Harold Kasselman's Blog - Posts Tagged "mets"

TAMPA-TRIBUNE BOOK REVIEW

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/spo...

I am very proud of the above review by Robert D'angelo, a sports reporter and book reviewer for 30 years at the Tampa-Tribune. This piece appeared Monday April 16th about A PITCH FOR JUSTICE

I am grateful to journalist and author Mike Reuther for his review of A Pitch For Justice.
http://sungazette.com/page/content.de...

5.0 out of 5 stars Justice vs. Vengeance, January 23, 2013
By The Kindle Book Review (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviewsThis review is from: A Pitch for Justice (Kindle Edition)
Author Harold Kasselman has given us a uniquely realistic story of the ramifications that could result from a baseball pitch hitting a batter in the head and ultimately resulting in the death of the batter. Is this a situation that should be handled by the Commissioner of Baseball or is it one that should be treated as a crime and brought before a Grand Jury?

The rivalry between the Phillies and the Mets is palpable and retaliation is the name of the game. Rookie pitcher Tim Charles is embroiled in a conspiracy endorsed by manager Buck Sawyer to throw a pitch to intimidate and hit second baseman for the Mets Kenny Leyton. The pitch hits Leyton in the head and he drops to the ground. He suffers a concussion and against doctor's orders goes home to rest. The next day he is having great difficulty and is rushed to the emergency room where he subsequently dies from his injuries. Leyton's Widow Theresa masks her grief behind anger and vengeance and is determined to get justice for her husband's death no matter what the cost.

This book brings to the surface the competitive nature of baseball and the lengths that players are expected to go to in order to be competitive and support the players on their team. Does the fact that this type of retaliation has always been part of the game make it acceptable?

This is not just a book about baseball; it is also about the morals and values of those in the game and the inner workings of the legal system in their quest for justice. The process of the Grand Jury deciding to prosecute and the inner workings of this process as well as the trial that ensues are riveting and informative. You have a glimpse into the inner workings of the legal system and the compromises and deals that are made before a case gets to trial.

The characters of Tim Charles the pitcher, Buck Sawyer the team manager and Jamie Brooks the prosecutor and an avid baseball fan are extremely well-developed. They successfully draw you into their lives as the drama and intensity of the legal issues bring them together.

This is a very realistic story written with knowledge and depth. The Author's background as an attorney is evident as he leads the reader through the court system with intelligence and ease. The style of writing is easy to follow, filled with interesting characters and portrays the inner working of the legal system with great fascination.
By: Marilou George The Kindle Book Review

Mike Sowell,Journalism Professor and author of The Pitch that Killed a factual account of the 1920 American League pennant race, and the tragic death of Ray Chapman by a pitched ball,has this to say about my novel.
" I really enjoyed A PITCH FOR JUSTICE. It kept me hanging until the end. Great story and excellent job telling it". Mike Sowell, Author of THE PITCH THAT KILLED,(soon to be a major motion picture called DEADBALL)
My book is a fictitious portrayal of what could happen today if a batter were beaned after the team's manager calls for retaliation.
The next step is the investigation and prosecution of the rookie pitcher for homicide. What effect would such a prosecution have upon the game of baseball and how it's played? Should the baseball commissioner soley handle the matter or is it really criminal conduct.
What was in the heart of the rookie pitcher when he threw the pitch?
http://www.amazon.com/A-Pitch-for-Jus...

Below are two timely articles about retaliation and the "unwritten code" of baseball. The articles speaks for themselves, but it is significant for a few reasons.One,the players expect some pay back for Carlos Quentin's charge to the mound against Zach Greinke, and for the pitches that hit Puig and Greineke.
Secondly, there is a recognition of how dangerous "purpose pitches" can be when they are thrown at vulnerable areas of the body.
Thirdly, there is a consensus that even a pay-back pitch must not be thrown in the neck/head area.
These issues are examined in a fictional setting in A Pitch For Justice on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/A-Pitch-for-Jus...
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Do...
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Do...

