The Last Best League
I read this book a few years ago for a book report and I really enjoyed it. The premise of the book was to tell the experiences of one of the most talented teams in one of baseball’s most prestigious summer leagues. The Cape Cod League. It is one of the few college summer leagues that scouts get to witness elite prospects using wood bats.
The manager of the Chatham A’s, Jim Collins tells the story of up and downs of one of the most talented teams that he has ever managed. Some of the teams super stars go through unparalleled slumps while others draft stock sky-rocketed. As a team they experience dramatic wins as well as heart breaking losses.
This book also goes in depth about the Major League scouting system that can only be rivaled Moneyball. The reasoning behind making a reach on a prospect based on potential and the red flags that cause other to fall in the draft are very intriguing. It is incredible how much research is done about a player before a team is will to draft them. The book gives a view into the players lives as they try to find jobs, build relationships with their host families, and of course get in a little trouble.
