Game 5 Detroit 1968: Part Two, Reconciliation

By William Allen Baltz

Game 5 is a two-part novel that tells the story of how 12 people from diverse backgrounds come together to attend Game 5 of the epic 1968 World Series between the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals at Tiger Stadium.Against the backdrop of the 1967 Detroit riot, war in Vietnam, a growing civil rights movement and perhaps the greatest World Series comeback ever, Mr. Baltz weaves a dramatic story using a mixture of real and fictional people.Part One: Sense of the Sacred, introduces the main characters and takes place from the golden age of baseball--for both the Major and Negro leagues--through 1967.Part Two: Reconciliation, mainly takes place in 1968. The Tigers are the talk of Detroit as they march on during that hot summer to win the AL pennant while people dance to Motown music, debate the Vietnam war, grieve the loss of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy, and tune in to hear Ernie Harwell announce the play-by-play featuring Mickey Lolich, Al Kaline and other stars on that legendary Tiger team.Fictional characters include a reverend in the AME Church haunted by a long-lost player in the Negro League; two couples-one white, one black-whose friendship is tested when their sons join the U.S. Marines; and a black Vietnam veteran who returns home only to be caught in the Detroit riot. Writer Ernest Hemingway, Tiger owner John Fetzer, Motown singer Diana Ross, Tiger great Willie Horton, and Baseball Hall of Fame players Hank Greenberg, Larry Doby and Bob Gibson are among the many real people who interact with these and other fictional characters.No one knows for certain who sent them tickets to Game 5 or why. But on Monday, October 7, 1968, with the Tigers down 3-1 in the World Series against the favored St. Louis Cardinals, the main characters in need of healing and "a turning point" find themselves in prime seats at this do-or-die game.Set in a different era, Game 5 deals with issues similar to those of today. Ultimately, it is a story of forgiveness, healing, hope and compassion.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DH3CNPGB
• ISBN13: 9798991543118
• Release Date: September 2024
• Publisher: Harwood Lake Press
• Length: 356 Pages
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.8" x 6.0"