managers in the game, of what sports can teach us all about winning on the field and in life.
©2015 Mike Matheny (P)2015 Random HouseListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
—From the afterword by Bob Costas
“ The Matheny Manifesto illustrates a perspective we need not only in youth sports, but in our culture as a whole. By teaching the importance of respect, character, and a team-first approach, Mike Matheny gives our kids, and those who set an example for them, a positive outlook on healthy competition—and demonstrates how the most powerful lessons of baseball apply to their futures beyond the diamond.”
—Joe Torre
“Readers agree there are ‘must read ‘ books. The Matheny Manifesto, inspired by Mike's letter is one and much more. After you read it, you ‘must consider’ and then ‘must act’ on its core principles—principles that benefit coaches, parents, success seekers, and especially young players.”
—Tony La Russa
“I once told Mike Matheny that if I ever became a big league manager, I’d want to manage just like he does. The Matheny Manifesto will show you why. Mike approaches the game as the ultimate competitor, but totally with class and dignity.”
—Orel Hershiser, Los Angleles Dodgers broadcaster, 18-year big league pitcher, Cy Young Award winner, World Series champion
“ The Matheny Manifesto is mandatory reading for coaches, parents, and athletes of every age. The book is packed with winning insights and practical advice for all to use. A powerful read!”
— Pat Williams, Orlando Magic co-founder and senior vice president
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- Unabridged
-
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Longer than Moby-Dick and nearly as ambitious,The Baseball 100 is a one-of-a-kind work by award-winning sportswriter and lifelong student of the game Joe Posnanski that tells the story of the sport through the remarkable lives of its 100 greatest players. In the book’s introduction, Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator George F. Will marvels, “Posnanski must already have lived more than 200 years. How else could he have acquired such a stock of illuminating facts and entertaining stories about the rich history of this endlessly fascinating sport?”
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Just OK. Too Tangential & Distracting
- By Matthew R. on 01-21-23
By: Joe Posnanski
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The Mental Game of Baseball
- A Guide to Peak Performance
- By: H.A. Dorfman, Karl Kuehl, Rick Wolff - foreword
- Narrated by: Matthew Josdal
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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In this book, authors H.A. Dorfman and Karl Kuehl present their practical and proven strategy for developing the mental skills needed to achieve peak performance at every level of the game. The theory and applications are illustrated by anecdotes and insights from major and minor league players, who at some point discovered the importance of mastering the inner game in order to play baseball as it should be played. Intended for players, managers, coaches, agents, and administrators as well as fans who want a more in-depth look at the makeup of the complete baseball player.
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Dry but great information
- By Amazon Customer on 01-13-20
By: H.A. Dorfman, and others
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The Science of Hitting
- By: Ted Williams, John Underwood
- Narrated by: Angelo Di Loreto
- Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins
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Ted Williams was arguably the greatest pure hitter who ever lived. A lifelong student of hitting, he sought advice from every great hitter - and pitcher - he met. Drawing on that advice, as well as his own legendary life in baseball, Williams produced the all-time batting classic, The Science of Hitting. Using its detailed and concise coaching, players of all skill levels will learn how to improve their fundamentals and gain keen insights into the finer points of hitting.
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Excellent take on hitting
- By Josh Watson on 07-22-24
By: Ted Williams, and others
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The Game
- Inside the Secret World of Major League Baseball's Power Brokers
- By: Jon Pessah
- Narrated by: Jeremy Arthur
- Length: 20 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In the fall of 1992, America's national pastime is in crisis and already on the path to the unthinkable: cancelling a World Series for the first time in history. The owners are at war with each other, their decades-long battle with the players has turned America against both sides, and the players' growing addiction to steroids will threaten the game's very foundation.
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Bad Narration
- By Sally Harrison-Pepper on 08-15-15
By: Jon Pessah
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The Boys of Summer
- The Classic Narrative of Growing Up Within Shouting Distance of Ebbets Field, Covering the Jackie Robinson Dodgers, and What's Happened to Everybody Since
- By: Roger Kahn
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante
- Length: 15 hrs and 10 mins
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This is a story about young men who learned to play baseball during the 1930s and 1940s, and then went on to play for one of the most exciting major-league ball clubs ever fielded, the team that broke the color barrier with Jackie Robinson. It is a story by and about a sportswriter who grew up near Ebbets Field, and who had the good fortune in the 1950s to cover the Dodgers for the Herald Tribune. This is the story about what happened to the team when their glory days were behind them.
