Review of "The Batboy," by Mike Lupica

Review of

The Batboy, by Mike Lupica, ISBN 9780399250002

Five out of five stars

Living the dream, sort of

 Brian Dudley is a boy that loves baseball. While he has an encyclopedic knowledge of the statistics of baseball, he also understands the strategies behind the actions taken by managers on the field. His father is a former major league pitcher that so refused to give up a role in baseball that he left to serve as a coach for a team in Japan. His father’s devotion to baseball dominates everything else in his life, to the point where Brian’s parents divorced, and Brian has no contact with his father. His mother now wants nothing to do with baseball.

 Their lives are complicated when Brian is offered a batboy position for his hometown team the Detroit Tigers. Brian also plays on a youth team and has some skills. It is the dream job for Brian, as he has been a devoted follower of the team for many years.

 The batboy job goes well until former star Hank Bishop joins the Tigers. Bishop was Brian’s idol until he was caught up in the steroid scandal and suspended. Bishop is now trying to make a comeback and help the Tigers win the pennant and get into the World Series.

 Brian quickly discovers that Bishop is not friendly, either to his teammates or to the batboys. This creates a problem, yet as the season progresses, Bishop mellows towards Brian and through Bishop, Brian’s mother mellows towards baseball. Things are complicated when Brian’s father comes back to Detroit to engage in some activities with the Tigers. While his presence is welcome, nothing really changes.

 The many emotional and complicated undercurrents make this a compelling story. There are four potential happy endings dangled to the reader. There is Hank Bishop’s successful comeback, Brian being the hero for his team, Brian’s father coming back and establishing a relationship with Brian and Bishop establishing a relationship with Brian’s mother. All happen to a certain extent, some more than others. There are also great supporting characters, specifically other members of the Tigers and Brian’s friends.

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