THE WILD PITCH

This third story (preceded by Five Were Chosen, 1956, p. 338, J-106 and Cridiron Duel, 1959, p. 141, J-75) about coaching at a small college in Pennsylvania boasts too large a roster of characters and is jumbled by too many subplots. Pug Jameson, the serious young baseball coach, is concerned about one of his players, Will Seaman. When his team plays in an exhibition game against the Yankees, and Will pitches a wild ball which injures a Yankee rookie, Pug becomes more involved-- with Willy and his unattached sister. Countless problem kids seem to wander about, parading their troubles, and the author does not maintain a tone of tension. The reader loses track of events, and by the time the author ""gets on with"" the central plot, the reader has given up hope of becoming interested in Willy and Pug.