James Bailey's Blog, page 12
June 2, 2012
Wilmington (N.C.) StarNews the latest to review The Greatest Show on Dirt
Add the Wilmington (N.C.) StarNews to the growing list of newspapers and websites to review The Greatest Show on Dirt. Longtime books editor Ben Steelman found the novel relevant with Wilmington making news recently for landing a new minor league team. Here are some of the highlights:
And in summary:
You can read the full review here: Review - Durham Bulls novel looks at life behind game
Lane's co-workers are colorful enough to make Damon Runyan's characters look like the cast of a Henry James novel. Besides a few leftover college buddies (see: "Animal House"), you have vendors who work the county fairs in the off-season, a scattering of elderly dugout denizens, the occasional foul-mouthed kid and assorted trailer trash.
Their common denominator, if there is one, is a shared worship of The Game. Nearly all of them played it, nearly all had to face that moment when they realized they'd never reach the big time, but they still can't let it go. They'll put up with a lot – including loudmouthed, and often drunken, ballpark fans – to stay near it.
Something's always happening. Lane has to dodge the glare of a hot but deranged (and possibly ‘roid-raged') pitcher who takes a dislike to him. There's a mystery to be solved about who's filching from the locker rooms during games.
And in summary:
"The Greatest Show on Dirt" will appeal to any hardcore reader of box scores who doesn't mind the feel of wooden bleachers and isn't put off by tobacco chaws.
You can read the full review here: Review - Durham Bulls novel looks at life behind game
May 22, 2012
Back from Durham--What a Trip!
So, I’m back from Durham and still trying to process all of the people I met and places I visited in an action-packed three days. Normally even a long weekend feels like mere moments when I walk back into work the next day, but today at work it actually felt like a week since I’d been there. (That’s a good thing, except for the part where I missed my wife and little boy so much that three days felt like forever.)
The very first thing I did after getting my rental car was drive over to Raleigh to meet the nice folks at Quail Ridge Books & Music. They were the first independent book store to stock The Greatest Show on Dirt, and I definitely wanted to thank them personally. I thanked them financially as well, loading up on a few new books. As fortune would have it, right next door to them in the shopping plaza sits the Go Pack store, so I stocked up on Wolfpack gear for me and my son.
Then it was off to Durham, to visit the Regulator Bookshop, where they’ve sold several copies of the book already and asked me to bring a second batch in. Again, I bought a couple of books (see how this all works out well for the book stores), then I was on my way down Ninth Street and around the corner to the Cosmic Cantina, which hasn’t changed a whit since I moved from Durham in 2001. Okay, the chairs and tables out on the roof were newer, but nothing else.
Friday night I met up with a college buddy, his wife, and a friend of his at the Bulls game at Durham Bulls Athletic Park (a.k.a. the new stadium, even though it opened 17 years ago). Had a great time catching up, while paying next to no attention to what was actually happening on the field. Just happy I didn’t get nailed in the head by a foul ball. Took off during the seventh-inning stretch to meet up with some old friends (and former co-workers with the Bulls) at Satisfaction, where we powered through pizza, beer, and lots of laughs. Was dismayed to see that they had finally painted over the graffiti in the men’s room. It no longer says “King Rice still sucks” on the wall. I was very tempted to find a marker and fix that, but maybe next time. Wound up staying up talking until 3 in the a.m.
Despite the late bedtime, it was up and at ‘em Saturday morning, meeting a friend—and the main reason for the trip, as he was the groom in the wedding I was attending Saturday night—for breakfast. Barely an hour later it was time to meet some friends for lunch (back at Satisfaction), where I was so full I only managed a piece and a half of pizza. Went back to my friend’s house and crashed for a little while, then got all spiffed up for the wedding, where I was reunited with some old friends from Baseball America.
