While I have been reading more fictional books lately, I can honestly say that this one grabbed me in a way that no other fictional book had, sports or otherwise. I will stop short of saying this is the best one I have ever read. Just as I don't like "GOAT" arguments in sports, I don't like picking just one book as the "best." I'll just say that this one is definitely high on my list of favorites. Here is my review of "Kelli's Pine."
Title/Author:
“Kelli’s Pine”
by Jay Grochowski
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (Excellent)
Review: Most sports fiction books that I have read will deal mostly with
the sport and the role it plays in the characters’ lives in some way. In “Kelli’s Pine”, an excellent novel by Jay
Grochowski, the sports that are involved in the story are important, but not
the driving force in the book and that is a good thing for this story.
The book revolves mainly around three
characters – Eddie Blackburn, his wife Kelli and their son Cole. Eddie did not finish high school because he
had to rescue the family business of providing and servicing portable toilets. This became necessary when his father left his
wife and family with not only the business but also a $40,000 gambling debt. Eddie succeeded in making the business work,
but at the cost of his dreams of playing professional baseball.
Kelli Swanson was a star basketball player in high school and her father was a
legendary athlete in their hometown of Mankato, Minnesota as well. However, she and Eddie had an instant
connection and one night near a pine tree where they shared their first
Christmas, Cole was conceived. Kelli and
Eddie married shortly after Kelli discovered she was pregnant. While this, along with knee surgery ended her
basketball dreams, Kelli and Eddie raised Cole well and he became a baseball
star through a program run by Eddie.
The baseball scenes in the book after Cole
signed with the independent league Mankato Carp are excellent in describing his
baseball talents. If a reader wants to find a comparison, Cole could be considered
a fictional version of Shohei Ohtani with talent in both hitting and
pitching. But overall, there is not a
lot of baseball in the book – enough for a fan to enjoy it, but it is far from
the main theme of the story. The same
goes for basketball – even though Kelli and Eddie’s sister Krissy played on a
championship team, the basketball scenes are short but very descriptive.
What makes the book so good and one that would be enjoyed by many readers –
sports fans or not – is that it covers a wide range of topics and also has great
character development. To start, it
might be considered by some to be a romance novel with the story of Eddie and
Kelli’s relationship and how it remained strong. It touches on mental health with both Kelli
and Cole suffering from social anxiety disorder. The story has a lot of family dynamics at
play. Not just with the three main
characters, but also others in both the Blackburn and Swanson family. Nearly every parent, grandparent and sibling
in both families have their character developed and the reader will walk away
knowing more about them.
Because these characters are well-developed
with admirable characteristics and some flaws, the reader will have a hard time
picking any one to be a bad person. This
is even true for the two fathers – Eddie’s and Kelli’s father, who attacked Eddie
when he found out his daughter was pregnant.
Hopefully, I have not given away too much of this story because one has to read
every word to get all that a reader should get from this book. It is one of the few books I have received
that I have read more than once and that is why this review is later than what
I promised to the author – I had to read it a second time before writing this
so that I could fully digest this excellent story.
I wish to thank the author for providing a
review copy of the book. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
Fans of women's basketball or those who follow social justice issues may already know the story of Maya Moore leaving basketball in 2019 to work on freeing a man wrongly convicted of a crime. They may even know that the two of them married after he was freed. Even if this is the case, this book is one that must be read in order to truly appreciate their stories. Here is my review of "Love and Justice."
Title/Author:
“Love and Justice: A Story of Triumph on Two
Different Courts” written and narrated by Maya Moore Irons and Jonathan Irons
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (excellent)
Review: In 2019, WNBA all-star Maya Moore shocked the
sports world by announcing she would step away from basketball to concentrate
on other part of her life that were important to her – her faith and justice
for a man that was wrongly imprisoned.That man, Jonathan Irons, was released from prison about a year later
and the two of them were married.Their
remarkable journey to come together from two very different sets of
circumstances is shared in this wonderful book written by the two of them
I listened to the audiobook and that was a
fantastic experience.Hearing their
stories brought out many emotions – whether Maya’s road to becoming one of the
greatest female basketball players of all time to the injustice of Jonathan’s
conviction of a crime committed in an area where he was not located was time
well spent. While a reader of the print or e-book may have the same experience,
I felt that hearing their voices made their messages more powerful.This was especially true for Jonathan’s story
of his conviction on incorrect eyewitness testimony and his means of surviving
in prison, especially at the start when he was still a minor incarcerated with grown
men.
