The simple question led award-winning sportswriter Mark Newman on an eight-year journey that would bring about surprising stories and empowering life lessons from the minds of the most fabled Major League hitters in our time. Charming tales of heroic moments are delivered in a very different and captivating way, as unique as the men who made them happen right before our eyes. It all started with the beloved Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson, whose eager response was a much-needed lesson in humility as well as inducement to ask the question again. From one legend to the next, the answers were unexpected, introspective, telling, and most of all, inspiring. Baseball fans will relive glory days, from the 3,000th hits by Roberto Clemente, Wade Boggs, and Craig Biggio, to Ken Griffey Jr.'s father-son highlight, to Pete Rose's own stream of consciousness in search of one hit that meant the most. In the process, they also will learn more about matters like preparation, anticipation, consideration, atonement, confidence, and self-worth. Diamonds from the Dugoutis, a collection of motivational lessons on achieving success in life, organized through stories shared by such greats as Derek Jeter, Stan Musial, Cal Ripken Jr., Carl Yastrzemski, Mike Piazza, Andre Dawson, Chipper Jones, and many more all-time favorites. "Excited to catch up on some . . . reading and . . . starting with Diamonds From The Dugout by Mark Newman" --Curtis Granderson, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder " Diamonds from the Dugout is a delightful read about players' greatest hits, with author Mark Newman branching out a bit when he talks to Bob Costas, James Caan, Bud Selig, and Joe Piscopo, among others, about theirs. The knowledgeable fans can guess many players' favorites, but some of the answers will surprise you, as they surprised me." --Rick Hummel, St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer, 2006 J.G. Taylor Spink Award winner "If you love baseball, or just want to be inspired by invaluable life lessons, you will love Mark Newman's first hit." --Leigh Steinberg, sports agent "Not only were the hits memorable but so is this book." --Lance Smith, The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books "Mark Newman has a new book that you will like, featuring 115 baseball legends each talking about their greatest hit." --John Thorn, Official MLB Historian and renowned author "(Mark Newman) got some surprising answers when he asked a wide spectrum of players what their favorite hit was, and why." --Paul Hagen, Hall of Fame baseball writer "Great read for baseball purists." --Murray Cook, top groundskeeping consultant "Fantastic." --Ryan Thibodaux, Baseball Hall of Fame ballot tracker "A great new baseball book from Mark Newman. . . . Brooks even wrote the Foreword! Perfect for all baseball fans. . . . A must-read." --Cal Ripken Jr., Hall of Famer "Think of Diamonds from the Dugout as a colorful baseball quilt. Mark Newman has sewn together not fabric, but stories from Hall of Famers, All-Stars, journeymen, and those who simply love the game. Each story is delightful and many are surprising." --Tom Verducci, Journalist; Broadcaster; Best-Selling Author "I am happy to lead off Mark Newman's new bestseller Diamonds From The Dugout , and past teammates like Junior, Tino, and ARod are in it, too." --Edgar Martinez, Mariners legend "You're going to find a lot of my friends in the pages of this book, and that is one of the best things to happen in a life spent in or around the wonderful game of baseball. . . . Thanks for being a fan and wanting to soak in all of these wonderful life lessons that baseball has to offer." --Brooks Robinson, Hall of Famer "This is amazing . . . ten years in the making. The question was simple: 'What hit meant the most to you and why?' . . . A wonderful new book worth picking up." --Ed Randall, New York broadcasting legend "Incredible!" --Rico Petrocelli, Boston Red Sox legend "You are a much better author than me! Congrats on the book." --Chipper Jones, 2018 Hall of Fame electee and new author "One of baseball's top writers, Mark Newman posed the very succinct 'What hit meant the most to you and why?' question to more than one hundred legendary ballplayers, and their answers make for mesmerizing, often emotional reading." --Matt Sutherland, Foreword Reviews magazine Mark Newman is a recipient of the National Magazine Award for General Excellence and has been a baseball writer since 1990, including nearly the last two decades with Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLB.com). The Indiana University graduate is a longtime Hall of Fame voting member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America working 25 World Series. Before MLBAM, he co-founded and oversaw content at digital ventures including Sporting News Online, NASCAR.com, MAX Broadcasting Network. Before that, he was an award-winning pro sports beat writer for The Miami Herald , Fort Worth Star-Telegram , and San