The wedding was at the Museum of Life and Science in north Durham, a really wonderful spot for an outdoor ceremony. We got to tour through the butterfly exhibit and ride on the little train and the weather was absolutely perfect. Left there around 11:15, then went back to my home base and mentioned how hungry I was. Next thing I know, we’re on the way to the Cook Out! up on Hillsborough Road. A cheeseburger, onion rings and a Cheerwine later, my tummy was happy and ready for bed.
Sunday morning started with a post-wedding brunch over at the home of the bride and groom in Durham. At 2:00 I met a writer and photographer for the Technician, the NC State student newspaper, at Durham Athletic Park (the old park) and we talked about my book and the history of the park. We even got a tour of the refurbished clubhouses underneath the stands. From there it was back to the Cosmic Cantina for another quick soft taco and Negra Modelo, then off to the new park for the Bulls game against Charlotte.
I bought a ticket in the second level up behind home plate, but moved out to center field when I tracked down Aaron Schoonmaker from WRALSportsFan.com and sat with him and his wife for the rest of the game. We talked about the book, Durham, bad jobs, good jobs, and all kinds of stuff while the game flew past. Really quick game. Ended in two hours and three minutes, which is almost unheard of. Aaron wrote up a review/story today, which is tremendously positive about the book. (Here I must emphasize that we had never met before Sunday, so I think he actually liked the book that much.)
After the game I made a quick stop at Devine’s, the favorite hangout of the main characters in The Greatest Show on Dirt. I wanted to sit outside on the patio, but it started raining, so instead I watched a little more baseball and had some dinner, then headed back to base camp.
Monday morning it was up and out, back to the airport and back home for a happy reunion with my little guy, and later my wife when she got home from work. As much as I love Durham, I’m very happy to be home again. And next time I go, I hope to take the whole family so I’m not shadowed all weekend by the feeling it would be more fun with them there.
The very first thing I did after getting my rental car was drive over to Raleigh to meet the nice folks at Quail Ridge Books & Music. They were the first independent book store to stock The Greatest Show on Dirt, and I definitely wanted to thank them personally. I thanked them financially as well, loading up on a few new books. As fortune would have it, right next door to them in the shopping plaza sits the Go Pack store, so I stocked up on Wolfpack gear for me and my son.
Then it was off to Durham, to visit the Regulator Bookshop, where they’ve sold several copies of the book already and asked me to bring a second batch in. Again, I bought a couple of books (see how this all works out well for the book stores), then I was on my way down Ninth Street and around the corner to the Cosmic Cantina, which hasn’t changed a whit since I moved from Durham in 2001. Okay, the chairs and tables out on the roof were newer, but nothing else.
Friday night I met up with a college buddy, his wife, and a friend of his at the Bulls game at Durham Bulls Athletic Park (a.k.a. the new stadium, even though it opened 17 years ago). Had a great time catching up, while paying next to no attention to what was actually happening on the field. Just happy I didn’t get nailed in the head by a foul ball. Took off during the seventh-inning stretch to meet up with some old friends (and former co-workers with the Bulls) at Satisfaction, where we powered through pizza, beer, and lots of laughs. Was dismayed to see that they had finally painted over the graffiti in the men’s room. It no longer says “King Rice still sucks” on the wall. I was very tempted to find a marker and fix that, but maybe next time. Wound up staying up talking until 3 in the a.m.
Despite the late bedtime, it was up and at ‘em Saturday morning, meeting a friend—and the main reason for the trip, as he was the groom in the wedding I was attending Saturday night—for breakfast. Barely an hour later it was time to meet some friends for lunch (back at Satisfaction), where I was so full I only managed a piece and a half of pizza. Went back to my friend’s house and crashed for a little while, then got all spiffed up for the wedding, where I was reunited with some old friends from Baseball America.
The wedding was at the Museum of Life and Science in north Durham, a really wonderful spot for an outdoor ceremony. We got to tour through the butterfly exhibit and ride on the little train and the weather was absolutely perfect. Left there around 11:15, then went back to my home base and mentioned how hungry I was. Next thing I know, we’re on the way to the Cook Out! up on Hillsborough Road. A cheeseburger, onion rings and a Cheerwine later, my tummy was happy and ready for bed.