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Classic book!
- By Christopher Arthur on 11-19-17
By: Roger Kahn
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Rickey
- The Life and Legend of an American Original
- By: Howard Bryant
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Few names in the history of baseball evoke the excellence and dynamism that Rickey Henderson’s does. He holds the record for the most stolen bases in a single game, and he’s scored more runs than any player ever. “If you cut Rickey Henderson in half, you’d have two Hall of Famers,” the baseball historian Bill James once said. But perhaps even more than his prowess on the field, Rickey Henderson’s is a story of Oakland, California, the town that gave rise to so many legendary athletes like him.
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An All Time Grewt
- By Anonymous User on 10-09-23
By: Howard Bryant
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Smart Baseball
- The Story Behind the Old Stats That Are Ruining the Game, the New Ones That Are Running It, and the Right Way to Think About Baseball
- By: Keith Law
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
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Predictably Irrational meets Moneyball in ESPN veteran writer and statistical analyst Keith Law's iconoclastic look at the numbers game of baseball, proving why some of the most trusted stats are surprisingly wrong, explaining what numbers actually work, and exploring what the rise of Big Data means for the future of the sport.
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If you sorta like baseball--save your money
- By david ortega on 05-11-17
By: Keith Law
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The Baseball Codes
- By: Jason Turbow, Michael Duca
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
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Everyone knows that baseball is a game of intricate regulations, but it turns out to be even more complicated than we realize. What truly governs the Major League game is a set of unwritten rules, some of which are openly discussed (don’t steal a base with a big lead late in the game), and some of which only a minority of players are even aware of (don’t cross between the catcher and the pitcher on the way to the batter’s box).
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A bit dry, both in content and narration...
- By Everett on 09-17-10
By: Jason Turbow, and others
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Charlie Hustle
- The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball
- By: Keith O'Brien
- Narrated by: Ellen Adair, Keith O'Brien
- Length: 14 hrs and 47 mins
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Pete Rose is a legend. A baseball god. He compiled more hits than anyone in the history of baseball, a record he set decades ago that still stands today. He was a working-class white guy from Cincinnati who made it; less talented than tough, and rough around the edges. He was everything that America wanted and needed him to be, the American dream personified, until he wasn’t. Charlie Hustle tells the full story of one of America’s most epic tragedies—the rise and fall of Pete Rose.
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Narrator not appropriate
- By Charles C. Dean on 06-03-24
By: Keith O'Brien
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One Last Strike
- By: Tony La Russa
- Narrated by: Tony La Russa, Scott Sowers
- Length: 15 hrs and 30 mins
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After 33 seasons managing in Major League Baseball, Tony La Russa thought he had seen it all - that is, until the 2011 Cardinals. Down ten and a half games with little more than a month to play, the Cardinals had long been ruled out as serious postseason contenders. Yet in the face of those steep odds, this team mounted one of the most dramatic and impressive comebacks in baseball history, making the playoffs on the night of the final game of the season and going on to win the World Series despite being down to their last strike - twice.
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Insight to the 2011 Cards Magical Season and More
- By Mark Gandy on 10-06-12
By: Tony La Russa
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Astroball
- The New Way to Win It All
- By: Ben Reiter
- Narrated by: Ben Reiter
- Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins
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Astroball is the inside story of how a gang of outsiders went beyond the stats to find a new way to win. When new Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and his top analyst, the former rocket scientist Sig Mejdal, arrived in Houston in 2011, they had already spent more than half a decade trying to understand how human instinct and expertise could be blended with hard numbers. Astroball is the story of the next wave of thinking in baseball and beyond, at once a remarkable underdog story and a fascinating look at the cutting edge of evaluating and optimizing human potential.
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Now a book on cheating?