Throughout the book, both Maya and Jonathan
talk about their Christian faith and at times also quote Bible passages. They
both give credit to the strength of their faith for helping achieve their
goals, whether it is championships for Maya’s basketball teams or making it
through another day in solitary confinement (“the hole”) for Jonathan. If
nothing else, his strength and determination to prove his innocence should be
an inspiration for all.That is not to
discount the importance of Maya’s work or her love for Jonathan in this journey.But already knowing most of Maya’s story and
learning about Jonathan’s brough me so much respect for that man that I believe
he is a role model any man, of any race or creed, can look upon as a role model.
Many romance stories, especially those
with a sports theme, tend to have a happily ever after ending.This one, that happened in real life, is certainly
more satisfying and any reader of any genre will enjoy this.
This book is not like others I have reviewed - a fictional wrestling story from the early 20th century. It is a tough, gritty tale but sometimes sweet at the same time. Here is my review of "Champion of the World."
Title/Author: "Champion of the World" by Chad Dundas Publication date: July 12, 2016 Length: 480 pages Tags: Wrestling, fiction, historical, romance Rating: 5 of 5 stars (outstanding) Review: Pepper Van Dean is a wrestler from the early 20th century who lost his title when he had a broken leg and never got a chance to regain it. To keep himself and his wife Moira financially afloat, he joins the circus as a vaudeville act but gets booted from that gig as well, being left behind when the circus packed up after a performance. How Pepper and Moira then get their lives back together while training a talented but troubled black wrestler named Garfield Taft makes up the premise of a great novel by Chad Dundas. The atmosphere of early 20th century America and all the issues of the times such as Prohibition, race relations and even homosexuality are explored in the story so no controversial topic goes unnoticed. The three main characters (Pepper, Moira and Taft) are all complex and yet well developed so that the reader will feel a connection with all three of them. The wrestling scenes in the book have an authentic feel and the reader will feel the pain of the wrestlers as well as the sharpness as fixed matches and calls of corruption were not uncommon at that time in the sport. Dundas shows his knowledge of the sport from that era and writes it in a very easy to read manner that one will be books and spend a long time before putting this books down, as was the case for me. An outstanding debut novel that will resonate with the reader even if he or she knows nothing about sports or wrestling. I wish to thank G.P. Putnam's Sons for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Format read: E-book (Kindle) Buying link: https://www.amazon.com/Champion-World-Chad-Dundas/dp/039917608X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468288394&sr=8-1&keywords=champion+of+the+world
When I want to take a breather from the serious books, I find that sports romances are perfect - helps for a little escape from reality, but with the sports theme, I still enjoy reading them. As long as there is enough of the sport in the story, I am good with it. This was one that the author sent to me as I have enjoyed her work before, and there is enough good hockey action as well as the training required to stay in shape that it was just the perfect holiday reading break. Speaking of the holidays, I hope it was a Merry Christmas for all who celebrated and wishing all a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Title/Author:
“The Tao of Hockey” by
Melanie Ting
Tags:
Ice hockey, fictional,
romance
Publish date:
December 26, 2015
Length:
222 pages
Rating:
5 of 5 stars (outstanding)
Review:
Eric Fairburn has been
given a second chance for a professional hockey career in North America. Five
years earlier he was involved in a drunk driving accident and after playing in
Switzerland as well making himself stronger physically,mentally and emotionally
he is ready for his tryout with the Vancouver Vice of the American Hockey
League. During this training, he meets a mysterious beautiful woman who will
change him in other ways as well.
That is the premise of
this excellent hockey romance by Melanie Ting. Not only does she portray Eric
as a man whom everyone wants to succeed, but she also shows her knowledge of
the sport of hockey and the training involved to make a team. The scenes with Eric and his trainer Tony are
great as well as the sequences during training camp.
