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| Category: Biography | |
| About the Book | |
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Free Excerpt From The Book (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) Aspiring young baseball players frequented their field of dreams in a hay field in northeast Pennsylvania. Mike, like most boys, imagined playing major league ball some day. He played every level of ball until World War II began, and he was drafted into the army at the age of eighteen.Mike takes on the roll of infantry soldier, wanting to do his duty, make his parents proud, and prove he is a true American. He is chosen to play regimental baseball, which makes for long days during his training as an infantryman. Mike befriends the new squad member, Elmer, and they become as close as brothers. The division steams to Oran, Algeria for more training and then on to Italy. As the dangers of war become apparent to Mike and Elmer, they make a pact to watch out for each other, thinking it would be the only way they could survive the war. As the story unfolds, Mike's and Elmer's exploits become even more dangerous. Elmer seems to be more durable than Mike. He saves Mike's life more than once. However, Elmer is the first to feel the effects of battle fatigue, and dreams convince him he knows how he will die. Because of this, he becomes careless. Ten months into the struggle, Elmer is killed. Mike blames himself for Elmer's death, for not being there when Elmer needed him. As the cruelties of war build up in Mike's mind, he becomes a loner and loses intervals of time, for which he can not account. The war in Europe ends and the entire 5th Army returns to Naples to reorganize and wait it out the possibility of going to the Pacific. Mike is stricken by the nemesis of continuous combat. This problem, then identified as shell shock and now know as posttraumatic stress disorder, left him conscious but unresponsive. The doctor, searching for answers to the problem, learns of Mike's baseball abilities, and takes Mike and other patients to a 350th Regiment baseball practice. A fowl ball rolls Mike's way, stopping at his feet. This small incident is all it takes to bring Mike back to consciousness. The irony is the disorder that brings him here makes it possible for him to get to play with this team, which wins the championship. Mike's playing contributes greatly to this win. The war ends a few weeks later. Mike goes home. White Sox restart minor leagues. Mike is called to play for Green Bay. Following a slide into second he hallucinates and thinks he's wearing army gear. Seeing the Green Bay sign he doesn't know how he got there.
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| About the Author | |
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Nevin Bailey, a U.S. Air Force veteran was born in 1934, in Hamburg, Pennsylvania. Besides Mike, he has written the novel, The Line Rider, numerous short stories, poems, and songs. His vivid memory for detail and healthy imagination will delight readers with future works. He currently resides in Blaine, Maine. |
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