Summary Of Right Down The Middle By Ralph Terry

Ralph Terry may be best known for giving up the home run to Bill Mazeroski in 1960 that allowed the Pittsburg Pirates to win the World Series, but many fail to see that he was also the MVP in the 1962 World Series and went on to have a great career in the golf world. The book Right Down the Middle written by Ralph Terry himself along with John Wooley writes out Ralph’s life from growing up in Oklahoma as a child all the way up to him being a professional golfer on the Senior PGA Tour. The book also gives a very neat perspective as to what the baseball system in his time was like and how the Yankees operated during their “Golden Age” of baseball. Over the course of this review, I will give some of the stories that I thought were interesting

Ralph spent 11 years in professional baseball occurring a win-loss record of 107-99, ERA of 3.62, and a total of 1,000 strikeouts. Ralph was also a 2x All-Star, 2x World Series Champion, a World Series MVP, and was the AL wins leader in 1962. These accolades occurred during his time with the New York Yankees and were probably his “prime” years as many would say. In Ralph’s best year of baseball in 1962, he tells the story about the night before game 7 where he and many other Yankee players gathered in a hotel room and played a game of seven-card stud. The game eventually came down to him and Yogi, Ralph stayed in the game and called which got him his last card that he needed with a heart flush – the ace of hearts. Ralph collected the entire pot of about $350 and left, which is something that is frowned upon when “gambling” but Ralph said, “When you can beat Yogi, that’s a good sign.” The next day Ralph pitched in another game seven, two years relived from giving up the home run to Mazeroski’s series winning home run. This time around Ralph did a lot better than his first go around. Ralph pitched a complete game shutout, allowing only 4 hits and ultimately winning the 1962 World Series for the Yankees and winning his famous 1962 World Series MVP award. Many don’t know that if it wasn’t for Candlestick Park and their terrible

The message that I ultimately came out of this book with can best be narrowed down to the title of chapter 17. Play Hard, Have Fun, and Get a Dream, is what I believe Ralph wants us to get out of this book. While much of this book is about his life, he never talks about the bad times and if does he uses them to move on and get stronger. Ralph states in the book that anytime he autographs something for kids he writes down two little sentences along with his signature. Those two sentences state Play hard. Have fun. While Ralph hit the lowest of lows in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series he learned how to take every experience in life and implement it later down the road as he did so distinctly in 1962. Throughout the book Ralph exudes a hardworking, persevering, and humble attitude as he goes from growing up on the dirt fields in Oklahoma to the best of stages in Yankee Stadium. While yes, this book highlights the 50’s and 60’s, I believe this book should be shown to all children and aspiring athletes and more particular baseball players. This book shows that no matter where you grow up, what you grow up with, and who you grow up with if you work hard enough and put in your all you will get out the results you are working for. One thing that I believe sets Ralph apart and I may be wrong and other pitchers do this,