Review of "Mister Shortstop," by Duane Decker

 Review of

Mister Shortstop, by Duane Decker

Five out of five stars

Decker fills the shortstop position of the Blue Sox

 Andy Pearson is a shortstop currently playing for a team at the bottom of the league. He is a shortstop that has bounced around for years with the phrase “utility infielder” all over him. However, late in the season the famed Blue Sox pick him up on waivers. Their longtime shortstop has reached the point where he simply doesn’t cover big league ground anymore.

 Andy takes over the shortstop position on the Blue Sox and they improve, but not enough to finish higher than third place. The next season he is in competition with Slick Hammill, a man that fits the name. He is brash, outspoken, capable, but underneath it all, insecure when the pressure is on. He makes great plays when the game is not on the line, but fumbles when it really counts.

 Andy keeps plugging away and is on the verge of being traded once again. However, some events occur that demonstrate his value over Hammill, and he wins the shortstop position for good. After a particularly well done heads-up play, Blue Sox manager Jug Slavin calls him “Mr. Shortstop.”

 This is a good book about perseverance in the face of what is generally unfair adversity. Andy is a talented and heady player that discovers that once he keeps his head in the game, he can outperform what is a more talented player. The fact that focus can win over talent is a lesson that can never be repeated often enough.

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