Books with title Out of His League

What's the first rule of reinventing yourself as a cool girl at a new school? Steer clear of your old crush.A new school means a fresh start. So long Ronnie Smith, invisible tomboy, and hello Veronica, popular new hottie. This is my chance to finally be seen....and kissed. Yeah, that's right. I've never been kissed. But I mean to change all that now that I'm starting over with a new look and attitude. The only problem? I'm not the only one from my old school who's transferred to Briarwood High. Drew Remi is here, too, and he's still the same wildly popular baseball star. He's also the only person who can ruin my new life. But he can only rat me out if he recognizes me...So, why am I so upset when he doesn't have a clue who I really am?

What's the first rule of reinventing yourself as a cool girl at a new school? Steer clear of your old crush. A new school means a fresh start. So long Ronnie Smith, invisible tomboy, and hello Veronica, popular new hottie. This is my chance to finally be seen....and kissed. Yeah, that's right. I've never been kissed. But I mean to change all that now that I'm starting over with a new look and attitude. The only problem? I'm not the only one from my old school who's transferred to Briarwood High. Drew Remi is here, too, and he's still the same wildly popular baseball star. He's also the only person who can ruin my new life. But he can only rat me out if he recognizes me...So, why am I so upset when he doesn't have a clue who I really am?

When Ozzie, an Australian exchange student, arrives in the West Texas town of Hope, life in America seems completely foreign. But his skills on the rugby pitch translate onto the football field as he becomes the star of a team in desperate need of a miracle to save their losing season. As Ozzie settles in, America really does feel like the land of opportunity, and he soon finds himself torn between the lure of this new country and the ties that bind him to his home in Australia. This co-mingling of cultures offers a fresh perspective of life in a Texas town where football is life, winning is everything, and the rest is just details.

When Ozzie, an Australian exchange student, arrives in the West Texas town of Hope, life in America seems completely foreign. But his skills on the rugby pitch translate onto the football field as he becomes the star of a team in desperate need of a miracle to save their losing season. As Ozzie settles in, America really does feel like the land of opportunity, and he soon finds himself torn between the lure of this new country and the ties that bind him to his home in Australia. This co-mingling of cultures offers a fresh perspective of life in a Texas town where football is life, winning is everything, and the rest is just details.

Quiet, nerdy Shoshana watches her high school's Mr. Popular, Dale, from a distance, wishing he could somehow fall for her. She doesn't know that he's thinking the same thing about her. Word Count: 12,308 Shoshana: I’m not looking for a boyfriend. If I were looking for a boyfriend, I would be looking in my AP classes, or around the table Jessica and I sit at for lunch. I know Dale Rogers is out of my league. I know the incident from today won’t stand out in his mind, and by tomorrow he won’t even remember helping me. He’s a busy guy, after all. He probably talks to at least a hundred people a day. He won’t remember me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t re-play the walk from Stats to French over and over in my mind, just for fun. Dale:I know what they’d do. They’d laugh. They’d want to know why I want to know her name. They’d probably assume that I liked her or something like that, and they wouldn’t even bother actually telling me her name. They’d just go, “Dude, are you serious? She’d never be interested in you.”I know that she’d never be interested in me. And I’m not interested in her that way, because I don’t even really know her. I just want to know her name.

"Dirk Hayhurst writes about baseball in a unique way. Observant, insightful, human, and hilarious." --Bob Costas- "Even more than he did in The Bullpen Gospels, Dirk Hayhurst teaches us here what happens when a 'dream career' collides with reality. There is such universality in his struggles, that if by the book's end you don't become him in your mind, there's probably something wrong with your heart. This book shows why baseball is so often used as a metaphor for life." --Keith Olbermann "Not many pitchers have replaced future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. Only one has written a delightful book about it. This isn't the story of any old Triple-A veteran trying to finally reach the majors. This is the story of Dirk Hayhurst finally reaching the majors. Which makes the story worth reading."--Rob Neyer, Sports Nation "Hayhurst has done it again... Turns out he's a starter and a closer." --Tim Kurkjian, ESPN "A stirring, revealing tale of humanity." --Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports "Gripping, revealing--and not at all what you'd expect." --Tyler Kepner, The New York Times "With razor-sharp wit and keen observational powers, Dirk Hayhurst delivers a rare gem of a baseball book. Out of My League captures both the joy and the toll of becoming a big leaguer unlike anything else before it."--Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated - "Hilarious, illuminating and poignant...This is more than a baseball book. It's the story of a man learning that it's possible to grip a baseball without it gripping him." --Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports.com "Hayhurst has done it again...If only I could pitch as well as he can write, I might have more Cy Youngs than Greg Maddux." --Jayson Stark, ESPN.com "Memorable... Hayhurst delivers an entertaining story for more than just sports fans. This is about life, relationships and the sacrifices made to pursue a dream" --Jordan Bastian, MLB.com "Funny, earthy, touching. Dirk finally makes it to a big-league mound, but as a writer, he's been throwing strikes in the Show for a while now, and "Out of My League" is another quality start." --King Kaufman, Bleacher Report "The most candid portrayal of life as a professional athlete I've ever seen." --Michael Dolan, Editor-in-Chief, Athletes Quarterly "It's never too inside baseball, even though it is literally from inside baseball." --John Manuel, Editor, Baseball America "Dirk is a good friend who has never been afraid to tell it like it is. He has a genuine gift for telling the stories of his life in such a way that they reveal profound truths. I find his writing both entertaining and thought provoking... unlike his fastball." --Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays All-Star "Baseball is a game governed by countless rules, none bigger than this one: Don't over think it. Dirk Hayhurst takes us down the rabbit hole that is his mind, to a place where that rule is constantly violated, every decision, every move, every breath over thought. In the process, he provides a brutally honest take on life in the majors--the oversized ballparks, hotel rooms, and personalities, but also the self-doubt, loneliness, and despair. I laughed, I cried, I even learned how to doctor a baseball." --Jonah Keri, author of The Extra 2% "Compulsively readable and enjoyable...Apparently, it's not enough for Hayhurst to be a major league pitcher; he has to be a fantastic writer, too." --Matt Fraction, Marvel Comics

