I’m following in Bob Feller’s footsteps. Not to Cooperstown, where the legendary Cleveland pitcher is immortalized in baseball heaven, but to Sports Publishing, a prominent imprint under Skyhorse Publishing.
In 1990, three decades after his eminent Major League Baseball career ended, The Heater from Van Meter released an autobiography (with Bill Gilbert) titled Now Pitching, Bob Feller: A Baseball Memoir. This story, featuring a shot of a spry, grinning Rapid Robert across the cover, was published by Birch Lane Press / Carol Publishing Group. A decade or so later, the company went under, and the rights to the project were acquired by Kensington Publishing, under its Citadel Press imprint. However, just a few years later, Citadel Press weeded out their sports memoirs, which sent Feller’s project to Sports Publishing LLC. In 2010, Sports Publishing LLC was purchased by Skyhorse Publishing, and in 2014, the trade book company released the flamethrower’s memoir through their Sports Publishing imprint. A tad confusing, but a nice glimpse into the acquisition/rights reversion sector in the book publishing sphere for those in the dark on the matter.
My road to Sports Publishing/Skyhorse Publishing is far less bumpy. This fall, I got the rights back to my debut book, Trust The Grind. The moment the agreement was finalized, I centered my attention on Skyhorse, one of the fastest-growing independent book publishers. A few weeks following that, I signed a fresh deal with the team, and I’m happy to announce that future copies of Trust The Grind will be available for purchase this December. I liken the whole process to a Feller fastball: speedy, effective, and elegant.
A new publisher means a new cover. While we strived to mirror the original as best as we could to avoid straying away from what contributed to the project’s success, the exterior on the updated paperback comes with numerous enhancements. Bigger and brighter text, evenly structured quote across the top, larger trophy, and an amplified radiance in the sky. On the back, though not featured here, it includes a collection of some of the stars I interviewed, along with their appropriate ‘Hall of Fame’ badges in front of their illustrious names. Honoring the athletes with the inclusion of their supreme-distinction-title gives the product a ‘heroic’ feel, which is the sensation I hope each young reader dwells in upon completion of the story.
Along with Bob Feller, I’ll be joining a catalog of other big-name players. The undisputed GOAT in the water, Michael Phelps, is here, and so is the greatest sprinter of all-time, Usain Bolt. On the hardwood, Sports Publishing has a pair of books with Dennis Rodman and Clyde Drexler, two members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Also from the blacktop is NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway, who recently joined the list with his 2025 memoir, ‘Killer Crossover: My Life from the Chicago Streets to Basketball Royalty’.
Representing the gridiron is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Edgerrin James, whose autobiography included a foreword penned by his longtime teammate, Peyton Manning. Circling back to the diamond, Skyhorse also has National Baseball Hall of Fame member Lou Boudreau’s memoir. Boudreau won the AL batting title in 1944, and the AL MVP in 1948. Runner-up to him in the prestigious league award that year was Joe DiMaggio, and behind Joltin’ Joe was Ted Williams, so if you’re unfamiliar with Boudreau, just know he shined among the game’s luminaries.
I’m overcome with gratitude to be in the same directory as all of these icons, and I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on the new edition of my book.