Kindle
$10.99
Available instantly
Audible Logo Audiobook
$0.00
with membership trial
Paperback
$17.50
Audio CD
from $21.16
Kindle Price: $10.99

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Audiobook Price: $17.32

Save: $4.33 (25%)

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions

Buy for others

Give as a gift or purchase for a team or group.
Learn more

Buying and sending eBooks to others

  1. Select quantity
  2. Buy and send eBooks
  3. Recipients can read on any device

These ebooks can only be redeemed by recipients in the US. Redemption links and eBooks cannot be resold.
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Follow the author

Ethan D. Bryan
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

A Year of Playing Catch: What a Simple Daily Experiment Taught Me about Life Kindle Edition

by Ethan D. Bryan (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 118 ratings
See all formats and editions

Journey with prolific author and avid baseball fan Ethan Bryan on an exciting quest to play catch every day for a year, and discover the lessons he learned about the sacredness of play, finding connections, and being fully present to the human experience. A Casey Award finalist!

Ethan Bryan played and wrote about baseball for years. Then his daughters challenged him to set out on a yearlong experiment: to play catch with someone every day. This experience led him across 10 states and 12,000 miles on a quest both quixotic and inspiring.

Taking you from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to the home of the Daytona Tortugas in Florida, Bryan played ball and swapped stories with public school teachers, veterans, journalists, nurses, musicians, entertainers, entrepreneurs, athletes from every level--amateur to pro--and members of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Plus, he visited famous destinations such as the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Miracle League fields, and the original "Field of Dreams" in Iowa.

But throughout the book, Bryan reveals it's about much more than who he played catch with: it's what he learned from their vastly different stories. Lessons include:

  • How play can reignite a fire within you and transform your life
  • How to find joy in the simple things
  • How one life can impact a whole community
  • . . . and more.

 

For baseball fans and everyone who loves a good story, A Year of Playing Catch is an inspiring journey about finding joy in the simple things, and the power of play to transform our lives.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    240 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Zondervan
  5. Publication date
    September 8, 2020
  6. File size
    3903 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

From the Publisher

Year of Playing Catch, baseball, Ethan D. Bryan, MLB, sports, inspirational, true story, family
Year of Playing Catch, baseball, Ethan D. Bryan, MLB, sports, inspirational, true story, family

"This book does a great job telling how a simple game of catch can help you connect with a loved one, make a new friend, or simply have fun."

—CURTIS PRIDE, eleven-year major league veteran; manager, Louisville Slugger Warriors

"Bryan lovingly captures the essences of baseball and human connection in these brief but powerful vignettes."

—PERRY BARBER, umpire, Jeopardy! champion, and musician

"Ethan’s whimsical, fun-loving journey, told beautifully in this book … is a breath of fresh air. Grab this book and grab your glove. You won’t regret it."

—NATHAN RUECKERT, artist and founder, The Baseball Seams Co.

"Bryan connects unlikely co-stars in a tale of playful revelation, taking readers along for the summer tour of a lifetime."

—TARA WELLMAN, sport reporter and baseball podcaster

"Ethan Bryan delivers the perfect pitch with this book."

—CHELSEA BROOKE LADD, founder, Dugout Dish

"This is a beautiful look at baseball and life. You’ll love Ethan Bryan’s exceptional storytelling."

—JASON ROMANO, author, The Uniform of Leadership; host, Sports Spectrum Podcast

"Bryan’s love for baseball comes through on every page, but the real gift to readers is how he allows us to use his journey to retrace our own. What a gift!"

—Dr. KAT D. WILLIAMS, president, International Women’s Baseball Center; author, Isabel “Lefty” Alvarez: The Improbable Life of a Cuban American Baseball Star

"A remarkable book for sports fans or anyone who has longed to explore her own field of dreams."

—BYRON BONGER, Hearts and Minds Bookstore

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ethan D. Bryan is an author, musician, and story-teller. He self-medicates with Dr. Pepper and Chick-fil-A. Ethan and his wife Jamie have two girls and live in Springfield, Missouri.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B085XNQ1LF
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Zondervan (September 8, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 8, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3903 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0310360307
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 118 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Ethan D. Bryan

Ethan D. Bryan

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Ethan D. Bryan is convinced baseball helps tell some of the best stories. His baseball stories have landed him an invitation to the White House for the Kansas City Royals World Series celebration, a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame to read his baseball poetry, as a background ballplayer in an Emmy-award winning documentary First Boys of Spring, and a brief appearance in the ESPN 30-for-30, #BringBackSungWoo.

Ethan played catch every single day of 2018, traveling more than 12,000 miles in an effort that came to be known as Catch 365. The stories from that adventure will be featured in a forthcoming book from Zondervan Books.

A major fan of both Dr Pepper and donuts, Ethan was one of the best benchwarmers on his high school junior varsity baseball team.

Ethan lives in Springfield, MO with his wife, Jamie, and daughters, Kaylea and Sophie. He still dreams of playing baseball for his beloved KC Royals.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
118 global ratings
Playing Catch and Connecting Stories
5 Stars
Playing Catch and Connecting Stories
I got a few autographed copies from the author himself, definitely great gifts for relatives and friends who not only love baseball and God, but love their family and friends and making new friends wherever they roam. Ethan’s 1 year daily discipline is inspiring and a great invitation to join in the great journey of connecting human stories, and finding meaning and purpose in the great eternal story!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

Aaron Davis
5.0 out of 5 stars The Love of Baseball and Stories
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2020
Verified Purchase
Author Ethan Bryan loves baseball. This book is about that love, but it is not about who is winning what game (unless it's the Royals) or any myriad of statistics. In this book, Ethan taps in to that pure aspect of the game that brings people together.