"Dirk Hayhurst writes about baseball in a unique way. Observant, insightful, human, and hilarious." --Bob Costas- "Even more than he did in The Bullpen Gospels, Dirk Hayhurst teaches us here what happens when a 'dream career' collides with reality. There is such universality in his struggles, that if by the book's end you don't become him in your mind, there's probably something wrong with your heart. This book shows why baseball is so often used as a metaphor for life." --Keith Olbermann "Not many pitchers have replaced future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. Only one has written a delightful book about it. This isn't the story of any old Triple-A veteran trying to finally reach the majors. This is the story of Dirk Hayhurst finally reaching the majors. Which makes the story worth reading."--Rob Neyer, Sports Nation "Hayhurst has done it again... Turns out he's a starter and a closer." --Tim Kurkjian, ESPN "A stirring, revealing tale of humanity." --Ken Rosenthal, Fox Sports "Gripping, revealing--and not at all what you'd expect." --Tyler Kepner, The New York Times "With razor-sharp wit and keen observational powers, Dirk Hayhurst delivers a rare gem of a baseball book. Out of My League captures both the joy and the toll of becoming a big leaguer unlike anything else before it."--Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated - "Hilarious, illuminating and poignant...This is more than a baseball book. It's the story of a man learning that it's possible to grip a baseball without it gripping him." --Craig Calcaterra, NBC Sports.com "Hayhurst has done it again...If only I could pitch as well as he can write, I might have more Cy Youngs than Greg Maddux." --Jayson Stark, ESPN.com "Memorable... Hayhurst delivers an entertaining story for more than just sports fans. This is about life, relationships and the sacrifices made to pursue a dream" --Jordan Bastian, MLB.com "Funny, earthy, touching. Dirk finally makes it to a big-league mound, but as a writer, he's been throwing strikes in the Show for a while now, and "Out of My League" is another quality start." --King Kaufman, Bleacher Report "The most candid portrayal of life as a professional athlete I've ever seen." --Michael Dolan, Editor-in-Chief, Athletes Quarterly "It's never too inside baseball, even though it is literally from inside baseball." --John Manuel, Editor, Baseball America "Dirk is a good friend who has never been afraid to tell it like it is. He has a genuine gift for telling the stories of his life in such a way that they reveal profound truths. I find his writing both entertaining and thought provoking... unlike his fastball." --Ben Zobrist, Tampa Bay Rays All-Star "Baseball is a game governed by countless rules, none bigger than this one: Don't over think it. Dirk Hayhurst takes us down the rabbit hole that is his mind, to a place where that rule is constantly violated, every decision, every move, every breath over thought. In the process, he provides a brutally honest take on life in the majors--the oversized ballparks, hotel rooms, and personalities, but also the self-doubt, loneliness, and despair. I laughed, I cried, I even learned how to doctor a baseball." --Jonah Keri, author of The Extra 2% "Compulsively readable and enjoyable...Apparently, it's not enough for Hayhurst to be a major league pitcher; he has to be a fantastic writer, too." --Matt Fraction, Marvel Comics

Ian Rowe never has a problem getting a date--with junior girls. But when he develops a major crush on blond beauty Jennifer Patt, he knows he doesn't have a chance. Not only is she the most sought-after female in the school, she's a senior. Everybody knows that senior girls don't date junior guys.When Ian and Jennifer are assigned to do a psychology project together, he can't believe his luck! There's a natural chemistry between them, and Jennifer even seems receptive to his flirtations. But when Ian builds up the courage to ask Jennifer to the prom, will she say yes? Or is he setting himself up for heartache?

What's the first rule of reinventing yourself as a cool girl at a new school? Steer clear of your old crush. A new school means a fresh start. So long Ronnie Smith, invisible tomboy, and hello Veronica, popular new hottie. This is my chance to finally be seen...and kissed. Yeah, that's right. I've never been kissed. But I mean to change all that now that I'm starting over with a new look and attitude. The only problem? I'm not the only one from my old school who's transferred to Briarwood High. Drew Remi is here, too, and he's still the same wildly popular baseball star. He's also the only person who can ruin my new life. But he can only rat me out if he recognizes me.... So, why am I so upset when he doesn't have a clue who I really am?

Ozzie, an Australian Rugby League player, participates in a high school exchange program that places him in a small West Texas town of Hope, where football is life. When the coach learns of his rugby skills, he asks Ozzie to join Hope's football team, especially if it will give the team an edge to break its losing streak. Ozzie befriends his teammates and a few cheerleaders while leading the team to victory and becoming the new town hero. America really does feel like the land of opportunity, and he soon finds himself torn between the lure of this new country and the ties that bind him to his home in Australia.