Everything Happens in Chillicothe: A Summer in the Frontier League with Max McLeary, the One-Eyed Umpire

by Mike Shannon

Book Overview

One thing about Max was that he was about as well-adjusted to his disability, if you want to call it that, as anyone could be... He even used his eye once to shut up an obnoxious high school coach. After he'd heard all the complaining he wanted to hear, Max took his eye out of the socket and handed it to the stunned coach, saying, 'You want to umpire this game? Here, be my guest.' Everything Happens in Chillicothe is an authentic, behind-the-scenes...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786416947
• ISBN13: 9780786416943
• Release Date: December 2003
• Publisher: McFarland & Company
• Length: 408 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Baseball Is A Game

Someone once wrote that major league baseball is a business, but minor league baseball is still a game. For those of us who love baseball, but have soured on major league baseball, Mike Shannon's book hits it on the nose. His romp through the Frontier League is an entertaining and informative narrative on the players and people involved in the lower minor leagues. They truly love the game of baseball and you will love this book!

Welcome to the Bush League!!

I loved this book because I love the game of baseball. This book captures the essence of the low minors and the people and personalities and places and ballparks that make the minors such an appealing place to watch the game. I am already planning a summer roadtrip to Chillicothe and Richmond and the rest of the Frontier League. Great read!

IT'S NOT GLASS, IT'S PLASTIC

I work as an umpire in the Frontier League and work with Max McLeary and Jim Schaly. As you can see Max is a very complicated guy. This league is his life, not only during the season, but year round. When his umpiring days are over he would like to work within the league in some capacity. The stories in this book are true. Last year Max and I worked a series in Evansville, Indiana and before the game I found a white cane with a red tip (a blind persons cane) sitting in the locker room. Max decided that it would be funny to put on some dark sun glasses, turn his cap backwards and come out to ground rules using the cane. The place went nuts!Last but not least, Mike writes a great book but there is one error that I must correct. Max's eye is plastic and if you're ever on the road with him make sure you don't get up in the middle of the night and drink from the water cup by the sink. That's the one with his eye in it.

Baseball at its best!!

First of all, I read several baseball books each year. This is clearly one of the best in a long time. I worked for several years as one of the groundkeepers at Thurman Munson Stadium in Canton, Ohio, one of the cities visited by the author and Max during the summer of 2000. All those Maxisms that he comes up with and all of the stories are true! We would drink beer with the umpires after the game and Max is a true gem. When he and Jim Schaly, his umpiring cohort, get together---watch out! You never heard such stories. Anyways, the author does a wonderful job of capturing the essence of Max McCleary and the simplicity and beauty of a magical summer in the Frontier League. Yes, the Frontier League is a hidden jem! I just wish Canton still had a team! Well worth the money. Buy it.

Baseball captured at it finest

Mike Shannon has captured what the loyal fans of the Frontier League love and hate about their league. A most enjoyable read. If you are not lucky enough to know some of the places and people that Mike details in this book, you will certainly think about wanting to locate the nearest game. A must read for every fan of baseball, just be prepared to want to go out and buy season tickets to the nearest FL team.