Sunday morning started with a post-wedding brunch over at the home of the bride and groom in Durham. At 2:00 I met a writer and photographer for the Technician, the NC State student newspaper, at Durham Athletic Park (the old park) and we talked about my book and the history of the park. We even got a tour of the refurbished clubhouses underneath the stands. From there it was back to the Cosmic Cantina for another quick soft taco and Negra Modelo, then off to the new park for the Bulls game against Charlotte.
I bought a ticket in the second level up behind home plate, but moved out to center field when I tracked down Aaron Schoonmaker from WRALSportsFan.com and sat with him and his wife for the rest of the game. We talked about the book, Durham, bad jobs, good jobs, and all kinds of stuff while the game flew past. Really quick game. Ended in two hours and three minutes, which is almost unheard of. Aaron wrote up a review/story today, which is tremendously positive about the book. (Here I must emphasize that we had never met before Sunday, so I think he actually liked the book that much.)
After the game I made a quick stop at Devine’s, the favorite hangout of the main characters in The Greatest Show on Dirt. I wanted to sit outside on the patio, but it started raining, so instead I watched a little more baseball and had some dinner, then headed back to base camp.
Monday morning it was up and out, back to the airport and back home for a happy reunion with my little guy, and later my wife when she got home from work. As much as I love Durham, I’m very happy to be home again. And next time I go, I hope to take the whole family so I’m not shadowed all weekend by the feeling it would be more fun with them there.
May 16, 2012
Returning to the scene of the book
It has been five long years since I've been to Durham, N.C., my home for most of the '90s and the setting for my novel, The Greatest Show on Dirt. Friday morning I fly down for a whirlwind three-day trip.
The catalyst for this weekend is a friend's wedding, but I've built in a number of book-related stops, including a visit to old Durham Athletic Park, where the Bulls played until 1994 and where my book is set. When we visited in 2007 the DAP was in sorry shape, unused and run down, with the ultimate indignity of someone having taken a shit in the old souvenir stand where I spent many a night hawking Bulls t-shirts and caps. In the years since, the park has been completely refurbished, and I am very much looking forward to seeing it.
If all goes well, I will be meeting a writer and photographer there from the Technician, the student newspaper at my alma mater, NC State. I also have a book-related interview scheduled for Sunday evening at the Bulls game over at the new park.
Between all the baseball games, wedding events, and dinners with old friends I will find some time to sneak off to The Regulator Bookshop in Durham and Quail Ridge Books and Music in Raleigh. Both are independent book stores that are selling my book.
Next week I should have a report on how it all went. Three days hardly seems enough time to see everything and everyone I want to visit, but it's as long as I can stand to be away from my wife and young son.
The catalyst for this weekend is a friend's wedding, but I've built in a number of book-related stops, including a visit to old Durham Athletic Park, where the Bulls played until 1994 and where my book is set. When we visited in 2007 the DAP was in sorry shape, unused and run down, with the ultimate indignity of someone having taken a shit in the old souvenir stand where I spent many a night hawking Bulls t-shirts and caps. In the years since, the park has been completely refurbished, and I am very much looking forward to seeing it.
If all goes well, I will be meeting a writer and photographer there from the Technician, the student newspaper at my alma mater, NC State. I also have a book-related interview scheduled for Sunday evening at the Bulls game over at the new park.
Between all the baseball games, wedding events, and dinners with old friends I will find some time to sneak off to The Regulator Bookshop in Durham and Quail Ridge Books and Music in Raleigh. Both are independent book stores that are selling my book.
Next week I should have a report on how it all went. Three days hardly seems enough time to see everything and everyone I want to visit, but it's as long as I can stand to be away from my wife and young son.
