The Baseball Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree (Tr)

Celebrate father-son baseball legacies: draft drama, scouting secrets, and moving stories.

“Bob Hurte’s passion for baseball fills every page of this book rich with the game’s stories.”
—John Rosengren, Award Winning Author of Greatest Summer in Baseball History—How the ‘73 Season Changed Us Forever

Robert V. Hurte Jr.’s The Baseball Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree is a warm, deeply researched celebration of baseball’s family ties and the rare fathers-and-sons who reach the major leagues. Combining draft history, scouting lore, youth-ball memories, and candid interviews with players, scouts, and executives, Hurte takes readers from sandlots and T-ball to the Rule 4 Draft and the big-league dugout. Profiles of the Grieves, Burroughs, Witts, Walkers, and others illuminate the grit, sacrifice, mentorship, and stubborn hope that carry talent across generations. Rich anecdotes—foreword by Kenny Van Doren—expose the realities behind scouting reports, agents, and amateur baseball’s changing landscape while honoring the simple magic of playing catch. Whether you’re a die-hard fan, a baseball dad, or a lover of human stories, this book reconnects you to why the game matters: it’s where dreams, family, and history meet under the summer sky. A perfect gift for every fan.

Robert V. Hurte Jr. cannot remember not being passionate about baseball. In 1998 he joined the Society of Baseball Research (SABR).