Wild Pitch

By Mike Lupica

Book Overview

Showtime Charlie Stoddard has hopes of going professional--especially now that the Boston Red Sox have lost two of their starting pitchers and their big lead over the Yankees has been sliced in half. From the author of Bump and Run and Full Court Press comes this deliciously wicked tale of contemporary professional sports.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425192040
• ISBN13: 9780425192047
• Release Date: September 2003
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Home Run

"Wild Pitch" is definitely Lupica's best sports novel. It starts a little slowly, but when Showtime Charlie Stoddard the 40-year-old comeback kid finally gets his start with the Red Sox, the story kicks into high gear.A whole array of colorful characters project Lupica's view of the game and those around it. Mo Jiggy, the gangsta rapper from "Bump and Run" who became a big time agent in "Full Court Press", is back for a cameo. The main voice of irreverence, however belongs to Pooty Shaw, the hard hitting catcher whose baseball millions have attracted an endless string of beautiful girlfriends with attitude. We also get to meet Booker Impala Washington, the limo driver who's really the brains behind the new Red Sox owner. The main story revolves around Charlie and his inscrutable trainer Chang, which will remind you a lot of Kevin Costner and Cheech Marin in "Tin Cup". As it builds to a close, you will realize that there's not enough time for a real sappy storybook ending. Lupica finds the perfect touch to wrap it up.There are a few bumps along the way. Lupica seems to insert a brand name on every other page giving you the feeling that you're watching those rotating ads in the ballpark, spinning at warp speed. There's a little too much baseball trivia, like three solid pages on the history of the left field wall at Fenway. The references to Elaine's and T.J. Tucker's make it read like a Dan Jenkins knock off at times, and the word games around the Grace MacKenzie character - Amazing Grace, goodnight Gracie, Grace under pressure - are a little too cutsie.All in though, it was a five star read.

Catch it

The only thing better than reading Mike Lupica's sports columns in the New York Daily News is reading his sports novels. "Wild Pitch", the latest in an impressive body of work, belongs on your bookshelf next to all the Dan Jenkins novels. After taking his readers on fun trips through pro football ("Bump and Run") and basketball ("Full Court Press")worlds, Lupica has created a terrific baseball adventure. Showtime Charlie Stoddard is a marvelous character, a baseball pitcher, ex-husband and father. "Wild Pitch" is a fastball and a curve. The book is funny and moving and contains a few surprises which you may or may not see coming.

Lupica Goes Yard

Mike Lupica has gone yard once again and this time the bases are loaded. Everybody loves a comeback and Lupica's account of Showtime Charlie Stoddard's return to glory is laugh-out-loud funny. This on and off the field glimpse of big time baseball is a breeze to read and the best I have read in 12 months. If you are looking for an entertaining read to get you through the fall and winter, pick up Wild pitch...it is Lupica's best!!

GRAND SLAM!!

Great heart - great insight - and really funny. Mike Lupica is a terrific writer. I've seen his photo and he couldn't have been a pro athlete. So he somehow has the gift of finding the soul of his subject. I'm a girl sports fan - and Mike has a way of making the world of sports accessible to me.I know what I'm giving to all the guys on my list for Christmas - Wild Pitch.

I love Lupica

Mike Lupica has become a writer that I can't wait until his next book comes out. Now I've read "Wild Pitch" and I have to wait again. It takes you deep into the sport of baseball, with his real knowledge of the game, his rich characters, and his great sense of humor.It's a wonderful read. If you're a sports fan, and I am, you'll really enjoy this one.