It flutters, it darts and it defies the laws of physics. Now, the rarest throw in
sports takes center stage as award-winning journalist Brian Gaffney visits Tecolote
Book Shop on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 3 to 4 p.m. to discuss his new book, “School of
Hard Knucks: My Three Sons and Baseball’s Wildest Pitch.” He will also be signing
books at the Westmont Bookstore on Nov. 7 at 10:30 a.m. prior to the first pitch of
the Westmont Alumni Baseball Game.
Gaffney, a vice president of documentary programming at Fox News Media, Emmy-nominated producer and former sportswriter, chronicles a decade-long, cross-country journey to help his three baseball-crazed sons master the unpredictable knuckleball. His narrative follows their quest to perfect the spin-free pitch while connecting with legendary knucklers, sports scientists and MLB executives trying to keep the dying art alive.
The story hits close to home for the local community: one of Gaffney’s sons, Ben, is a sophomore knuckleball pitcher for the Westmont Warriors.
Featured on “The Brian Kilmeade Show” and praised by “Bull Durham” director Ron Shelton, “School of Hard Knucks” blends sports journalism, scientific inquiry and family memoir to show how relentless discipline on the mound translates into life lessons off the field.
During the afternoon event, Gaffney will share stories behind the book, discuss the history of the knuckleball and answer audience questions. A book signing follows the presentation, with copies available for purchase.