When you write a book, you wonder how good it can be, and how it stacks up with other books.

That's not an easy thing to measure. Some books sell well but aren't worth reading, while other great books get lost in the shuffle.

After the book comes out, you obsessively check Amazon and Goodreads for new reviews, and your sales rank, and the mentions on Twitter ... 

During the long journey to bring my book on Ken Caminiti forward, I would often use the CASEY award, which is presented by Spitball Magazine to honor the best baseball book of the year, as a barometer, a North Star of sorts. Something to measure myself against.

It's really the only award of its kind. And it represents a standard of excellence that I hoped to achieve.

I’m so humbled and honored to learn that Playing Through the Pain: Ken Caminiti and the Steroids Admission That Changed Baseball Forever has been named one of 10 CASEY award finalists.

The winner will be announced in March.

I'm completely OK if my book doesn't win! Being a part of this group is special.

I'm just so thankful for all of the support I've received along this journey — from my agent, Joe Perry; Abrams Press and my editor, Jamison Stoltz; my family and friends; the sources who trusted me with their stories; and readers who continue to find this book and celebrate Ken's life.

Thank you, for everything.