PLAYING AROUND: The Million-Dollar Infield Goes to Florida

by Donald & Others Hall ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 16, 1974

An account written with uncommon sensitivity by five middle-aged men ""on a fantasy trip."" The group includes a journalist, a literary agent, a doctor, a civil liberties lawyer, a poet and college professor -- they decide to find out what it's like to ""play Peter Pan at forty"" by joining the Pittsburgh Pirates spring training camp at Bradenton, Florida. It proves to be a rather strenuous lark since the writers' cramps and bruises belie their belief that it's just ""a mere exercise in Mittyism."" The recital of their days spent with the pros (and with an appealing rookie named Luke) provides us with more introspection than jockism. . . their collective realization being that ""baseball is fathers and sons playing catch, the long arc of the years between."" Five Plimptons -- indeed better than one. Rather a peach from an unlikely source -- the Grapefruit circuit.

Pub Date: April 16, 1974

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Sports Illustrated-Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1974

Categories: NONFICTION