The Pitcher

I am blown away by this novel. It gave me more chills than "The Field Of Dreams" and "The Natural" combined. I choked up more times reading this, soon to be classic tale, than a team that leaves 11 men on base during a game. I kid you not; it's that moving. This is much more than a story of the love of a game, or a mother's dream for her child. This is a perfectly crafted piece of literary fiction that is relevant to contemporary issues of the day. You will come to respect and admire Maria and her son Ricky. If you're like me, you will be fascinated by the Pitcher Jack Langford. All I could see when I read about him was Clint Eastwood (about 25 years younger). You'll love his evolution and root for him as well as Maria and Ricky. If this isn't made into a movie, Hollywood is missing out on a potential blockbuster as big or bigger than "Sandlot" or "The Natural". It weaves in hot button issues like illegal immigration, health care, and domestic violence in a way that isn't preachy or over the top. It is sentimental but not maudlin. These issues and the dream of a mother and child to have "their moment to shine" is brilliantly done in a manner that is at times humorous, tension filled, and totally satisfying. The last 25 % of the book will have you in angst as the the twists of the story unfold into a totally fulfilling conclusion. This novel is a must read for men and women of all ages. I just can't put into words how impressive this book is, but I have no doubt that this future best seller is Mr. Hazelgrove's "moment to shine".

I bought this book for my grandson to read for a book report. He ended up reading only part of it, but I read the entire book. I give the book 5 stars and an A+ with the caveat that there are curse and swear words in it, which permeated the book, especially the first half. I understand that this is how people talk, and that the author was trying to be authentic and portray people as they are; and I agree to this approach to a point. It is an effective approach. I just did not find it appropriate for my particular situation and for my 11 year old grandson. So I blacked out as many of the words as I could and skipped over swear words when I read to him out loud. The "flavor" and emotion and nuances of the characters were fortunately described well by the author in his writing; he use such detail and color - You can see, hear, and feel each character (even the dog) just through the author's writing, without the swears, which shows what a great writer he is. You know, for me the bad language was overkill. I do not enjoy reading books with a voluminous amount of curse and swear words and just plain vulgarity and the like, but it probably is not an issue for others. The book was fabulous in term of plot and characters and story line. It made me cry, it touched me so much, in very many spots and instances. It was a book with a feel good ending; you could tell it was coming but the author leaves the reader in suspense as to how he is going to get there. Incidentally, the retired Major League pitcher in the story reminded me of my dad, who was a star baseball player in college and who, after college, advanced to the minor leagues and was forever a baseball enthusiast who taught my sisters and me to love the game. So, from that perspective, the story was endearing and part of why I related to it so well. I think it might be hard to thoroughly enjoy the book if you do not like baseball, or have little familiarity with the sport. There is a theme throughout the book of racism of whites [others] towards Hispanics; hint - the mother and son are Hispanic - and less of a theme, but nonetheless one intentionally inserted, of prejudice against illegal aliens. Again, I think the author was trying to write from the perspective of the characters, whether their perspectives were limited or informed. The beautiful thing about this book is how "the pitcher" starts out as the crotchety ex-major leaguer, and that characterization is maintained throughout the book until the very end; then seamlessly, and without labored and unnecessary explanation, "the pitcher" turns into Ricky, the boy. It is because the story is so good. It is just the most magical and emotionally satisfying transformation, which also made me cry - in a good way. There were incredible odds against the mom (She was poor and in very grave health.)and her son (He had mean rivals and racists all out against him.) So his goal to make the high school baseball team was a super, almost insurmountable challenge. So I wont divulge any more. It is just a great read and I recommend it (except for the bad words).

A remarkable novel. The pros: Well written without being over the top. Great characterizations. Powerful narrative with judicious and economic use of language. A classic hero's journey presented within the context of baseball. The cons: Some of the racism endured by the Latino family is a bit heavy-handed (racism's bad - we got it), and the ending was a trifle too happy for my tastes, but then again, it will probably delight most. I was teetering between a four and a five star, and then went back and reread some sections and decided that the strength of the writing pushes it past four and a half, more into the four and three-quarter range. So I rounded up. With so many books out there, it's hard to find something worthwhile. The Pitcher is worthwhile, from a satisfying and lucid voice whose work I'd read again. I should also say I have exactly zero interest in baseball, so if you can hold my attention for an entire novel based on a topic I could care less about, you've got some storytelling chops.

In obeyance to a fine old American literary impulse, William Hazelgrove has made a career mining the well-tilled depths of the bildungsroman. From the opening salvo of RIPPLES, his first effort over two decades distant now, through the sometimes shining merits of works like TOBACCO STICKS, MICA HIGHWAYS, AND ROCKET MAN, to this most recent novel, THE PITCHER, where we find the author once again manning the tiller through familiar but no less treacherous waters. And once again he has, somehow, managed to find safe harbor and something fresh to say along the way in an otherwise long-stale sub-genre of mainstream fiction. This is no easy trick, even for a seasoned hand. The audience for this class of tale are now many generations more sophisticated and worldly than in, say, the halcyon days of CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS and MARTIN EDEN, when everything felt new. In THE PITCHER, Hazelgrove has not even tried to avoid some of the more well-worn trappings (young boy from struggling single-parent home harbors an impossible dream soon to be realized through the sandpaper-rough wizardry of an unlikely mentor, etc.), but embraces them--all of them--narrowing and sharpening his focus, simplifying the language admirably, and tightening the screws down on this one quite nicely. Although a "Junior Library Guild Selection" that exhibits tasteful restraint in the now popularly over-indulgent arena of hard language, this is no more a book just for kids any more than Burnett's THE SECRET GARDEN or Lindgren's THE BROTHERS LIONHEART are books just for kids. Here's hoping THE PITCHER, a most noteworthy addition to the Hazelgrove canon, avoids that undeserving reputation.