May 11, 2012
Expanding beyond Amazon
Fire up those Nooks. The Greatest Show on Dirt is now available in Nook format. After wrestling with the decision of whether to renew for another 90 days with Kindle Select or expand to other ereader platforms, I ultimately came down on the expansion side, thanks in part to feedback from friends both here and on Facebook. I’m not sure what to expect in terms of sales, but time will tell.
Kindle’s Select option requires an exclusive commitment to the Kindle platform, as part of Amazon’s master scheme to take over the world. They do build in some nice benefits for authors, or at least potential benefits, which is what makes the decision more complicated than “Duh, more platforms is better.” Ultimately, I didn’t get enough of a bump from those perks to convince me to re-up, so here we are, in phase two.
Over the past few weeks I’ve also been able to expand into a few independent book stores, two down in North Carolina (The Regulator and Quail Ridge Books & Music), where The Greatest Show on Dirt is set, as well as the Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport, N.Y., about half an hour from where I live. Small book stores are willing to take a chance on independent authors, though typically they do it by risking little more than shelf space, as most will take the books on consignment.
I suspect in many cases they come out ahead on the deal, even when few books are sold. If other authors are like me, they go in and load up on visits to these shops, spending more on other books than they’re likely to make on their own. I took my son to Lift Bridge last week and walked out with three books for him and one for me.
I don’t get most of my books from small brick-and-mortar shops. I do a lot of Amazon, and I get more baseball books than I can even read as review copies. But I do feel good about supporting the indies when I can. There aren’t many of them left. While Amazon might like to eventually be the only one left, it won’t be good for readers or writers if that day ever arrives.
Kindle’s Select option requires an exclusive commitment to the Kindle platform, as part of Amazon’s master scheme to take over the world. They do build in some nice benefits for authors, or at least potential benefits, which is what makes the decision more complicated than “Duh, more platforms is better.” Ultimately, I didn’t get enough of a bump from those perks to convince me to re-up, so here we are, in phase two.
Over the past few weeks I’ve also been able to expand into a few independent book stores, two down in North Carolina (The Regulator and Quail Ridge Books & Music), where The Greatest Show on Dirt is set, as well as the Lift Bridge Book Shop in Brockport, N.Y., about half an hour from where I live. Small book stores are willing to take a chance on independent authors, though typically they do it by risking little more than shelf space, as most will take the books on consignment.
I suspect in many cases they come out ahead on the deal, even when few books are sold. If other authors are like me, they go in and load up on visits to these shops, spending more on other books than they’re likely to make on their own. I took my son to Lift Bridge last week and walked out with three books for him and one for me.
I don’t get most of my books from small brick-and-mortar shops. I do a lot of Amazon, and I get more baseball books than I can even read as review copies. But I do feel good about supporting the indies when I can. There aren’t many of them left. While Amazon might like to eventually be the only one left, it won’t be good for readers or writers if that day ever arrives.
April 30, 2012
Kindle vs Nook
There’s not much question the Kindle dominates the ebook world. As such, it wasn’t that tough of a decision to try KDP Select when I released The Greatest Show on Dirt in February. The program requires a 90-day exclusive commitment to the Kindle, after which an author can make their book available elsewhere. In exchange for the exclusivity, KDP Select offers up to five free promo days and inclusion in the Kindle lending program for Amazon Prime members (which allows them to borrow one free book each month).
Frankly, the free promo days haven’t done much for me. I’ve given away a lot of free downloads, but the Holy Grail of seeing the free promo spin into a jackpot once the book reverts to paid status hasn’t happened. I’ve heard from enough other authors that have ridden the wave to believe it exists, but in mid-April my two-day free trial saw 5,115 copies of The Greatest Show on Dirt downloaded. Once it went back to full price, the bounce was almost nonexistent.
The Kindle lending program has been slightly more successful, with eight borrows so far this month. The payout there depends on how many books were borrowed overall for the month, but average payouts in recent months have ranged from $1.50 to $2 or higher. Not a great deal, but it can add up.
