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Description
Even though his mother feels baseball ruined her marriage to his father, she allows fourteen-year-old Brian to become a batboy for the Detroit Tigers, who have just drafted his favorite player back onto the team.
Quick Summary
Mike Lupica knows baseball, and it shows on every page of this story about fourteen-year-old Brian, who gets to live out every young baseball fan's dream when he becomes a batboy for the Detroit Tigers. What makes this book really work isn't just the behind-the-scenes access to pro baseball it's the messy, real relationship Brian has with his mom, who blames the sport for breaking up their family, and the way he has to figure out how to love something his family thinks ruined everything. Kids who are into sports will eat up the locker room drama and the pressure of playing for a legendary team, but there's also enough heart and family tension here that even readers who aren't die-hard baseball fans can connect with Brian's story. It's a quick, satisfying read that feels like you're right there on the field without getting preachy or overly sentimental about it. If your kid has already burned through books like "Travel Team" or wants more sports fiction with actual stakes, this one fits right alongside them.