Ricky is 9 years old when he learns that he has a great arm for pitching, which he's excited about because he doesn't feel like he's good at very much. He's now 14 and practices in front of his house with his friend Joey. He plays on a city team and his arm is pretty wild and he needs to learn control. His mother doesn't have money to pay someone to coach him so she looks on the internet for tips to help him. She does enlist the help of the Pitcher who lives across the street from them. He's a former major league baseball pitcher named Jack Langford who won the World Series in 1978. He now lives in his garage, smoking, drinking and watching baseball games all day. He's not interested in helping Ricky and his mother out, though. Ricky's mom, Maria, is quite the character. She's not afraid of anyone and is willing to do whatever she needs to in order to help her son. The first thing she would ask her son is if he was breathing and I had to laugh, because when my kids get frustrated while doing something, the first thing I tell them is to relax and take a deep breath, so I personally think that's great advice! Ricky deals with prejudice, especially from Eric, the pitcher on his baseball team who is jealous of Ricky's arm. He also has to deal with a father who comes over when he needs money and treats him and his mother poorly. His life is pretty rough and Maria does the best she can to help him become a better man than his father and give him the opportunity to be successful in life. This book was interesting but seemed a little slow to me in places. And warning: there is a lot of language in this book! While the author doesn't technically drop F-bombs, instead he does this: f--- and motherf----- (literally uses lines in place of the letters). He also uses g__d___ quite a bit (that word is spelled out), along with other, milder swear words. The language does fit the characters but it was a little much for my taste. I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.

The Pitcher is a heartwarming baseball novel about a young Mexican-American boy's dream of becoming a pitcher, a mother's unrelenting love and support, and a broken former major league pitcher who can't get past the death of his wife. Author William Hazelgrove weaves a touching tale set in Jacksonville, Florida, and written in the first person narrative that follows the journey of fourteen year old Ricky Hernandez as he overcomes obstacles to chase his dream of becoming a pitcher on his high school baseball team. Ricky has a great arm but doesn't have focus or control over his pitches. Ricky's mother Maria is his biggest supporter and she wants him to achieve his dream, but she knows that he needs a pitching coach. Maria asks their reclusive neighbor, Jack Langford, a former MLB pitcher whose team won the 1978 World Series, to coach her son in preparation for the high school baseball team tryouts. This is an emotional and inspirational story about growing up, chasing dreams, overcoming obstacles, letting go of the past, healing and moving forward in life. This captivating tale will tug at the heartstrings as the reader follows the intertwining story of a young boy who overcomes discrimination and lack of self-confidence to chase his dream; a single mother's love for her son and her unrelenting support to help him achieve his dream while battling health and financial issues; and a reclusive former major league pitcher who learns to let go of the past, regain some joy and move forward in his life by sharing the mutual love of baseball with the young boy and his mother. Baseball fans of all ages will love reading The Pitcher. Author William Hazelgrove weaves an enjoyable story about following dreams that brings to mind the classic jingle ... "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet."

I'm picky about what I read, particularly when it comes to YA fiction and books about sports, as both are difficult nuts to crack for any author. I've read TOBACCO STICKS and ROCKET MAN, two of Hazelgrove's previous book, and while I enjoyed both, I was skeptical about his ability to create a narrative that melded these two new categories together into a story that would draw me in. So when THE PITCHER was recommended to me by a friend who knows that SHOELESS JOE, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE and WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS are three of my favorite books, and FIELD OF DREAMS and BULL DURHAM are two of my all-time favorite movies, at first I ignored him. Then a second friend chimed in, unsolicited, with the same recommendation, so I gave it a chance. I'm glad I did. Hazelgrove has pulled off something not many authors can do -- he has created is a story that manages to be a breezy read, while also being sweet, powerful and heart-felt. There are a thousand tales of kids reaching for their dreams, encouraged by a special "Obi-Wan"-esque mentor, but despite that THE PITCHER manages to come off as fresh and even original in its point-of-view of this tale as old as time. As I said before, I've read other books by the author. As much as I liked them, though, I have to say that THE PITCHER feels the most authentic. Hazelgrove has found his voice in this book, through these characters and with a story that feels personal and real. A good writer, like a good actor, can make almost any material work (though it will likely still come across as wooden), but no matter how good an author may be, he or she can't force their writing to live and breathe...that comes only from a well-grounded connection to the material. That's what Hazelgrove has accomplished here. Want to feel good? Read THE PITCHER.

Wish I had read something like this as a teen. It would have given me the hope and inspiration all boys need. This is just a story of a boy and a man, of dreams, and a strong mom who would not let her son fail. I have long maintained that a boy needs a man in his life, a positive role model. And, in order to be successful at any vocation or skill, one needs a mentor. It is almost impossible to succeed without strong and loving guidance. Ricky had the best of both worlds: mom and man as mentors. Being from the North Side, I resent that the author didn't use a Cub as The Pitcher. The book shares fond recollections of Wrigley Field and Chicago; thank you. Of course, since The Pitcher starred in and won a World Series, that would have changed the book from a novel to pure fantasy! Read it; you'll love it.

Feelgood book

Brilliant. Beautifully-drawn characters. Sentiment without melodrama. And you don't have to like baseball to enjoy 'The Pitcher'.