My 90 days ends next week. Now it’s time to decide whether to re-up or branch out. Specifically I’m considering using Barnes & Noble’s PubIt program to make the book available for the Nook. I figure anyone with an Apple tablet of any kind can read Kindle books without any trouble. My question is, what’s the market like for the Nook? I’ve heard conflicting stories from other authors. Some report negligible sales on the Nook, while others feel there is less competition for ebook dollars there, with so many other indie authors tied up in exclusive KDP Select commitments.
Help me sift through all this. Do you use a Kindle, a Nook, or another ereader? If so, which one, and how reliant are you on it? If a book you want to read isn’t available for your device, do you buy the old-fashioned paper version or just skip it?
Frankly, the free promo days haven’t done much for me. I’ve given away a lot of free downloads, but the Holy Grail of seeing the free promo spin into a jackpot once the book reverts to paid status hasn’t happened. I’ve heard from enough other authors that have ridden the wave to believe it exists, but in mid-April my two-day free trial saw 5,115 copies of The Greatest Show on Dirt downloaded. Once it went back to full price, the bounce was almost nonexistent.
The Kindle lending program has been slightly more successful, with eight borrows so far this month. The payout there depends on how many books were borrowed overall for the month, but average payouts in recent months have ranged from $1.50 to $2 or higher. Not a great deal, but it can add up.
My 90 days ends next week. Now it’s time to decide whether to re-up or branch out. Specifically I’m considering using Barnes & Noble’s PubIt program to make the book available for the Nook. I figure anyone with an Apple tablet of any kind can read Kindle books without any trouble. My question is, what’s the market like for the Nook? I’ve heard conflicting stories from other authors. Some report negligible sales on the Nook, while others feel there is less competition for ebook dollars there, with so many other indie authors tied up in exclusive KDP Select commitments.
Help me sift through all this. Do you use a Kindle, a Nook, or another ereader? If so, which one, and how reliant are you on it? If a book you want to read isn’t available for your device, do you buy the old-fashioned paper version or just skip it?
April 23, 2012
‘Dirt’ now available at Regulator, Quail Ridge Books
Ever since the Raleigh News & Observer writeup on me and the book ran a couple weeks back, there has been a growing buzz in the Triangle area in North Carolina. The Greatest Show on Dirt is now available in two local independent book stores: The Regulator Bookshop in Durham and Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh.
I did interviews last week with both the N.C. State Technician (student newspaper) and the N.C. State Alumni Association blog Red & White For Life for upcoming stories. And Sunday, Chris Wise wrote about the book on his blog site Watching Durham Bulls Baseball, offering it up as a substitute for Bulls fans going through withdrawal due to the team’s rainout.
Up in my current hometown, Rochester, N.Y., The Greatest Show on Dirt was featured this past week in the Local Authors spotlight of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. That hit their web site last Tuesday and ran in the Living section of the paper Sunday.
Last week’s free Kindle download promo resulted in more than 5,000 downloads, putting the book in the Amazon’s Top 100 Free rankings for nearly 24 hours before it shifted back to paid status. With any luck a few of those people might even read the book and write a review.
I did interviews last week with both the N.C. State Technician (student newspaper) and the N.C. State Alumni Association blog Red & White For Life for upcoming stories. And Sunday, Chris Wise wrote about the book on his blog site Watching Durham Bulls Baseball, offering it up as a substitute for Bulls fans going through withdrawal due to the team’s rainout.
Up in my current hometown, Rochester, N.Y., The Greatest Show on Dirt was featured this past week in the Local Authors spotlight of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. That hit their web site last Tuesday and ran in the Living section of the paper Sunday.
Last week’s free Kindle download promo resulted in more than 5,000 downloads, putting the book in the Amazon’s Top 100 Free rankings for nearly 24 hours before it shifted back to paid status. With any luck a few of those people might even read the book and write a review.
