THE BASEMENT BASEBALL CLUB

by Jeffrey Kelly ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1987

The McCarthy Roaders finally beat the Hemlock Street Poisons in a baseball game but, for most readers, the wait won't be worth it. Since big Bull Reilly joined the Poisons, he's dazzled the Roaders with his pitching and hitting prowess. Shooter Carroll, the Roader leader (and narrator here), can't figure out how to beat the arch-rivals from a few streets away in their suburban Chicago town until John Johnson moves in clown the block. Instantly recognized by a Roader as a star from baseball camp, John won't play and won't say why. Sister Olive, for whom Shooter develops a crush, finally confesses that John (an all-round ace) beaned an opponent with a pitch and is afraid of even touching a hardball, much less pitching one (he's secretly seeing a shrink). Shooter, aside from his baseball woes, is also acrophobic; unless he can overcome his fear of going off the high board at the community pool, a bully on the Poisons won't let him live his fear down. In the end, Shooter dives, a revived John plays, and the Roaders win in the bottom of the ninth on his humongous home run off Bull. Getting there won't be much fun for readers, however; Kelly's characters are charmless and one-dimensional, and his descriptions of the baseball games the teams play just don't excite. Predictable.

Pub Date: April 1, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S