At the height of his career, Gaylord Perry published a book detailing exactly how he doctored baseballs, then essentially dared officials to catch him. This deep dive examines how a North Carolina farm boy turned gamesmanship, misdirection, and physical endurance into a Hall of Fame career and a complicated legacy.

Perry mastered psychological warfare, making hitters believe he was cheating whether he loaded the ball or not.

• Grew up doing grueling labor on a 500-acre tobacco and peanut farm and starred in basketball, once averaging nearly 30 points and 20 rebounds a game.
• Learned the spitball in 1964 and used elaborate cap-touching routines and a rosin puffball to distract and deceive batters.
• Won the Cy Young Award in both leagues, becoming the oldest winner at age 40 with the 1978 Padres.
• Published the t ...