April 18, 2012
'The Greatest Show on Dirt' available FREE for Kindle through Friday
Through midnight Friday, The Greatest Show on Dirt is available as a FREE download for the Kindle. Here's the link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Show-D...
"The Greatest Show on Dirt is funny, fast-paced, and peopled with likable characters in a believable minor league setting. In other words: manna for fans of sports fiction." -JOSEPH WALLACE, author of Diamond Ruby
"James Bailey performs a double-play pivot worthy of Bill Mazeroski, deftly pairing a page-turning coming-of-age tale about the cluelessness and angst of the post-college years with a richly detailed tour behind the scenes at a minor league ballpark." -JOSH WILKER, author of Cardboard Gods
"This coming-of-age story set against the ageless backdrop of minor league baseball is a fun and satisfying read. The writing is lively, the cast of colorful characters drawn with care and compassion, and the flawed yet good-hearted protagonist proves to be as reliable a narrator as he is son, grandson, friend and lover." -JEFF GILLENKIRK, author of Home, Away
"The Greatest Show on Dirt is funny, fast-paced, and peopled with likable characters in a believable minor league setting. In other words: manna for fans of sports fiction." -JOSEPH WALLACE, author of Diamond Ruby
"James Bailey performs a double-play pivot worthy of Bill Mazeroski, deftly pairing a page-turning coming-of-age tale about the cluelessness and angst of the post-college years with a richly detailed tour behind the scenes at a minor league ballpark." -JOSH WILKER, author of Cardboard Gods
"This coming-of-age story set against the ageless backdrop of minor league baseball is a fun and satisfying read. The writing is lively, the cast of colorful characters drawn with care and compassion, and the flawed yet good-hearted protagonist proves to be as reliable a narrator as he is son, grandson, friend and lover." -JEFF GILLENKIRK, author of Home, Away
April 10, 2012
Goodreads Giveaway ends Friday at midnight
If you are interested in reading The Greatest Show on Dirt, I'm giving away eight copies to Goodreads readers. Enter before Friday at midnight for a chance to win.
This is a baseball book and will be of interest to all sports fans. Here's a summary:
Lane Hamilton takes stock of his life and doesn’t like what he finds. His friends are all chasing their dreams, while he’s working for a goose-stepping bully on the middle-management track to nowhere. When Lane is fired for sleeping through an important meeting, a high school buddy lands him a job with the Durham Bulls. Despite the grueling hours, it doesn’t take him long to realize even a bad day at the yard beats a good one in Corporate America.
But is his new gig worth risking his magazine-cover girlfriend? And between jealous co-workers and psychotic relief pitchers, will he survive the season? The Greatest Show on Dirt is set in historic Durham Athletic Park, a place so rich in character that it plays as big a role as the crazy cast that makes up Lane’s Bulls family. Here is a realistic portrayal of what life was like working in the minor leagues in the early 1990s, before the explosive growth that saw many old ballparks replaced by miniature versions of big league stadiums. No one got rich, but they sure had a good time.
This is a baseball book and will be of interest to all sports fans. Here's a summary:
Lane Hamilton takes stock of his life and doesn’t like what he finds. His friends are all chasing their dreams, while he’s working for a goose-stepping bully on the middle-management track to nowhere. When Lane is fired for sleeping through an important meeting, a high school buddy lands him a job with the Durham Bulls. Despite the grueling hours, it doesn’t take him long to realize even a bad day at the yard beats a good one in Corporate America.
But is his new gig worth risking his magazine-cover girlfriend? And between jealous co-workers and psychotic relief pitchers, will he survive the season? The Greatest Show on Dirt is set in historic Durham Athletic Park, a place so rich in character that it plays as big a role as the crazy cast that makes up Lane’s Bulls family. Here is a realistic portrayal of what life was like working in the minor leagues in the early 1990s, before the explosive growth that saw many old ballparks replaced by miniature versions of big league stadiums. No one got rich, but they sure had a good time.