The Dodgers found themselves in yet another baseball scrum last night; this time it was the divisional leading Arizona Diamondbacks. And yes Zach Greinke was front and center once again

It started when the Dodgers' star rookie, Yasiel Puig, was hit in the face by a pitch in the sixth, which led to the Dodgers and pitcher Zack Greinke to retaliate in the seventh by hitting Miguel Montero. But when Ian Kennedy sent one toward Greinke's head in the seventh, all hell broke lose with a benches-clearing brawl, and Puig was right in the middle of it.
The problem, with the attitude that this is just boys playing out the tradition of the unwritten rules of baseball, is that someone will be seriously hurt or a career will be ended.
The exception to the unwritten code of retaliation is that "purpose pitches" are not to be thrown at the neck or above. In this game Puig was hit in the face and Greinke was hit in the head.
Someone needs to grow up and realize that a baseball can be a deadly weapon even if it is not intentionally thrown at the head with a purpose to hit the head. Just trying to intimidate can lead to a recklessly caused injury.
Two lesser things came out of last night's game. One the Dodgers won. Secondly with Mattingly going all out for his players yesterday by mixing it up with Alan Trammel, he has probably saved his job for the rest of the year.
If you would like to read a novel that depicts how far escalation can go in an MLB game, read A PITCH FOR JUSTICE. The criminal justice system gets involved to make a pitcher accountable for a tragedy on the field.
http://www.amazon.com/A-Pitch-for-Jus...

Also read the below well argued dilemma for sports fans on whether violence is just an acceptable part of the game.
http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/...-

I just happened to check my statistics to see if my sales to Europe had yielded any reviews. I am proud to show my first review from a reader from Germany on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.de/dp/B007AIQO0A
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5.0 von 5 Sternen Grand Slam Homerun 17. Juni 2013

Von Der Cubbie

Format:Kindle Edition|Von Amazon bestätigter Kauf


This is simply a great book, well written, with a great story.

It seems to be the first book ever written by Mr. Kasselman but it is one I could not put down for long.

I love Baseball and his "what if"-idea outlined in this book was absolutely outstanding.

I am not very familiar with the details of the US-legal system, but he explained each step one-by-one, so even a layman like me was able to follow and understand this case.

There was never any doubt what my personal verdict on this issue would be, but nobody could be sure.

It was also nice, that he included a second, more personal story about the DA Jamie, who seemed to be a nice chap burdened with a task nobody had done before.

Fun to read ! And therefore highly recommended !!!

I am gratified to post the following blog review of my novel by a wonderful writer and law school graduate RC O'Leary. Please take a moment and read the full review
" I found it to be a very interesting concept and one that became more realistic as the story progressed. Upon first reading the book's blurb I thought the idea was a bit unrealistic--would a major league pitcher really get charged with murder for beaning a batter--but Kasselman (who, more full disclosure, I have had some interactions with re: his book and mine on goodreads) creates an extremely plausible sequence of events and decision making that makes the idea seem completely credible. As a matter of fact, God forbid a major league player is killed by a bean ball, but if he were I think this book might be used as justification to potentially charge him."

http://www.rcoleary.com/

Last night's playoff game between the Mets and the Dodgers saw a crucial and controversial play involving Chase Utley(Dodgers) and Reuben Tejada(Mets) It was the bottom of the 7th and the Dodgers trailed by a run with runners on first and third and one out. Howie Kendrick hit a liner toward second which was grabbed by Daniel Murphy near second base. Murphy flipped the ball towards Reuben Tejada who approached second base for the toss with his back angled away from the runner Utley. Utley slid very late toward the bag and up-ended Tejada with a legal but brutal take out slide that led to Tejada's departure on a cart. It was later determined he sustained a broken fibula. Utley was called out but a challenge resulted in a reversal. That controversial call, since Utley failed to touch second base, opened the floodgates to several Dodger runs and a change of the lead.
The irony is that in 2010 Utley and Tejada were involved in a similar play when Utley was a member of the Phillies. In a game of little importance to the Mets as opposed to the division leading Phillies, Utley slid late and hard into Rueben Tejada and knocking down the Mets' shortstop. In that game, Mets' pitcher Mike Pelfrey and third baseman David Wright openly jawed at Utley for the late take-out slide. They later criticized the slide via the press. Pelfrey even made gestures to his head, mimicking a bean ball towards Utley.
Now Utley has taken out the starting Mets' shortstop in a critical championship series. Many ball players have already accused Utley of a dirty slide again; yet the umpiring crew did not call Utley out on an interference call. This begs the question of whether the Mets will seek retribution against Utley if they get an opportunity or even against an innocent Dodger. This question formed the basis for the theme of my novel A Pitch For Justice. It follows a similar type incident which led to a deadly ending. You can find it on Amazon.

My novel A Pitch For Justice, which examines where the line between conventional sports violence and actual criminality should be drawn, is now on sale. It is a suspenseful legal drama with a 4.5 rating with 216 reviews.
Today and for the next 6 days at just $0.99 on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Pitch-Justice-L...