Review of "Young Razzle," by John R. Tunis

 Review of

Young Razzle, by John R. Tunis

Five out of five stars

Father and son compete and make up

 Sequentially, this book is later in the series of novels written by Tunis that feature players of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The great and flamboyant Razzle Nugent has reached the age of forty and so his pitches don’t have the zip they once did. Joe Nugent is Razzle’s son and a good ballplayer in his own right. Joe’s mother has recently died after raising Joe all by herself, never receiving assistance from Razzle. Joe has been in contact with a scout and has been given an opportunity to attend a baseball minor league training camp. He dislikes his father, so reacts quite negatively to being tagged as “Young Razzle.”

 Joe rises through the levels of the minor leagues quickly and reaches the major leagues as a New York Yankee while Razzle is still playing. Since Razzle is overweight and out of shape, Joe wins their first confrontation where Razzle is pitching. The humiliation is too much for Razzle and he engages in a crash program to slim down and strengthen his body.

  In the following year, Razzle is called back to the Dodgers and pitches very well. Since Razzle pitches for the National League Dodgers while Joe plays for the American League Yankees, the only way they can meet is in the World Series. The Yankees win the pennant very early while the Dodgers must fight down to the wire. Therefore, Razzle and Joe will be meeting as adversaries in the World Series.

 The competition between the teams is intense and when Razzle and Joe face each other, neither one backs down. Despite being encouraged to give his father a chance, Joe refuses to do so, leading to a second line of tension in the World Series. In the end, only one can be on the championship team, but both men manage to rise above the bitterness and realize that the problems between them are not all Razzle’s fault.

 While this is a sports book, the strong plotline of the wife and son abandoned by a famous father provides an opportunity for human interest to take equal precedence to sports.  Given the length and depth of their estrangement, it is likely the only way to overcome it would be to meet on the playing field and each one gives it his all. The excellent handling of this aspect of a father-son relationship is what makes this book one of Tunis’ best.

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