April 8, 2012
Q&A with the Raleigh News & Observer
The positive reviews in Tampa and Los Angeles were great and much appreciated, but today we have finally made inroads on Tobacco Road, with a piece appearing in this morning’s edition of the Raleigh News & Observer. N&O readers live in Bulls country, so this is big. One of two major papers in the Triangle area to cover the Bulls daily, the N&O reaches folks who well remember old Durham Athletic Park and the era depicted in the book.
I spent 40 minutes talking with Glenn McDonald, a correspondent for the N&O, last week. He spun our conversation into a Q&A covering everything from the inspiration for the book to my days working for the Bulls while in college. What ran was actually more about me and my experiences than the book itself, though here’s his summary of the book:
Bailey’s new novel, “The Greatest Show on Dirt,” is packed with fascinating details about life in the old D.A.P. Those were the heady years after the movie “Bull Durham” made the park a destination for baseball fans, and before the team moved to its new upscale digs. The novel depicts one crazy summer in the life of Lane Hamilton, an N.C. State grad who takes a job with the Bulls after getting fired from his going-nowhere sales job at a downtown bank.
Here’s a link to the story on the N&O’s site: N.C. State alum James Bailey’s novel revolves around Durham Bulls
I spent 40 minutes talking with Glenn McDonald, a correspondent for the N&O, last week. He spun our conversation into a Q&A covering everything from the inspiration for the book to my days working for the Bulls while in college. What ran was actually more about me and my experiences than the book itself, though here’s his summary of the book:
Bailey’s new novel, “The Greatest Show on Dirt,” is packed with fascinating details about life in the old D.A.P. Those were the heady years after the movie “Bull Durham” made the park a destination for baseball fans, and before the team moved to its new upscale digs. The novel depicts one crazy summer in the life of Lane Hamilton, an N.C. State grad who takes a job with the Bulls after getting fired from his going-nowhere sales job at a downtown bank.
Here’s a link to the story on the N&O’s site: N.C. State alum James Bailey’s novel revolves around Durham Bulls
April 3, 2012
“Easy to imagine as being the starting point for a movie script” — Tom Hoffarth, Los Angeles Daily News
This is the one I’ve been waiting on. Every April, Tom Hoffarth of the Los Angeles Daily News immerses himself in the world of baseball books, running a month-long feature called "30 baseball books in 30 days." Not only did he include The Greatest Show on Dirt, he was kind enough not to torture me with a long wait, running his review on just the third day of the month. Here’s a little of what he had to say:
The best baseball novels know how to straddle that line of realism and corny, and made it really about a human situation rather than a “baseball-themed” plot.
As Bailey digs deep into his baseball life here for the landscape, it’s not just believeable, but is easy to imagine as being the starting point for a movie script — even with “Bull Durham” already a classic. Bailey doesn’t use baseball locker-talk for shock value, but keeps the reader moving at the right pace, fully locked and loaded, trying to figure out how this crumbling old minor-league park will somehow expose the secret to life for at least one person who feels disconnected, but it willing to listen to see if if it’s speaking his language.
Be sure to check out the full review, called Rub a little Durham dirt on it, things might feel better. It’s another very positive take, coming a week after Bob D’Angelo of the Tampa Tribune posted his.
The best baseball novels know how to straddle that line of realism and corny, and made it really about a human situation rather than a “baseball-themed” plot.
As Bailey digs deep into his baseball life here for the landscape, it’s not just believeable, but is easy to imagine as being the starting point for a movie script — even with “Bull Durham” already a classic. Bailey doesn’t use baseball locker-talk for shock value, but keeps the reader moving at the right pace, fully locked and loaded, trying to figure out how this crumbling old minor-league park will somehow expose the secret to life for at least one person who feels disconnected, but it willing to listen to see if if it’s speaking his language.
Be sure to check out the full review, called Rub a little Durham dirt on it, things might feel better. It’s another very positive take, coming a week after Bob D’Angelo of the Tampa Tribune posted his.
