This is the second of the two books I finished over a rainy week - a very good baseball novel that was a Casey Award finalist. Here is my review of “Pinch Hitting”
Title/Author: “Pinch Hitting” by Morris Hoffman
Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review: It isn’t often a fictional baseball story will intertwine with a story of a loving couple in which the end is near for one of them, but this is the premise of this novel by Morris Hoffman.
The baseball story is about Harold Fungo, a janitor who is a slow runner, has false teeth due to tooth loss in his youth and has trouble with socializing with others. But he has a gift of being able to hit a baseball no matter where it is pitched. He plays for the local minor league team which is the AA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They eventually call Harold up to the major leagues.
Joe Skelton is a humble man who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. He talks about a fictional baseball player and this story is dutifully written by his wife Katherine. That player is…Harold Fungo. That is how Joe’s and Harold’s stories are connected.
The writing by Hoffman for both stories is very good and he develops these three characters quite well. Even though the connection is made early, I still had some issues trying to keep the stories straight. At least by the end of the book, a reader will realize how the poignant stories of both men will be something that will stick with them for a long time.
I wish to thank Black Rose Writing for providing a copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own.
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