The ancient wisdom of baseball

Lessons for Life from Homer’s ODYSSEY to the World Series

How to Live?

It is an ancient question that haunts human civilization’s beginnings. Its earliest formulation may be the riddle of the sphinx. A strange creature, half beautiful woman and half ferocious lion, the sphinx tempted and terrorized. Lurking in the wilderness just beyond the ancient city walls, she posed her fatally befuddling riddles. Those who failed to answer correctly, she devoured. How to live is a question posed to us all. Each of us answers with our life.

Pick up a Baseball

Holding a baseball in your hand, you can feel what it is for. It is made to be thrown. Throwing a ball embodies what the ancient poets and philosophers called arête—virtue, excellence. The question of life’s meaning is a how-to question. On the one hand, a ball flies, bounces, rolls. So a ball represents chance and contingency. But on the other hand, a ball can be hit, caught, and thrown. So a ball—get a good grip on it—offers the opportunity for excellence.

Available Anywhere Books Are Sold on March 25, 2025

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Praise

“For those who love baseball, the game holds deep personal meaning and echoes to the past that are undeniable but often hard to articulate. Christian Sheppard’s The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball is a love letter to baseball that explains its connections to our inner lives and to classical lore in a way that makes one pine for Opening Day.”

—Theo Epstein, General Manager (GM) of the Boston Redsox (2003-2011), recognized as the MLB’s GM of the Decade by Sports Illustrated (2009)

“Virtue, courage, beauty, justice—it’s all there on the baseball diamond, according to Sheppard’s lyrical paean to America’s enduring pastime… He shares this love of the game (and of the Chicago Cubs in particular) with daughter Cecilia as she grows, and their dynamic is enough to hook any reader… A thoroughly entertaining exploration of baseball as a font of meaning.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“Sheppard takes readers on a leisurely tour of classical Greek virtues by way of Major League Baseball in this refreshing debut. Each chapter builds on the next, presented as separate innings stacked into a complete game, while Sheppard sifts the skills and disciplines that make for good baseball players against the ancient wisdom of the greats, querying such perplexities as “how should we live?”

—Book Life Review for Publisher’s Weekly

“The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball is more than a treatise on the sport; it reflects the virtues that define us as individuals and communities. Sheppard’s original perspective is an excellent addition to sports literature and philosophical discourse. The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball has something for everyone and is worthy of more than five stars.”

—Carol Thompson for Readers’ Favorite

“What especially distinguishes this book are the anecdotes and descriptions of famous baseball players and how they embody virtues…. Discussions move from Plato to baseball history to life encounters so smoothly that readers will find the celebratory revelations not just accessible, but thoroughly engrossing because of their vivid presentation…. Libraries that choose The Ancient Wisdom of Baseball are in for a multifaceted treat that can be be highly recommended, serve as a smorgasbord of topics for book club discussions, and is a powerful collection of observations and timeless lessons that will attract a large audience.”

—D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer for Midwest Book Review

“… similar in ideological root to Viktor Frankl’s … the search for meaning being a quintessential part of the human condition.… Sheppard’s profound philosophy [finds that the] aforementioned meaning is relative. It’s subjective. And by really understanding that, in his case embracing his love of the Chicago Cubs … one can find purpose and meaning… Job well done Mr. Sheppard. I never thought a book could have so beautifully married so many seemingly different things.”

—Garth Thomas, Hollywood Digest

“Something as simple as rooting for your favorite team is pivotal in defining values, identity, and at large – one’s world. I love how Sheppard is able to make extremely difficult ideas completely understandable, through the most unlikely subject matter on its face to tackle existentialism.”

—Alexander Marias, The Magic Pen

“It really is a brilliant juxtaposition, marrying Homer with sports concepts. Then top that off with tying both to the pursuit of existential self-determination, in bell-clear, eloquent prose that never feels flinty, removed, or like it’s talking down to any target audience…By using accessible analogies, Sheppard is able to guide the reader in a manner that makes some of the most simple, yet obscure life lessons wholly visible…”

—Colin Jordan, Medium