The woman to whom Eric
opens up, Josie, is a little more mysterious but also a well-developed
character as well. She has had her own issues and is now a successful stuntwoman
on movie sets. Together she and Eric
make an interesting pair that the reader can't help but cheer for both of them.
The story is written
from Eric's point of view, something that impressed me with Ting's writing. I
have felt that it is difficult to write a story from the point of view from a
character the opposite gender of the author. To do so effectively the author
has to have done his or her homework to know the thoughts and feelings of the
other gender, something not easy to do. That, along with nearly everything else
about this story, makes it a must read for those who enjoy sports romances.
I wish to thank Ms.
Ting for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
While I have done reviews of sports romance books before here, this one was certainly different than the others. First - there are some scenes and words that are only intended for adult readers. Second - hockey plays a role in the story far beyond just what happens on the ice. Third - it was a quick read that left me wanting more - something series books don't often do. So, this will be the first of three posts for this series and I thank the author for sending me this book to give it a shot. Here is my review of "Hockey Is My Boyfriend."
Title/Author: "Hockey Is My Boyfriend" by Melanie Ting Tags: Hockey, fiction, romance, new adult Publish Date: July 20, 2014 Length: 219 pages Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good) Review: Two young hockey players, teammates and buddies since pee wee hockey become boyfriend/girlfriend and will be college students. The adventures of Phil and Kelly on and off the ice are told in this first installment of this series. It is a sweet story, especially when told from Kelly's point of view. Her skills on the ice are well described early in the story and less so later as she is also learning what it's like to be in love, both emotionally and physically. Melanie Ting writes about both with a skill that will hook readers of both romance and sports. I recommend it for fans of both genres. The only frustrating part is that the reader is left hanging at the end as Kelly and Phil are heading off to college. Only one thing left to do...get a copy of the next one!
I wish to thank Ms. Ting for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. Format read: E-book Buying Links:
If you are an avid reader like me, you probably have a lot of books either on your bookshelf or on your e-reader that have been sitting there a long time as you collect even more books. We call that the TBR, or to-be-read, pile. A fellow book blogger (http://deesbookblog.com/) came up with an idea to reduce this pile by creating "TBR Tuesday" in which she would review a book that has been on her TBR pile for at least one year and post that on Tuesday. I decided to do the same thing with some of the book on my TBR list. These reviews will be shorter, and not always contain all the information in my usual reviews, but it is still a great way to find some of those older books and finally get around to read them.
For my first TBR Tuesday review, this is one that I picked up way back in 2009, when I first recieved my Kindle. I explain the circumstances in the review why I took so long, but considering Jack London is one of my favorite all-time authors, it was worth the wait. Here is my review of his short story about a boxer, "The Game"
Title/Author:
“The Game” by
Jack London
Published:
1913
Rating:
5 of 5 stars
(Outstanding)
Review:
I stumbled
across this book by accident as Jack London is one of my favorite classic
authors and I have read “Call of the Wild” multiple times.When I received my first Kindle and saw that
book was available, I jumped on the chance to pick it up.However, I also saw that London also wrote a
novella titled “The Game” about boxing.Well, never one to miss the chance to pick up a free book on sports and
add the fact that one of my favorite authors wrote it, I picked that up
too.Then it sat in the TBR pile for
almost 6 years until I decided to reduce this list of books.
The boxing
passages are well-written as London gets into the mind of the fighter.That is why I enjoy books on the “sweet
science”, whether fiction or non-fiction.Good boxing writers will tell about a boxer’s mind and spirit and London
does that well for Joe.It doesn’t stop
there, however, as Genevieve is also portrayed as a loyal and loving woman. The
portion of the book that tells how they meet and fell in love is a passage any
romance reader would enjoy.
This is a wonderful story of two people in love and yet in deep conflict at the
same time.The language is appropriate
for the early 20th century and is one that I would recommend to any
reader.It is a wonder addition to
London’s more well-known works.
While catching up on my reading, especially those that were sent to me by authors or publishers, I pulled this one out of the pile - and am very glad I picked this one. It was written in a very different style than I have read in other books on sports. It is one that nearly any reader will enjoy. Here is my review of "The Cortlandt Boys."
