Big Cat

Jerry Grillo is a longtime journalist and author of The Music and Mythocracy of Col. Bruce Hampton: A Basically True Biography. His work has appeared in Georgia Trend, Atlanta Magazine, Paste Magazine, Newsday, and jambands.com, among other publications.

• Preface: Finding Johnny MizePrologue: Crossing the River1. Hills of Habersham2. High Drama in the Low Minors3. Scenic Route in the Bushes4. BeisbÓl with El Maestro5. Can Mize Field This Year?6. The Temporary Red7. All the Way Back8. Cardinals Rookie9. Johnny and Jene10. Rule of Three11. Best Hitter in the National League12. The Temperament of Genius13. Goodbye, St. Louis14. Land of the Giants15. War Clubs16. Agony of Defeat17. Chasing the Babe18. Chasing Kiner19. Big Cat Earns His Pinstripes20. Minor Setback, Major Recovery21. Sitting in Casey’s Lap22. How to Hit23. Out to Pasture24. Going HomeEpilogue: Extra InningsAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex

"A thoroughly enjoyable read and a must for one's baseball library."-Southern New England SABR chapter newsletter "For anyone interested in the time when baseball ruled America's athletic landscape, Big Cat proves to be a captivating read."-R. W. Roberts, Choice "In Big Cat, Grillo provides readers with a well-written, absorbing biography that is worthy of the dominant slugger it portrays."-Kent Krause, Missouri Historical Review "In an engaging writing style that crisply moves along with flourishes of narrative non-fiction elegance, Grillo advances the understanding of home-run-hitter Johnny Mize. Given the author's use of Mize's personal archives and interviews with his surviving family members, this biography will likely be the definitive biographical work on the life of Mize."-Charlie Bevis, bevisbaseballresearch.wordpress.com "This is a well-deserved, well-written biography of a Hall of Famer, who is frequently overlooked."-seamheads.com "The gimlet-eyed slugger on this book's cover is Johnny Mize, a player most modern baseball fans hardly recognize. In Big Cat, Jerry Grillo will reacquaint readers with one of the most feared hitters who ever prowled the diamond."-J. Kemper Campbell, Lincoln Journal Star “Hall of Fame slugger Johnny Mize was always an elusive and intriguing hero. In this insightful and well-crafted biography of the great slugger, Jerry Grillo takes us from rural Georgia through World Series glory to Cooperstown as he captures the essence of the man and his time.”-Donald Honig, novelist and baseball historian “This is terrific stuff. Mize is not an easy subject to write about. Grillo makes him come alive.”-Peter Golenbock, author of Whispers of the Gods: Tales from Baseball’s Golden Age “This four-time home run champ rarely struck out and would be a wonder in today’s game. Jerry Grillo delivers an important book about an overlooked baseball great.”-Marty Appel, Yankees historian and author of Pinstripe Empire and Munson “In rollicking fashion Jerry Grillo gives Johnny Mize a fresh look and sweet dose of appreciation. Mize played in the era of DiMaggio, Williams, and Musial, so he sometimes gets overlooked. But the Big Cat was top tier in his time, a perennial All-Star and league leader, and a five-time world champion. Grillo brings Mize and his achievements to life in this fun read.”-Tom Stanton, author of Ty and the Babe and Terror in the City of Champions