Aces: The Last Season on the Mound with the Oakland A's Big Three: Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito - Hardcover

by Mychael Urban (Author)

San Francisco Chronicle Bestseller

"From the speedy rise of the Big Three to their stunning breakup, Urban's book says it all." --John Shea, National baseball Writer, San Francisco Chronicle

During the 2004 season, each of Oakland's Big Three aces had something to prove. Tim Hudson was determined to demonstrate his recovery from a recurring injury. Barry Zito had to show the world that after a ho-hum 2003, his 2002 Cy Young Award was not a fluke. Mark Mulder missed the 203 playoffs entirely with a stress fracture, but the way he saw it, he simply needed to be himself--the natural-born pitcher.

Given unprecedented access to the Big Three, Mychael Urban recreates their tumultuous season through their eyes. he explores the nuts and bolts of major league pitching, examining each player's unique approach to this craft while revealing how three very different personalities cope with the demands, rewards, and challenges of sports stardom.

Now with a new afterword on the 2005 season

Urban traces the fortunes of the Big Three after Hudson was sent to Atlanta and Mulder to St. Louis, trades which held the dramatic promise of them being reunited again-as opponents-in the playoffs.

Front Jacket

At their best, they were the most feared rotation in baseball; at their worst, they were very, very good. As the 2004 baseball season opened, however, each of the Oakland A's Big Three starting pitchers had something to prove. Tim Hudson was determined to demonstrate his recovery from the recurring hip injury that popped back up to knock him out of the 2003 American League Division Series. Barry Zito had to show the world that after a pedestrian 2003, his 2002 Cy Young Award was not a fluke but a true reflection of his ability. Mark Mulder missed the 2003 playoffs entirely with a stress fracture in his leg, but the way he saw it, he simply needed to be himself--the supremely confident, utterly dominant, natural-born power pitcher known to his bosses as the "Golden Child." All three would succeed, all three would fail, and all three would endure the rocky summer of 2004 in the company of an outstanding sportswriter named Mychael Urban, who, like Hudson, Mulder, and Zito, once pitched at college baseball's highest level.

In Aces, Urban presents a stunning re-creation of a single baseball season through the eyes, words, and experiences of three of the game's finest young pitchers. From the mound to the locker room to the world outside the stadium walls, this crisply written account explores the nuts and bolts of major league pitching, examining each player's unique approach to his craft while revealing how three very different personalities cope with the demands, rewards, and challenges of sports stardom.

You'll soar with Hudson and Mulder as they dominate the first half of the season and struggle with Zito as he tries to regain his winning form. You'll share Hudson's disappointment when he's sidelined yet again, and you'll witness Mulder's bewilderment as he confronts, for the first time, the self-doubt that has tortured so many great athletes. Ironically, as Mulder's confidence wanes, Zito, an avid surfer, catches a wave of self-assurance and surges to finish the season decisively.

You'll also get a taste of Hudson's frustration with Oakland's owners, who routinely surrender star players to free agency; learn why Zito's eclectic interests help make him a better pitcher; and hear Mulder speak frankly about the crisis of confidence that derailed his dream season. And in the end, you'll get an inside look at how two of the Big Three were traded away.

The Big Three were often talked about, written about, and judged as if they were interchangeable parts of a whole. Nothing could be further from the truth. Aces reveals how different these elite athletes are from one another and offers deep insights into what makes a successful big-league starter. And, like the 2004 baseball season itself, it's packed with drama, excitement, and humor from start to finish.

Back Jacket

Written with great color, style, humor, and grace, takes readers on a captivating ride. And while Hudson, Mulder, and Zito represented a uniquely entertaining era of A's baseball, the tale of their dramatic final season together is something baseball fan will no doubt enjoy.
--Mike Silver, Sports Illustrated

"Mychael Urban's book is a fabulous read. He brings you behind-the-scenes with their private conversations and thoughts on the most famous pitching trio since Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz. Mychael had a unique relationship with Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito, earning their trust so they were comfortable enough to reveal intimate details of their personal lives. You learn about their hopes, their fears, their ideas, and just what makes them tick. You'll know everything from Barry Zito's parents to Mark Mulder's golf game to Tim Hudson's family life. This is hardly just a baseball book. It's about life, and the tremendous burden each pitcher carried while trying to lead the Oakland A's to the playoffs. I absolutely loved it."
--Bob Nightengale, Senior Writer/Columnist, USA Today Sports Weekly

"If you got any closer to Oakland's Big Three of Hudson, Mulder, and Zito than Mychael Urban takes you in this compelling read, you'd be standing in the middle of the Athletics' clubhouse. And I can assure you: Mychael's book smells much better. From the southern fried heat of Tim Hudson to Mark Mulder's cool aloofness to Barry Zito's cerebral wanderings, Urban captures the engine of Oakland's Little Engine That Could of a team with grace and aplomb."
--Scott Miller, National baseball columnist, CBS.SportsLine.com

Author Biography

MYCHAEL URBAN is a national writer for MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, and has covered the A's since 2001. He talks about baseball regularly as a fill-in host on KNBR-680 (AM) in San Francisco and as a guest on FOX Sports Northwest TV, ESPN radio, and MLB radio.