Title/Author:
“The
Cortlandt Boys” by Laura Vanderkam
Genre/topics:
Basketball,
fiction, mystery, romance
Published:
December
18, 2014
Length:
291 pages
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (outstanding)
Review:
In 1994,
the Cortlandt Cavaliers won the Pennsylvania state boys basketball championship
on a last second three point shot. It
was a thrilling moment for the small town in the northeastern part of the
state. It not only was a watershed moment for the community, it had a profound
effect on the lives of the players and others. How this affected the future of those
young people is the story told in this terrific novel by Laura Vanderkam.
The book
has stories from 1994, 2004 and 2013-14. The first is set in the time when the
thrilling win happened and the immediate joy and celebration save for one
student. Max, who was at the game and a
member of the school band, suffered an injury in the mayhem after the winning
shot. She then went on to become a
sports journalist for a major magazine.
One of her assignments was to return to the town ten years later for a
feature story. There, it is revealed what happened with some of the players and
also a startling discovery is made in the town.
There is also a section in which the daughter of one of the players also
attempts to recreate that special time by creating a scrapbook of that time 20
years later. Her story, and how she
becomes intertwined with other players, is also interesting. However, this part of the story didn’t
resonate with me as much as Max’s did.
What became of some of the other players range from success to tragedy
and these are all woven together in a book that is hard to put down.
The
writing style is crisp and easy to follow. The characters are well-developed
and have a certain personality that the reader will easily recognize and have
some type of emotional reaction. The
story will leave the reader running through the entire gamut of feelings and
will not want the book to end. A terrific
read that anyone would enjoy.
The basketball
portions were well written as well, as the author’s knowledge of the game is
evident when writing about the action on the court and what the players and
coaches not in the game were doing. I felt like I was in the stands for that
championship game.
I wish to
thank Ms. Vanderkam and the publisher for providing a copy of the book in
exchange for an honest review.
Did I skim?
No, as I
was mesmerized by this story from the beginning with the boys winning the
championship and then through the years and different views.
Did I feel connected to the
characters?
For the
most part, yes, as I really enjoyed the part of the book through Max’s point of
view and I could relate to James and his life after the championship season. I didn’t really like the character of his
daughter Janie, especially when she was the lover of one of the players who was
cheating on his wife.
Pace of the story:
It moves
very well. Unlike other stories and
books I have read that change points of view, it transitioned to that time,
place and point of view very well.
Do I recommend?
Yes – because
this has elements of a good sports book, a murder mystery, some romance and
also runs the range of emotions that a reader can feel. I believe that because these have all been
intertwined well in this complex story, fans of many different genres will
enjoy this book.
In previous reviews and posts, I have mentioned that I have been looking to add sport romance books to my reading lists, as long as they include the sport prominently. This memoir by Ben Zobrist and his wife Julianna is one of the best - because it is a real life romance, not fictional. A book I thoroughly enjoyed, here is my review of "Double Play."
Title/Author:
“Double
Play” by Ben and Julianna Zobrist with Mike Yorkey
Tags:
Baseball,
Rays, faith, Christianity romance, marriage
Publish date:
April 1,
2014
Length:
261 pages
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (outstanding)
Review:
When I saw
this biography of current Tampa Bay Rays infielder Ben Zobrist, I wasn’t sure
what to take away from this book.
Knowing that he was a man of faith and that his wife was a popular
Christian singer, I was expecting to read a biography about his success that
was completely due to his faith in God. Ben Zobrist did talk about that, but
this book was so much more than just a message of inspiration.
This couple was brought together, in both of their minds, because of their
faith. Both wanted to pursue their
dreams – Ben in baseball, Julianna in music – and wanted to make sure that the
path they took toward those goals was the one that they felt God would lead
them to. They are good stories; especially
Ben’s when he paid $50 for a tryout that led to a baseball scholarship and
eventually a professional contract.
However, I
felt what was the best part of this book was the budding romance between the
two of them and how both of them never wavered from their principles just to be
together. It had to be right and within
their beliefs and they made it happen. I
have noted before that I was looking for good sports romance books – that this
one happened in real life made it of the best sports romances a reader could ask
for.
