Grinders: Baseball’s Intrepid Infantry
is a revealing look at the pro players you DON'T remember—the ones who took the hard knocks road, bouncing between the Show and obscurity, never quite achieving their dreams, all for a chance to play the game they love.
As a child, author Mike Capps became fascinated with sports journeymen—the players who take the field every week and slip off into obscurity at the end of their careers. As his beloved Grandfather reminded him, "You’ll even see their names in the box scores. They aren’t stars, but they're the engine that drives baseball’s bus.”
What his grandfather called baseball’s “engine” we now call “grinders.” The back-and-forth roller coaster ride between professional baseball’s minor leagues and its nirvana, Major League Baseball, remains perplexingly difficult for countless great players and their families.
Players like Deacon Jones, Brian Mazone, and Lorenzo Bundy fought tooth and nail for a shot at the big leagues and held on for as long as they could. Grinders—those relentless, hardworking players—fill every roster at every level, season after season. Without their grit, determination, and persistence, the stars wouldn’t shine as brightly.
It’s time they got the recognition they deserve. A must-read for every aspiring athlete, youth coach, and passionate sports fan—Grinders is a tribute to the heart and soul of the game.