- By Peter R. on 02-01-20
By: Ben Reiter
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The Last of His Kind
- Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness
- By: Andy McCullough
- Narrated by: LJ Ganser
- Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins
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More than any baseball player of his generation, Clayton Kershaw has embodied the burden of athletic greatness, the prizes and perils that await those who strive for it all. He is a three-time Cy Young award winner, the first pitcher to win National League MVP since Bob Gibson, and a surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famer. Many of his peers consider him the greatest pitcher to ever climb atop a big-league mound.
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Last of his kind is one of a kind
- By Anonymous User on 01-28-25
By: Andy McCullough
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Heads-Up Baseball 2.0: 5 Skills for Competing One Pitch at a Time
- By: Dr. Ken Ravizza, Dr. Tin Hanson
- Narrated by: Michael Haytack
- Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
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Join more than 145,000 players and coaches who have found playing heads-up baseball helps them overcome the failure, frustration, and fear the game throws at you each day and instead play with confidence, consistency, and composure under pressure. Talent, strength, and great mechanics don't matter if you can't compete in games. Developed by working with elite players and coaches over the past 40 years, the strategies and tools in this audiobook (an "upgrade" to the classic 1994 edition) arm you with the approach you need to find out how good you can be at baseball.
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Solid work. Good food for the brain.
- By Jeff Cooper on 01-02-21
By: Dr. Ken Ravizza, and others
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The Captain
- The Journey of Derek Jeter
- By: Ian O'Connor
- Narrated by: Nick Pollifrone
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
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Every spring, Little Leaguers across the country mimic his stance and squabble over the right to wear his number, 2, the next number to be retired by the world’s most famous ball team. Derek Jeter is their hero. He walks in the footsteps of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, and someday his shadow will loom just as large. Yet he has never been the best player in baseball. In fact, he hasn’t always been the best player on his team. But his intangible grace and Jordanesque ability to play big in the biggest of postseason moments make him the face of the modern Yankee dynasty, and of America’s game.
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Great book, terrible narrator.
- By Butter on 05-09-14
By: Ian O'Connor
What listeners say about The Matheny Manifesto
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Overall
- Noel V.
- 03-26-15
Wow! It blew me away! Life changing!
I rarely read a book twice, but this one deserves a second read. I was so impressed by the humility of the author. What a great story he has told one that needs to be told to the youth of America.
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- kevin
- 08-26-21
Amazing read for coaches & parents alike.
Great book for coaches & parents of young athletes. the narrator did a good job as well.
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- Kelly
- 05-20-15
Must read if a parent or coach of youth sports
Would you consider the audio edition of The Matheny Manifesto to be better than the print version?
I have not read the print version.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Matheny Manifesto?
The first chapter which explains the manifesto.
If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
A very common sense approach to youth sports, especially baseball. A great reminder for both parents and coaches on why kids play sports and how all involved should conduct themselves on and off the field...with class!
Any additional comments?
Mike Matheny is a Christian and not afraid to discuss his views. I do not practice a religion but found his views insightful and not overwhelming.
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- Mark
- 09-21-15
Should be on everyone's must read list!
This is a great book for baseball lovers AND for everybody else, too! It really provides some great values to live by!
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- Spencer Hobaugh
- 06-28-17
Great book, great message to be aplied to life!!!!
Great book, great message to be aplied to life and more not just baseball.
I have asked my teams to read with their families
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- Blair Kellner
- 06-28-15
Great Book
A book every coach and every parent of an athlete should read. I will likely read/listen to it more than once as a reminder as to what I believe my role as a coach ought to be.
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- Betty Bravo
- 06-24-24
keeps you interested and never gets boring.
great book for coaches and parents that have Young athletes. one of my favorites so far.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-24-18
Pros & Cons
The baseball stuff is great for a volunteer youth baseball coach! He just gets a little religious & “preachy” at times.
Still a good book!
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- Mcjje
- 04-14-16
GREAT!
Matheny is a class act and a great example....., loved every minute and every word
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- Marvin
- 05-01-15
Great book
Great read!
Awesome life lessons, great read for nearly anyone. Makes me an instant fan. Good luck cardinals and Mike
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