SCHOOLBOY The Untold Journey of a Yankees Hero

Joe Barrett does a wonderful job narrating Waite Hoyt's autobiography, a fascinating account of the veteran pitcher, born in 1899. Among his teams were the New York Yankees. Barrett's gentle tone has a slight East Coast accent that fits the Brooklyn-raised Hoyt. The account ranges from Hoyt's upbringing to his time in the minors and then his twenty-one-year Major League career. Barrett knows when to individualize the dialogue, such as that of a gruff team owner, and when to rely on his own voice. He shapes Hoyt's stories on and off the diamond and his efforts to become sober later in life. Memoirs are common now but are rare from someone of this era. Barrett gives it the narration it deserves. M.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2024]