The book
alternates narratives throughout, although some of Ben’s passages about
baseball are longer. He covers every
part of his career – his college days, his minor league career when he was a
newlywed and the struggles he first had with Tampa and what he did to improve
enough to be named to the All-Star game in 2008. There is enough baseball talk
to satisfy sports fans and yet it is basic enough that readers who do not
follow the game can understand.
Julianna
talks about her past issues, including a harrowing experience in her youth, her
struggles with relationships and her love of music that eventually led to a
recording contract. Her story also
includes her relationship with God, her trials and tribulations as a baseball
wife and her joy of not only doing something she loves but also her joy of
being a mother.
This book
was an uplifting, refreshing sports biography.
Instead of the stories of hardship, drinking, womanizing and later
regret, the reader is treated to learning about two people who through the love
of their God, they discovered their love for each other.
I wish to
thank NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest
review.
Did I skim?
No
Pace of the book:
This was
an extremely quick read as I completed the book in one sitting in less than two
hours. The switching between Ben’s and Julianna’s
stories was a big reason for this.
Do I recommend?
This is a
book that readers of many different genres will enjoy. There is enough baseball
talk for a fan to enjoy. Readers who
like inspiring stories, especially those based around the Christian faith, will
want to read this book. Romance novel readers will think one of their fictional
reads will have come to real life when reading this book.
I decided to switch things up a little and find a quick sports romance to present here. However, keeping true to the spirit of this blog, I wanted to find one that had just as much sports as love or sex. I then wrote to a romance author whom I follow on Twitter more for her hockey tweets than for ones on books, Cassandra Carr, and asked her if any of her hockey stories would be a fit for this blog. She recommended this novella to me, so I picked it up and was glad I did. Here is my review of "Scorin' On the Fourth of July."
Title/Author:
“Scorin’
On the Fourth of July: A Red Hot and BOOM Story” by Cassandra Carr
Tags:
Hockey,
fiction, romance
Published:
May
27, 2014
Length:
93
pages
Stars:
4
of 5 stars (very good)
Review:
No
matter what sport or which city, it is always a trying time when an athlete
goes to a new team either by trade or free agency. In this fictional hockey story, free agent
hockey star Mikael Maatta leaves Minnesota for Buffalo and is immediately asked
to participate in a summer charity hockey tournament. While both adjusting to his new location and
playing in the tourney, he becomes smitten with the goalie on his team, Terri
Kirkland who was on the gold medal winning US women’s hockey team.
While
the story is centered around the budding romance between Mikael and Terri, I
was interested in the book when I asked Carr if any of her hockey books
contained a lot of hockey talk as well as the romance. This was an excellent
choice for that as I believe it was very helpful to have both characters
playing the sport. It was realistic as
well in the respect that it wasn’t a stretch to have Terri playing goalie
against the men, as this was a summer charity tourney, where the intensity is
not as high as it would be during the regular season. But this also showed off the skills of Mikael
as well and why Buffalo signed him. I enjoyed the game action scenes in the
book.
This
book did not disappoint in that respect as there were many excellent passages
that were not only about the game itself, but also a lot of behind-the-scenes
activity that many teams will undertake when a new player arrives. The adventures of finding Mikael a place to
live, transportation and clothing are documented and I found myself enjoying
these as well as the smooth skating and excellent saves of the two main
characters.
Something
I do have to say is that there was a conversation between Mikael and Terri that
I hope was supposed to be humorous.
Mikael was asking Terri (who was familiar with the area) where he could
enjoy water activities because he didn’t get a chance to do so in
Minnesota. Really? In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, this supposedly
intelligent adult man couldn’t find a place to enjoy water activities? I was laughing at this part.
This was fairly light banter between the two characters and it stays that way through
most of the story, even though their attraction grows. This is not an erotic story, however, which
was surprising given the title. It is
more of a sweet love story that has its tender moments as well as the anxiety
they feel as Terri will not be on the team and is worried that in order to continue
her career, she may have to travel far away.
Unlike
other sports romances that I have read that are short on the sport and heavy on
love and/or sex, this story had a very nice balance of the two. Add that to the
in-depth writing that shows Carr’s extensive knowledge of hockey and you have
a quick read that would be enjoyed by readers of sports books as well as
romance readers.