Ethan Bryan set out on a strange quest: to play catch every day for an entire year (plus one day). It began with a question: What would happen if you played catch every day? What happened was really remarkable.

People told stories. True stories of the kind that only come out when people are at play. In the end, this book is a reminder that when people play, they share and when people share, good things happen. I found this book to urger me towards making better connections with others and maybe, just maybe, to play a little more.

Read this book, but do not stop there. Go and find ways to connect with those around you. Make new friends, hear new stories. You will thank the author for it!
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Terry Hiller
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
Reviewed in the United States on February 10, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a good book for you Baseball followers out there. East read, short chapters and a lot of good stories .
Helpful
 Report
Mary Barrett
5.0 out of 5 stars The theme of the book.
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2022
Verified Purchase
I have not read the book as yet. It was on Channel 4 News last week.
Helpful
 Report
Kyle Campise
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice stories of a great idea.
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2022
Verified Purchase
It wasn’t the best book I have ever read, but was a touching account of a man’s year long project encouraged by his daughters, and the lessons he learned, and the people he met along the way.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
SD
5.0 out of 5 stars Must read!
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2021
Verified Purchase
Love this book and its author! Ethan does a great job weaving 8n his I've for the game, the simple act if playing catch, and the life lessons we all can clean from community and our national pastime.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Kristin's husband
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for Baseball fans!
Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2023
This book is a special treat for those of us who were raised loving baseball. I am so proud our family could be a part of Ethan’s project. The book instantly transported me to some of life’s best moments; the pop of the ball in the glove, the smell of the grass, the film of dirt that covers you after a good game.

Baseball was designed around relationships. In the mid-19th century the game, which we claim to be ours in America, was born of social clubs; connection permeates every facet of the game. Baseball is incredibly unique in that way. Both watching and playing it yields to a shared experience and conversation with people that is irreplaceable. It's paced and nuanced, which gives an opportunity for rich discussion surrounding the game and life. Ethan captured that sentiment flawlessly in his book.

This is a story of perseverance in every sense, from the feat of 365 days of catch itself to the individual stories of everyday people overcoming challenges. Ethan encourages his readers to utilize play and connection to tell our stories and to heal each other. There's no better way to do that than through a game of catch. Excellent read.
Helpful
 Report
WayneChicago
3.0 out of 5 stars Jumps around, like reading a diary after the pages have fallen out.
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2021
Verified Purchase
I disliked this book. While the author can write, the decision to have the book skip around in time over the year and throughout his life is one that makes the book unreadable. The book is, literally, like reading a journal or diary that has come unbound, the pages scattered on the floor, then picked up and read. A series of anecdotes about the people the author has played catch with over the year, the book lacks any "big picture" ideas, and as it never gets off the ground with any flow; it is difficult to slog through. In fact, within one single chapter, the author might skip around to three or more anecdotal scenes, each of which happened at different times within his year of playing catch, or different times in his life! While no one is expecting a precise chronology, one should expect a general timeline that can be followed easily, that flows with a message, and that is an enjoyable read. This is not delivered in "A Year of Playing Catch".

The author will describe his relationship with a person that runs a charity, a baseball broadcaster, a softball champion, etc., so there is potential for learning from each of them. The reader moves on in great anticipation that each "guest" ball tosser might share a life lesson that can help the author, and us. Instead, we get the author's take on little more than gallivanting around the country, meeting up with interesting people to toss a ball, and then his own introspection into growing up and being into baseball, or his job, or his family. Where's the lessons from the person on the other end of the baseball? It's awfully mundane tripe compared with the promised "What a Simple Daily Experiment Taught Me about Life". Every guest (and there should be 365 of them, right?) holds so much promise for life lessons...and yet the author tells us vast details about the guest's life, and no quotes or poignant stories from the guest. Like striking out after bases loaded, each vignettte seems wasted by the end of each chapter.

I did not enjoy this book an found it a chore to get through.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
d$
5.0 out of 5 stars Baseball Stories with Heart & Love
Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2020
One goal -- play catch every day. Seems easy enough. Then you do it for 365 consecutive days, and it gets harder. Not just logistics of finding people, but going to those people, touring the country, and learning about those people and their stories. And that is the heart of this book, and its awesome.
Ethan doesn't go day by day, as that book would be 1000 pages, but he selects a few of his favorite stories to highlight people, kids, families across the nation. Who knew a simple action of tossing a baseball back and forth would mean so much?
Ethan loves baseball more than any other sport by far, and gives it more than just fan service -- it has meaning for him, for his family growing up, and for his own wife and daughters, and you can tell he's poured so much into this journey. This book is beyond great for baseball fans, its perfect for fans of the human spirit for inspiration. It's not a how-to guide of achieving your goals, but rather a method of how a regular guy (for as much as Ethan is regular -- personally, I think he's a remarkable individual) set himself an insane goal and worked hard to get it done. One of my very favorite books of 2020.

Full disclosure -- I know Ethan and was lucky enough to play catch with him on Day 168 (well, my and my special needs son... it was his very first game of catch ever)
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

bob popma
5.0 out of 5 stars An enjoyable journey
Reviewed in Canada on May 9, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is the story of one man's passion for baseball and people and how a simple dream becomes a great challenge over the course of a year. As the year progresses he finds out that life is full of amazing God gifted people who want to improve our world and the lives of those in it.
Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report