Get a sneak preview of the McNally book!

Greetings, and Happy Summer!

It’s getting hot here in Billings, although we’ve been spared the extreme temperatures that may have descended on you.

I’m overdue in sharing some very positive news: my McNally biography has a publisher! I’ve signed a contract with Sunbury Press, an independent publisher in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania, to get the book in print. Boiling Springs is in the central part of the state, just west of I-83, which continues into Maryland and on to Baltimore. It’s part of so-called Birdland, where there are lots of Baltimore Oriole fans, and I’m told that Sunbury’s ranks include plenty of baseball-savvy people.

I’m working with the Sunbury people on all aspects of the book, from cover design to editing to marketing. We’re shooting for a so-called “soft release” in mid- to late September, which will coincide with the start of baseball playoffs and lead into the World Series. Also, this schedule will put the book in synch with the 50th anniversary of the Seitz labor arbitration ruling, the groundbreaking decision that will always be linked with Dave McNally and which opened the door to workplace freedom for baseball players and other professional athletes.

I’m not certain what the soft release will entail, but I hope to have the book available in late summer/early fall in bookstores in Billings and Baltimore. Then, in early 2026, I anticipate Sunbury will crank up the presses for national distribution. No guarantees, but I hope to travel to author events in cities where Dave starred during his Orioles playing days. Examples would be Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Cincinnati. And who knows, maybe New York City, too, because Dave notched his last American League win there, a shutout of the Yankees in 1974.

I’m offering new subscribers to my no-spam email list a freebie: the first two chapters of my book, which carries the working title of Dave McNally: The Montanan Who Revolutionized Baseball. And since you’re already a subscriber, I’m making the same offer to you. Drop me an email, and I’ll send you the PDF file.

Finally, I’d like to share early comments from a select group of people who consented to read a draft version of the book.

Retired Billings Gazette sportswriter Bill Bighaus (who wrote about McNally extensively during the final three or so years of his life): “You certainly gave Dave his due with this well-detailed look at his remarkable career. (A)  great read. A lot of McNally/baseball fans are going to enjoy  your great work!”

Baltimore Orioles teammate and one of Dave’s best friends on the team, Boog Powell: “A lot of great memories!”

Another Billings baseball great who pitched for the Orioles for several years and who was best friends in high school with Jeff McNally, Dave and Jean’s son, Jeff Ballard: “I enjoyed reading your McNally book — a trip down memory lane.”

Retired Baltimore Sun sportswriter John Eisenberg: “I thoroughly enjoyed the book. You’ve really painted a picture of his full life, starting with his childhood in Billings. Really good stuff there about his formative (American) (L)egion years.”

Also, I’ve sent a review copy of the manuscript to Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, another of Dave’s good friends during their time with the Orioles, and hope to get his thoughts, too.