Cassandra Carr lives in Western
New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words.
When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on the computer.
Cassandra
has won numerous awards for her writing and also had one of her books cited as
a Top Pick/Recommended Read by over a dozen review sites.
I was asked if I would be willing to participate in a virtual blog tour for this book written by Caryn Rose. At first I was skeptical as I had never heard of a virtual blog tour and seeing that this was a romance novel, I wanted to make sure that a sport played a major role in the story. Well, I am very glad that I overcame that skepticism and am part of the tour because I am very happy to be promoting this wonderful novel. Caryn's baseball knowledge is evident throughout the book and the baseball is the driving force behind the characters' actions and emotions. Here is my review of "A Whole New Ballgame."
Title/Author:
“A Whole
New Ballgame” by Caryn Rose
Tags:
Fiction,
baseball, Mets, Phillies, romance
Published:
June 23,
2014
Length:
335
pages
Rating:
5 of 5
stars (outstanding)
Review:
Many
consider a diamond to be a symbol of love.
In Caryn Rose’s novel “A Whole New Ballgame”, that is certainly true. However, the diamond in question is not an
expensive jewel that is set inside a ring, but instead the diamond-shaped
playing field at a baseball stadium.
When Laurie gets her heart broken by a musician in a wildly popular rock band,
she ends up finding an escape from the heartbreak by going to a Philadelphia
Phillies baseball game. While she never
has understood the game, she finds herself immediate being drawn to the entire
spectacle – the game itself, the crowd, and the mascots.
She
enjoyed the experience so much that she decides to go back the next night and
there she meets Eric and Peter, two friends who are on the ultimate road trip
for baseball fans. They are visiting all
thirty major league ballparks. Even though Laurie will have to go back home to
Boston, the three of them form a friendship and promise to keep in touch. Back in Boston, Laurie loses her job and is
being wooed to come back to an old boyfriend. Figuring it’s time to start a new
chapter, Laurie contacts and Eric and Peter and joins them on the rest of their
tour. It becomes about more than just baseball
and job hunting for Laurie as she is now realizing a new set of passions in her
life.
While
this is a romance novel, there is much more than just that, plus the reader
doesn’t see those feelings coming out in any character right away. Instead, the
reader is whisked away on this baseball journey to various ballparks. Rose
shows her baseball knowledge with many accurate descriptions of not only the
ballparks but also the teams and their standings in 2006, which is when the
story takes place.
Because the
characters are fans of the game, the book’s baseball references are those that
reflect a fan’s point of view. Some of these moments are goofy, such as the joy
Eric and Laurie share when they get pictures taken with the team mascots. Some of them are quite serious such as when
Peter is teaching Laurie the fine art of keeping score. Some are just good baseball reading.
The Mets
(Eric’s favorite team) get a lot of love in the story as their season almost
reflects the emotions felt while reading the story – a lot of ups and downs,
excitement and heartbreak as well. As
for how the story plays out for Laurie, Eric and Peter – let’s just say that the
ending for me was as satisfying as a walk-off home run to win the game in the
bottom of the ninth inning. An
outstanding novel that will be a hit with baseball fans as well as romance
readers.
I wish
to thank Ms. Rose for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest
review.
Did I skim?
No
Were the characters realistic?
Yes,
both the main and secondary characters were believable and easy to root for or
root against, depending on the reader’s viewpoint.
Pace of the story:
Excellent
- it moves as quickly as Peter, Eric and
Laurie do from ballpark to ballpark.
Do I recommend?
This
book, at its heart, is a romance book, but a reader doesn’t have to be a fan of
romance novels in order to enjoy this novel.
It not only is a story of heartbreak and recovery, but also of rock
music and especially baseball.
Sports-Related Interview (text complete).docx
Is it hard
to write a novel about baseball for non-baseball fans and consider ways to hold
their interest?
Caryn: I think of
it more as a love story and a road story that happens to have baseball as a
background. It was definitely a challenge, but it was a priority for me to
write about baseball in a way that wouldn’t alienate readers, which tied in
with the part of the plot that features Laurie learning about baseball.
Was it
difficult to remain factually bound to the baseball games you wrote about?
