Pete's Talking Baseball...Sort Of

Now out in paperback

"Most of the reviewers for the highly acclaimed The Art of Fielding go to great extent in writing that this novel is not really about baseball, and therefore may be enjoyed without knowing anything about the sport. To that I would agree, except to say so what if it is about baseball? In this time of year, with light snow still falling, it's comforting to know that signs of baseball -- its green grass, warm sun, hot dogs, beer, and the game itself -- are right around the corner.

The Art of Fielding is really about four students and the president of Westish College, the kind of small, picturesque mid-western school maybe you wish you'd attended. The psychological impact of one errant throw alters the lives of each of the characters. Four stumble into something akin to love while the fifth completely falls apart. But in baseball the game is never over until the final out, so there is an opportunity for redemption no matter how grievous the error. We're talkin' baseball all right, though it's not really about baseball (even though it sort of is)."

--Pete