THE BOY WHO SAVED BASEBALL

A team of young ballplayers, who have the will but not necessarily the talent, can save the town’s legendary baseball field from developers by winning one crucial game. Tom, a sensitive youngster who wants to be a writer, loves his town, the surrounding countryside, and that special ballpark. He records the ensuing events in his journal and, in a nice twist, ends by writing the opening paragraph. The mysterious, wise Cruz de Cruz, the stranger riding in from nowhere, is the catalyst, à la Spinelli’s Maniac McGee, for the changes that affect the entire town. Dante Del Gato, a reclusive former ballplayer who appears to have found the secret of perfect hitting, agrees to help. Throw in some physics, ecology, astronomy, and extraordinary, eccentric coaching and guess who wins the big game. This is more than a baseball story; each character has a distinct personality with interests, strengths, and weaknesses that are accepted and admired. A fast-paced, sweet-natured tale for more than just fans. (Fiction. 10-13)