YA Gotta Believe!: My Roller-Coaster Life as a Screwball Pitcher and Part-Timefather, and My Hope-Filled Fight Against Brain Cancer

First off I will admit to no small amount of prejucice when it comes to this book. I have been a Phillies fan since the 1970's and was a huge fan of Tug Mc Graw's growing up. In saying this perhaps this book had a deeper effect on me than the average person as I was aware of a lot of the events that Tug relates in this narrative of his life. What I was not aware of was his incredible courage while he was fighting this illness and the amazing warmth and generosity of his son, C & W star Tim Mc Graw. I feel you have to have grown up as part of Tug's generation to understand his motivations and behaviors. I am not saying that excuses the mistakes he made but it did help me to understand the WHY of what he did. In addition it made me appreciate all the more the courage it took him to admit those mistakes and the effort he put forth trying to correct them. This is an extremely moving and emotional tale with tremendous highs and lows and should effect everyone who reads it. Also this is an incredibly honest insight into the psyche of professional athletes in the 70's and 80's. Highly recommended for its' passion and honesty.

Tug McGraw has had a shameful life story that not many people have known about. He had done some very bad things like neglecting his son, country singer Tim McGraw, because he refused to believe that he was his son. When he was dying he forgave everybody and was nice to all of his relatives, and admitted to all of the wrong things he did. He really showed that he was sorry for everything and he would have changed a lot if he could. I was truly impressed by how he handled everything when he was dying. He is definitely an amazing man, in more than one way. He had many family-related problems that he got through. He was a little crazy too, but a motivational speaker really got him to the World Series by telling him, "Ya Gotta Believe!"

Tug McGraw was a bonafide original. From his thigh slap to his screwball to his love of a good time, Tug did things his way. But as he says during the book, sometimes his way was the selfish way. The most compelling part of the book for me was him discussing his relationship with his son Tim. From refusing to acknowledge his fatherhood to completely ignoring him (other than one visit in Houston) to finally coming around and taking responsibilty for himself and his son. That's a main theme in this book, taking responsibility. Unlike his ex-teammate Pete Rose who seemingly blamed everyone under the sun for his problems other than himself, Tug steps up and admits his mistakes. He says that he was not a good husband or father. He was determined not to make the same mistakes with his youngest son Matthew. His children all rallied around him as he battled brain cancer. Sadly this story doesn't have a happy ending as Tug passes away in January of 2004, a month before this book was released. The final chapter of this book is very touching as Don Yaeger describes Tug's final days. This book shows that it's never too late to say you're sorry and it's never too late to make things right. An excellent book, highly recommended.

If you loved Tug McGraw and the things he did for the Met's and Phillies, you will love this book.Tug brings us through his life, from a disruptive youth to a challenging career in baseball away from his family with the thought behind his mind that another child may have been his. This book is so timely coming so soon after Tug McGraw's demise from cancer. He reviews his loves, his relationships with his families, teammates and fans and his struggles after retiring from baseball.One chapter that is fascinating is the chapter devoted to fans.... It is a fitting tribute to his fans from someone who always enjoyed playing for them.Tug admits in this book his wild lifestyle as a baseball player and attributes part of it to his somewhat wild homelife growing up. McGraw shows how he was the life of the party, a team player and a person who inspired others. His sense of humor was amazing. His vignettes about his jokes throughout the book will make you smile. He even devotes a chapter to his humor. You will cry as you hear about Tug's challenges in his life and most of all the last few years of his life struggling with his illness. Yet, Tug's legacy would not be complete without his family and it is touching and fitting what he says about them.Interestingly Tug talks about three heroes of his; Babe Ruth, Benjamin Franklin and the King; Elvis. He tells us why these men's lives had an impact on his life. Tug shows that he was a deep person, with a depth of passion for his life, his family and his work. The discussion of Ben Franklin was so very interesting. This book is for anyone who has come from a challenged family background, anyone who loves the music of Tim McGraw, and of course the many fans who enjoyed the life of one of America's favorite Relief Pitchers - Tug McGraw......Ya Gotta Believe.

If you want the pg version get "Screwball", this is not a book that the twelve year old me could have or should have handled. However, as an adult it is quite the eye opening view into what life in and after professional sports is really like. Tug was and is my hero for many reasons, but this book showed me that even heros do not have perfect lives, with perfect outcomes. I cried at the end, even though I knew how it all ended. It was a lot like "Brian's Song" in that regard. I am not a fan of country music, but Tug's son Tim can count me as a new fan, not for his singing, but for his truely generous spirit.