Jeff Pearlman
Encyclopedia
Jeff Pearlman is an American
sports writer. He has written two books about baseball and was the author of the infamous John Rocker
interview in Sports Illustrated
. In October 2011 he released his fifth book, a biography of Walter Payton titled, "Sweetness: The Engimatic Life of Walter Payton." It spent four weeks on the New York Times' best-seller's list.
with the subtitle, "A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo-chasing and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, The Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put on a New York Uniform--and Maybe the Best." In 2004, the book spent eight weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list
. Pearlman followed that up with his 2006 publication of Love Me, Hate Me
an unauthorized biography of Barry Bonds
for which the author said he interviewed 524 subjects. Pearlman said that because Love Me, Hate Me was released three weeks after Game of Shadows
, it quickly faded. His third book, Boys Will Be Boys, on the 1990s Dallas Cowboys
dynasty, spent 10 weeks on the New York Times best-seller's list. His fourth book, a biography of Roger Clemens
titled, "The Rocket That Fell to Earth," was released by HarperCollins on March 24, 2009. The book is a detailed account of Clemens' life on and off the baseball field.
. He got his start in journalism in 1989, when he interned at a weekly newspaper in Cross River, entitled "The Patent Trader". After graduating from the University of Delaware
, he was hired as a food and fashion writer by The Tennessean
in Nashville
. In 1996, Pearlman was hired by Sports Illustrated
, where he spent nearly seven years as a baseball writer.
In 2002, Pearlman left Sports Illustrated and spent the next two years at Newsday
, but left to focus on writing books. He also keeps an unusually personal online blog, where he has written about such intimate issues as seeing a rival book get publicity in Sports Illustrated, where he worked, or finding blood in his feces after using the toilet.
He was a frequent contributor to ESPN.com
's Page 2, then as a columnist for SI.com. No stranger to controversy, Pearlman used his own website as a forum to call out Tim Tebow's evangelistic attitude as "pretty evil." In the fall of 2007, Pearlman wrote several controversial articles on Page 2 regarding the lack of a rivalry between the University of Delaware
's and Delaware State University
's football teams. The University of Delaware and Delaware State finally played a football game on November 23, 2007 at part of the NCAA FCS playoffs. University of Delaware won the game with a score of 44-7.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports writer. He has written two books about baseball and was the author of the infamous John Rocker
John Rocker
John Loy Rocker is a retired American Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the Atlanta Braves, the Cleveland Indians, the Texas Rangers, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as well as the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball...
interview in Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
. In October 2011 he released his fifth book, a biography of Walter Payton titled, "Sweetness: The Engimatic Life of Walter Payton." It spent four weeks on the New York Times' best-seller's list.
Books
Pearlman is the author of The Bad Guys Won a biography of the 1986 New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
with the subtitle, "A Season of Brawling, Boozing, Bimbo-chasing and Championship Baseball with Straw, Doc, Mookie, Nails, The Kid, and the Rest of the 1986 Mets, the Rowdiest Team Ever to Put on a New York Uniform--and Maybe the Best." In 2004, the book spent eight weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
. Pearlman followed that up with his 2006 publication of Love Me, Hate Me
Love Me, Hate Me
Love Me, Hate Me is the seventeenth studio album by rapper Pastor Troy. It was released on July 28, 2009.-Track listing:#"Pastor Troy" — 0:59#"Smoking Good" — 3:54#"War" — 2:09#"What the Deal Boo" — 2:57...
an unauthorized biography of Barry Bonds
Barry Bonds
Barry Lamar Bonds is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. Bonds played from 1986 to 2007, for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds...
for which the author said he interviewed 524 subjects. Pearlman said that because Love Me, Hate Me was released three weeks after Game of Shadows
Game of Shadows
Game of Shadows: Barry Bonds, BALCO, and the Steroids Scandal that Rocked Professional Sports is a bestselling non-fiction book published on March 23, 2006 and written by Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams, reporters for the San Francisco Chronicle...
, it quickly faded. His third book, Boys Will Be Boys, on the 1990s Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
dynasty, spent 10 weeks on the New York Times best-seller's list. His fourth book, a biography of Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
titled, "The Rocket That Fell to Earth," was released by HarperCollins on March 24, 2009. The book is a detailed account of Clemens' life on and off the baseball field.
Career
Pearlman was born and raised in Mahopac, New YorkMahopac, New York
Mahopac, New York, is a hamlet in the Town of Carmel in Putnam County, New York. An exurb of New York City some to the south, Mahopac is located on US Route 6 on the County's southern central border with Westchester County...
. He got his start in journalism in 1989, when he interned at a weekly newspaper in Cross River, entitled "The Patent Trader". After graduating from the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
, he was hired as a food and fashion writer by The Tennessean
The Tennessean
The Tennessean is the principal daily newspaper in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. Its circulation area covers 39 counties in Middle Tennessee and eight counties in southern Kentucky....
in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. In 1996, Pearlman was hired by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, where he spent nearly seven years as a baseball writer.
In 2002, Pearlman left Sports Illustrated and spent the next two years at Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, but left to focus on writing books. He also keeps an unusually personal online blog, where he has written about such intimate issues as seeing a rival book get publicity in Sports Illustrated, where he worked, or finding blood in his feces after using the toilet.
He was a frequent contributor to ESPN.com
ESPN.com
ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN and a division of ESPN Inc. Since launching in 1995 as ESPNet.SportsZone.com, the website has developed numerous sections including: Page 2, SportsNation, ESPN 3.com, ESPN Motion, My ESPN, ESPN Sports Travel, ESPN Video Games, ESPN Insider, ESPN.com's...
's Page 2, then as a columnist for SI.com. No stranger to controversy, Pearlman used his own website as a forum to call out Tim Tebow's evangelistic attitude as "pretty evil." In the fall of 2007, Pearlman wrote several controversial articles on Page 2 regarding the lack of a rivalry between the University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
's and Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Delaware State University , is an American historically black, public university located in Dover, Delaware, and there are two satellite campuses located in Wilmington, Delaware, and Georgetown, Delaware...
's football teams. The University of Delaware and Delaware State finally played a football game on November 23, 2007 at part of the NCAA FCS playoffs. University of Delaware won the game with a score of 44-7.