Caryn: Thanks to
the many wonderful baseball historians out there that keep historical
boxscores, it wasn’t hard to get the information. The only real challenge was
timing, like when I needed something to happen during the day instead of at
night. That’s why I offer a disclaimer in the introduction, so as not to offend
the sensibilities of those who would know the difference.
Baseball
fans are all men in the beginning of the novel. Is baseball not a
female-friendly sport?
Caryn: 45% of
Major League Baseball’s fanbase is female. However, if you didn’t grow up with
the sport, and didn’t have anyone in your family who followed it, you might not
realize this. You wouldn’t have seen the photographs of the crowds at Ebbets
Field, watching the Brooklyn Dodgers, which included men and women. You
wouldn’t know about Hilda Chester, the Dodger’s biggest fan, who used to hang
up a sign reading “HILDA IS HERE,” brought a cowbell to every game, and would
often pass notes regarding strategy to the team’s manager.
I didn’t know any of these things before I came to baseball,
either.
After
Laurie really sees that Ryan is with another woman, especially after he has
invited her to stay with him in Philly, she goes to a baseball game because she
knows she won’t be alone there. What is it about baseball that brings strangers
together? Laurie is unfamiliar with baseball at the time, so how does she KNOW
she won’t be alone?
Caryn: Laurie
grew up in Boston, which is a huge sports town. Whether you like it or not, at
some point you’re going to end up at Fenway Park for a baseball game. She
always wanted to understand more about baseball, but so many people just assume
that you know -- because they know, and they’ve never not known, so they can’t
imagine someone NOT knowing -- and it just gets worse as you get older. She
knew that one of the things she liked about baseball was the feeling of being
together with a group of people all watching and cheering for the same thing,
and you can hide in a large crowd and have something to occupy your mind. The
ballpark is the absolute perfect place to go and gather your thoughts for a
little while.
Laurie’s
friends tell her, “You get one team. You can switch once, in the case of
marriage, a family member joining a team in any capacity, or if the team
commits an unpardonable sin. But that’s it...” Why do people only get one team?
What does it mean to give up on your team or change teams? What would it mean
to other fans?
Caryn: It’s about
loyalty, and not being a bandwagon fan, the type who only shows up when things
are good, when the team is winning, when the ballpark is suddenly the cool
place to be. Real baseball fans stick by their team through thick and thin. A
friend of mine moved from the Midwest, where he grew up as a fan of the
Cincinnati Reds. He moved to the Pacific Northwest and became a Seattle
Mariners fan. If the Reds played the Mariners in the World Series, he would
root for the Mariners. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t have any affection for the
Reds or that he burned all of his baseball collection, but there can only be
one winner.
It seems
like baseball fans pop up right when Laurie feels the worst. Have you ever
lived in a baseball city? Do fans really take of their ties off, unbutton their
business shirts, and put on baseball hats? Is the devotion really like that?
Caryn: Baseball
fans are everywhere, and love talking about the game. If you see someone
wearing a shirt or a hat, and you ask about their team, or did they see the
game last night, or about how a player is doing, you’ll have an automatic
connection. This is the kind of thing you’d only know if you were a baseball
fan who walked around wearing a hat or a keychain on your purse or a sticker on
your car, and so you’ll get indoctrinated into the tribe once you join it. This
is why it feels like baseball fans pop up whenever Laurie feels the worst.
If you’re going to the ballgame straight from work, and
you’re a fan, you’re probably going to take off your tie to be more comfortable
(and also so you don’t ruin it by spilling something on it) and yes, you’d put
on a ballcap. If you’re a bunch of executives heading to the game to sit in a fancy
suite and kind of watch the game while doing business, then no, you probably
wouldn’t take off your tie and put on a hat. But there’s a difference between
going to the game because you’re a fan and want to go to the game and going to
the game because it’s something to do.
Caryn
Rose is a Brooklyn-based writer and photographer who documents rock and roll,
baseball and urban life. From 2006-2011, she authored the groundbreaking blog
metsgrrl.com, covering baseball and the New York Mets. A Whole New Ballgame is her second novel. You can find her at
jukeboxgraduate.com and on Twitter at @carynrose and at @metsgrrl during the
season. Purchase A Whole New BallgameHERE!
