Odd Man Out reaction

The book

“Odd Man Out” by Yale graduate Matt McCarthy, who spent one season in the Angels’ minor-league system pitching for the Rookie-level Provo Angels.

It's been out for a while now.

I haven't commented, because, well...I'm not inclined to read it. But, Jeff Johnson of the Cedar Rapids Gazette asks one of the subjects in the book for a reaction in this story from this morning.

Kernan Ronan stood and contemplated the question, his eyes looking toward the ceiling of the Cedar Rapids Kernels clubhouse.

There was an awkward silence, then more awkward silence. Then some more.

Finally, the Los Angeles Angels minor-league roving pitching instructor said, “I don’t think I want to comment. Is that OK?”

Ronan, according to Jeff, comes off a a pretty good guy in the book. But, there is a lot of other stuff flying around like:

McCarthy gets more controversial when describing Latin players in less-than-flattering terms. He suggests a huge disconnect between them and the American players, writing that American players call all Latin players ”Dominicans,” even though they may be from Venezuela, Mexico or Puerto Rico, and not the Dominican Republic.

He recalled a vague conversation at a restaurant that involved former Marion High School, University of Iowa and Northern Iowa player Alex Dvorsky. McCarthy intimated Dvorsky was being pressured by Kotchman to take steroids if he ever wanted to make the major leagues. One of McCarthy’s friends on the team, referred to only as “Sunshine”, was trying to talk Dvorsky into doing it.

Dvorsky has said the conversation McCarthy described never happened.

It’s excerpts like that that have the Angels miffed.

Abe Flores, the director of player development for the Angels has another reaction at the link.