Mark’s Books - available on Amazon
On the Eighth Day, God Made Baseball (2016)
Mark’s first book is a lively, loosely-woven tale of his years in professional baseball as a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. His connection with the game starts in his hometown of Gideon, Missouri, where, in his words, baseball is “taken very seriously”. At six years old he plays in his first game and get his first hit under the auspices of coach and town sheriff Bo Wingo, one of many memorable characters who pop up in his story. The action takes off from there as the raw farm boy rises through the minors and tries for a spot in the big leagues. He acquires the nickname Country Boy - Country for short – and becomes friends with another untried kid named George Brett.
Littell describes some wild scenes in the thick of the fray, the most epic being a chaotic, but ultimately funny, episode in the bullpen in Cleveland. His hard-headed approach to the game is illustrated when he has a line drive bounce off his skull in Dodger Stadium but he continues to pitch. Throughout the book, he faces his challenges with a good attitude and doesn’t shy away from remembering his mistakes as well as his successes.
“A candid and humorous book about big league baseball. Mark brings to life the ups and downs of professional baseball. This book definitely finds the strike zone.” — Denny Matthews, sportscaster and Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame member 2007, recipient of Ford C. Frick award
”This book is the real deal. Mark did a great job of sharing his own stories playing the greatest game in the world. Every baseball fan should read this and laugh their ass off like I did.” — Jim Wohlford, former MLB player
”Having Country as a teammate was a pleasure. I never realized he had the writing skills or humor to write such an insightful book. A must-read story.” — Dave Nelson, former MLB player and broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers
“Mark is one-of-a-kind, and his uproarious personality comes out in the pages of this book. On the Eighth Day... is a phenomenal collection of stories that will have everyone, baseball fan or not, rolling on the floor with laughter.” — R. Craig Coppola, author of The Fantastic Life
Country Boy: Conveniently Wild (2018)
In his second book, Mark returns to his roots, focusing on his youth growing up on a farm in the Bootheel of Missouri. It’s a slice of rural life that’s likely unfamiliar to most readers. He describes the hair-raising escapades that he got up to with his brother — a few of their scrapes are so narrow that “daredevil” seems too weak a word to describe these two. Dynamite and teenage boys don’t mix. But these stories are more than just fun anecdotes — they are rich illustrations of the ways this youngster’s character was formed over the years by the experiences he had and the resilient people who raised him. His writing conveys a distinct sense of place and the era. He even includes an exotic recipe which you can try at home if you happen to run over a raccoon.
"Mark Littell knows one speed in life, full f-ing throttle! Life's crazy roller coaster brings pure experience of a real Country Boy. Friend, coach, mentor, and in many times prime example of questionable inbreeding. I'm humbled to know him and elated that he shares what few experience." — Mark Farmer, chairman of the Council for Salt River Project (Water and Power), retired cotton farmer, Gila River Indian Reservation and Salt River Valley
"Mark has not forgotten his roots. You can hear his voice and twang come to life as he walks you through the Bootheel in the only way somebody would know who grew up here and lived it.” — Senator Kit Bond
former Missouri Senator
“After reading Country Boy, I felt as though I had relived my days growing up in the Bootheel!!! Mr. Littell has done an incredible job telling the story of how life was growing up in swamp-east Missouri and explaining all of the Bootheelism ways. The era in which Country Boy was raised was possibly one of the best times ever. We learned respect and hard work, which obviously Mr. Littell is all about in his life and accomplishments." — Jason Bean, 5th generation farmer from the "Bootheel"
"Mark is an amazing person, former major league pitcher, entrepreneur and a brilliant guy. Most of all, I love how much he cares for and enjoys the people in his life, which he expresses with his own one-of-a-kind humor." — Barry LaBov, founder and CEO of LaBov & Beyond Advertising, Marketing and Training
What’s Up Ramrod (2022)
This third book is Mark’s most riproaring saga yet, in which he ranges all across the baseball map. It follows his career as a coach in the minors, including helping to introduce Australians to pro-level baseball. He has many adventures on the road, from ‘roo hunting and toad whacking Down Under, to “bull whispering” on a highway in Wyoming, to tracking down some desperately-needed morning coffee in Mormon-run Provo, Utah. He goes into detail (sometimes gory) about the nitty-gritty of minor-league baseball life. While the stories are mostly fun, often hilarious, there is an edge of intensity that comes through. In this book, Mark conveys the serious commitment of a man who loves the game so much that he stays involved as a coach no matter how far afield it takes him.
“Mark brings positivity every day, in a sport where you have to endure a lot of negative results. You’ll remember this book, just like the players and coaches he encountered will always remember Mark.” — Ed Sedar, Milwaukee Brewers coaching advisor, 2021
“When I was growing up I would tell Uncle Mark stories to my friends who were very skeptical about the validity of them, until they asked my parents. And to their shock found out that all of them were true. Thanks for all the baseball talk, letting me hang out with the minor leaguers and teaching me that in life you make your own luck. Yes, Uncle Mark is my favorite American folk hero.” — Todd Littell, occupational therapist, New Orleans, Louisiana
”Mark Littell is a great storyteller. He is also a fun-loving hilarious human being. What better subject than baseball to showcase his experiences and personality. Get ready for an entertaining read.” Jerry Weinstein,
emeritus catching coach, Colorado Rockies