“If there is any doubt lingering around our new man Sammy’s talent, we’re going to play a little game.” As the Manager speaks, Sammy takes his place on the mound and Jimmy, his, behind the plate. And the entire team rotation of batters nervously waits to be called to the plate. “The rest of the team will face them via the batters on-deck circle. You’ll each get nine pitches coming your way: You may hit them — fair or foul — called strike, or ball, or you will go out swinging or taking. The umpire will make each call. “Good luck, boys. Prepare to be amazed.” Sammy takes his full wind-up and delivers a Knuckle-Curve. Jimmy reaches high as the ball refuses to drop. The batter looks like ol’ Frank Howard as he takes a whirling, wind-breaking swing. A loud crack echoes through the small stadium. The bat breaks and flies twirling toward third base. The 3rd Base Coach catches the fat end, looks at it and throws it down. Sammy immediately collapses and drops to the ground. He is starched.
Book Review:
“I hung a knuckle-Curve a little too high for too long against a big hitter.”
As Jimmy and Sammy progress toward the big leagues, Landry provides an in-depth analysis of every nuanced pitch, from the split-finger fastball and the forkball to the screwball and slider. Without seamless communication between a catcher and a pitcher, the game does not take long to unravel. Sammy’s trajectory to stardom especially his ability to pronate pitches encounters hurdles, as life is accustomed to provide on the road to success. Nevertheless, Landry’s prose, combined with his ability to simplify complex baseball terms, should allow even a baseball layperson to appreciate the story.
book review by Mihir Shah
The US Review of Books
