ONCE UPON A TIME IN BASEBALL

About the Book

Years after his baseball career was derailed by a violent accident, our national pastime reappeared in his life – and has remained to this day. What follows is his extraordinary journey – baseball has taken him on a ride from the little leagues to the major leagues, and all stops in between. Jan’s memoir, Once Upon a Time in Baseball: My Pastime Summers, is a nostalgic look back at the golden age of baseball through the eyes of a young boy growing up in the 1950s, to a man in his fifties throwing batting practice for the newest entry in MLB, the 1993 Colorado Rockies. The book starts on the playground when, as a passionate fan, Jan was learning to play the game, and trading baseball cards, including the time he literally gave away one of the most valuable cards of all time. In high school, college and semi-pro, he discovered his talent as a pitcher, throwing a number of no-hitters. His dream was coming true – in the game he loved so much, and was on track for what he hoped would be a career in the big leagues. Then the summer following his sophomore year in college he was almost killed in a car wreck which ended his major-league dreams, or so he thought. Decades later he found himself back on the hill, throwing batting practice for the Rockies for six years, including throwing at Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field, and culminating in the honor of presenting his book, Legacy of a Monarch – an American Journey, the biography of an all-star shortstop for the Kansas City Monarchs, at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2006. Once Upon a Time in Baseball is a look back at the glory days of baseball, when it was sports king in America. Everyone who lived and loved the game back then will find this story brings back longing memories of days gone by.

About the Author

Jan Sumner was born in Independence, Kansas but has lived in Denver, Colorado most of his life. He began his writing career in 2000 after completing six years of throwing batting practice for the Colorado Rockies. That book, Fat Pitch – My Six Seasons with the Colorado Rockies, was the beginning of what has turned out to be a wonderful and exhilarating writing career. Fat Pitch takes you behind the scenes of a Major League team from its inception through the first five years at Coors Field. It was a once in a lifetime experience. He was self employed most of his adult life as owner of Colorado Inspection Service, which was his first venture into the world of entrepreneurship some 40 years ago. He has been a private investigator for a large law firm and was a sports agent in baseball and hockey. He also had his own business working with pitchers called The Real Strike Zone for 23 years. He has written nine books, two of which received special recognition. He was honored to present his book Legacy of a Monarch – an American Journey at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2006 and his latest book Independence, Mantle and Miss Able was acknowledged by the Smithsonian in 2015 as part of their Home Town Team project and is also in the Baseball Hall of Fame. His other books are If You Come to a Bridge – You’ve Gone too Far, Seams, Jack Zane – Evil at Storm Lake, Eli Cooper – a Saga of the Old West and Veto. All Jan’s books can be found on his website: Jansumner.com