Sports journalist Dan Hirshberg will discuss his new book “Baseball in Pinellas County” with renowned author Peter Golenbock at Tombolo Books on Sept. 30, highlighting the region’s overlooked diamond heroes.
The book (Arcadia Publishing) goes beyond Pinellas County’s well-known spring training history — home to teams like the Blue Jays and Phillies — to chronicle local players who made their mark from little league to the majors.
Hirshberg, who writes for the Tampa Bay Weekly News Group, profiles major leaguers like Howard Johnson, Casey Kotchman and Toby Hall, alongside coaches and scouts including Tom Kotchman, who wrote the book’s foreword after a career managing in the minors and scouting for the Angels and Red Sox.
The work also documents tragedy, telling the story of Steve Georgiadis, whose life ended during routine surgery, and celebrates three state championship teams from different eras.
Seminole High School alone has produced 44 MLB draft picks, highlighting the county’s deep talent pipeline.
“You don’t have to be from Pinellas County to enjoy this book,” Hirshberg said. “It’s a book with stories about people who could be from anywhere, anytime.”
The author previously wrote a Phil Rizzuto biography and books about NFL stars for young readers. Books are available at local bookstores, Amazon and the publisher’s website.