Dream Makers

Jim Morris set his sights on the major leagues as a small boy, and he held onto that goal through years of effort. Injuries and a run of setbacks ended his playing career before he turned twenty-five, and doctors said he would never pitch again. At thirty-five, an unlikely chain of events put him back on a mound as a relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, long after most players have retired. His comeback inspired the Disney film The Rookie, which starred Dennis Quaid, and the movie went on to win an ESPY and a CAMIE award.

This memoir picks up where the film ends and covers the parts of Morris's life it left out. He describes a difficult relationship with his father, a long and punishing fight with pain and addiction, and the guidance of his grandfather, whose wisdom and affection kept him steady. He also writes about the faith and determination that carried him through each hardship.

The book looks at how the people you choose to spend time with can shape what you are able to achieve, and how that influence can help you push past obstacles toward your own goals. Morris's reflections center on the idea that his success was never really about himself, but about what he believed God could accomplish through him.