The Entitled: A Tale of Modern Baseball

By Frank Deford

Book Overview

"The Entitled is a baseball masterpiece, like The Natural and Field of Dreams." --Mike Schmidt, Baseball Hall of Fame

From legendary six-time National Sportswriter of the Year and NPR commentator Frank Deford comes a richly detailed, page-turning tale that takes you deep into America's game.

Howie Traveler never made it as a player-his one major league hit and .091 batting average attest to that. He was cursed with that worst of professional maladies, the ill fortune of almost.

Now after years of struggling up the coaching ladder, Howie's finally been given his shot as manager of the Cleveland Indians. But whether Howie can spot a small flaw in a batter's swing won't matter if he can't manage his superstar outfielder Jay Alcazar, a slugger with enormous talent (and an ego to match).

No crisis on the field fazes Jay and no woman off the field rejects him. But one night at a hotel Howie sees something at Jay's door he wishes he hadn't...and it leaves Howie with an impossible choice.

Praise for THE ENTITLED:

"I loved The Entitled...reminded me of the many people I've known and played with-pure baseball." --Lou Piniella, Manager, Chicago Cubs

"Frank Deford is not just an immensely talented sportswriter, he's an immensely talented American writer." --David Halberstam

"In men like Traveler and Alcazar we find the beating heart and struggling soul of baseball..." --Jeff MacGregor, Sports Illustrated; author of Sunday Money

"Engrossing...Readers are exposed to a richly textured understanding of baseball and, no less, of estrangement, ambition, mendacity and the search for one's destiny-notwithstanding the cost in human or financial terms." --Library Journal

"...proves once again that Deford can play at the highest level in any league." --Michael Mewshaw, author of Year of the Gun

"Deford scores another hit with this novel of athletes behaving badly...tackles timely and provocative issues without flinching." --Publishers Weekly

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1402212550
• ISBN13: 9781402212550
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Only the Setting is Baseball

I am a baseball freak. However, I do not generally read books about it (never read a Halbertsam). Reading "Entitled" still keeps me baseball book free, because only the setting is baseball. The book is about far, far more - culture diversity, natural talent as opposed to blue collar talent, public images and their accuracy and a bit of a mystery to boot. The main character is the blue collar manager who worked his way up through the minors to get a major league managerial job. He has a super-superstar that reputedly really runs the show. One of the joys of this book is that these stereotypes are shown to be just that - shallow images propagated by those who do not know the characters better. As the former editor of Sports Illustrated, Deford has an insider's knowledge about what makes images in the public's eye and how hard it is to shift them. He also shows the baggage and prejudice that comes with each image. The superstar, who appears to be a shallow, self-centered prima donna surprisingly, may not be, or...maybe he is. The last quarter of the book tumbles with surprises and twists and turns when it is shown that nothing - seemingly - is as it seems. There is a bit of a mystery plot, but the thrust of the novel is the characters, their characterizations and how they both differ and are true to those characterizations. It is a wonderful character study. One word of cauation. If you are a sports page reader, many of the descriptions of the workings of baseball franchises will be old to you. However, they are necessary and make the book very readable for those not familiar with baseball; much as if the book were set in a mining town or in some specialized industry. The bottom line is that this is not a book about baseball. Primarily it is a character study and a close second, it is a book about how public images are made, accurate or not, and how those images influence the characters and those around them. In addition to the above accolades, the writing is terrific. Highly recommended for baseball fans and non-baseball fans, alike.

A Perfect Summer Read

I bought the book on Tuesday and finished it on Thursday. Deford drew me into his baseball world and I didn't want to leave. The author is a gifted writer who has seen, heard, and thought about the game of baseball from its roots to its present day incarnation. Sport can present as sorted a drama as any political or criminal case. Deford recognizes that baseball players (like other celebrities) are "Entitled" because players, coaches, owners, the media, and, ultimately, we fans "curse" them with this affliction. The joy in this instance is that Deford shows us the process and the humanity behind the creation of a baseball superstar. I dare any regular NPR listener to read the words of the sage sportswriter Mickey Huey and not hear the voice of The Sport Curmudgeon, Frank Deford. Thank you Mr. Deford for a delightful summer read.

Just a great book

I don't know a thing about baseball. I don't even know which way of the bat is up. But I've always loved reading, I was a literature major in college, and this is not just a classic baseball book, it's a classic book period. Frank is an amazing American writer.

Deford's great baseball novel

I've always loved baseball novels and, with this one, Deford proves he is a master. This has all the detail of major league life - the scenes behind the thrilling games highlighted with biting wit and great originality. Set amidst accusations of a horrible crime, Deford's characters tactfully weave through the intracacies of a moral dilemma in a brilliant manner. I highly recommnd this book.