The Kid from Tomkinsville (Baseball Diamonds

Brooklyn Dodgers #1

by John R. Tunis

As the newest addition to the Brooklyn Dodgers, young Roy Tucker's pitching helps pull the team out of a slump; but, when a freak accident ends his career as a pitcher, he must try to find another place for himself on the team.

Genres: Baseball, Sports, Fiction, Young Adult, Childrens

278 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

John Roberts Tunis "the 'inventor' of the modern sports story",was an American writer and broadcaster. Known for his juvenile sports novels, Tunis also wrote short stories and non-fiction, including a weekly sports column for the New Yorker magazine. As a commentator Tunis was part of the first trans-Atlantic sports cast and the first broadcast of the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament to the United States.

After graduating from Harvard and serving in the Army during World War I, Tunis began his writing career freelancing for American sports magazines while playing tennis in the Rivera. For the next two decades he wrote short stories and articles about sports and education for magazines including Reader's Digest, The Saturday Evening Post and Esquire.

Tunis' work often protested the increasing professionalization of sports in America. He believed that amateur participation in sports taught values important for good citizenship like perseverance, fair play and equality, and that the emphasis on professional sports was turning America into a country of spectators. His sports books also tackled current social issues such as antisemitism and racial equality.

Though Tunis never considered himself a children's writer, all but one of his twenty-four books were published for juveniles; their success helped create the juvenile fiction book market in the 1940s. Books like Iron Duke (1938), All American (1942) and Keystone Kids (1943) were well received by readers and critics. Iron Duke received the New York Herald Tribune Spring Book Festival Award for best juvenile novel and was named a The Horn Book Magazine Best Book. The Child Study Association of America gave its Golden Scroll Award to Keystone Kids.

In his tribute to the writer, Bernard Hayes said "Tunis has probably made good readers of millions of young people." His success with the juvenile audience helped change the publishing industry. Along with writers like Howard Pease, his books demonstrated to publishers that there was money to be made in targeting books for teenagers. His influence went beyond simply creating a market for young adult books. "In his attempt to link sports with the communities in which they are played, he broached some highly significant issues in the literature written for and about America's youth", according to John S. Simmons in John R. Tunis and the Sports Novels for Adolescents: A Little Ahead of His Time. Tunis never considered himself a writer of boys' books, insisting his stories could be read and enjoyed by adults. He felt that the word "juvenile" was an "odious... product of a merchandising age". Despite his dislike of the term, Tunis' novels helped create and shape the juvenile fiction book market.

Reviews

[The Sports Book Analyst · Rating 5 out of 5]

One rookie pitcher…one veteran catcher…one epic read!

When you read a lot of sports books, you might realize that there are authors and then there are artists who know the depths of raw human emotion and shows it to the reader via the written page. John R. Tunis is both.

The story starts out with Roy Tucker, a rookie pitcher, boarding a train to try out for a spot with the Dodgers. He made it through training camp, but problems for The Kid from Tomkinsville were just beginning.

After sitting on the bench for several games, Roy got his chance to pitch, but it didn’t go well for him.

Roy was depressed and set alone in his hotel room wondering what would be his fate. While pondering these thoughts, Dave Leonard, the veteran catcher, walks in to talk with him. Chapter six is one of those chapters that should be in the sports hall of fame. It needs to be framed and found in every kid’s bedroom to the MLB locker room. Dave points out that “Courage is all baseball. And baseball is all life”.

The Kid from Tomkinsville continues on with the team as Dave’s time was up. Soon after, Roy Tucker got injured by a freak incident that happened in the Dodgers’ locker room. The doctor stated that he had medial epicondylitis and he would never be able to pitch again.

Soon after this diagnosis, the team learns that their manager dies in a car accident and Dave Leonard comes back as the new team manager.

Roy knew his contract would not be renewed since he could no longer pitch. But Dave wanted to try him as a hitter. Roy had 3 strikes at the first game in his new position. Wanting to be alone, he went to a restaurant to eat. When he heard people discussing the game and talking about him, he left to go to another diner only to find people still talking about him wondering why Dave Leonard keeps him on the team.

The Kid from Tomkinsville couldn’t take the fans and all the talking. He went to his hotel room and started packing. But an old familiar knock on the door and Dave enters the room. Another lesson in life was about to happen. He started off by reminding Tucker about his first conversation he had with him about having courage. Then the veteran catcher turned manager told him the harsh truth.

“They got under your skin today, the fans out there, didn’t they? You can’t take it, hey? Trouble with you is, you’re used to being Mr. Big.” Tunis, John R. The Kid from Tomkinsville (Kindle Locations 1538-1539). Open Road Integrated Media.

This may be viewed as harsh, but it was what Roy needed to change his mind to stick it out with the team.

It was the start of a new season. Roy’s contract was renewed and he is back as a hitter. He again made news as word spread of how good a hitter he had become. He even gained the attention of pitchers from other teams.

Everything was going well for Roy until he got in a slump. But the ever wise Dave knew what the real problem was. In the third long conversation that Dave had with Roy, he outright told him why he was benched. It was because he was playing for himself and not the team. He knew what Dave was saying rung true. And Roy Tucker learned yet another lesson.

The last chapter ends with Dave Leonard playing as catcher to replace an injured player and help bring his team to play in the series. The Dodgers won against the Giants to enter the Series by a score of four to three in fourteen innings led by Roy Tucker.

This book is a classic. So few authors today write anything of value like what is written in this story. As a personal trainer and sports massage therapist, I know what athletes go through. As the story progresses, you forget that you are reading something from the 1940s. When an author can transcend time, he becomes an artist with a pen.

Disclosure: I was asked by the publisher to write a review for this book. I have never heard of this publishing company before and my review is solely my opinion.

[Joel Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book about 15 years ago when my father-in-law recommended it to me. I really enjoyed it but I had forgotten about it until he recommended it again, this time to my 12 year old daughter. This book was written when he was about the same age as my daughter and became very popular at the time, and is the first in a series of sports books written by John R. Tunis. But it is much more than a sports book. The Kid from Tompkinsville draws on the experiences of real athletes but is otherwise fiction. It captures all of what baseball is about -- being a rookie and learning the ropes, following (or ignoring) what the press has to say about the players and the teams, getting through injuries and batting slumps, experiencing different styles of leadership, winning and losing, and learning from mistakes. It really captures baseball at its best and the way it was meant to be. This is a pretty wholesome book and is great for kids. Some knowledge of baseball is needed to get the most out of the story.

[Finn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually am not the type for sports books, but this one felt different to me. I could really feel the character, and what the sport meant to him. At the climax, I was completely hooked. Would recommend even to those who usually don't read this type of book.

[Ph. D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an only child, I read a lot as a kid. This is one of my favorites from one of my favorite authors. If you're like me and it's been 60 years ago since you were mesmerized by The Kid from Tomkinsville, treat yourself, find the book, and read it again. Overlook the parts that you feel are dated. Shake your head at the racism, which we were too ignorant to recognize back in the 50's. And just enjoy the story and the writing of the great John R. Tunis.

IS BROOKLYN...STILL...IN THE LEAGUE?

If you tear up like I did, that's OK.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm recapturing images and impressions, from having read this book many years ago. John Tunis was an old school author of, in this instance, baseball fiction. His vision of the good baseball player was someone who worked hard, did not showboat, worked as a good teammate. . . . The feature character is Roy Tucker, a pitcher at the outset of his career, but--after an injury to his pitching arm--he tried the outfield. The book focuses on his rather aloof character, not always the best teammate. However, he grew in character, and the end of the book leaves one wondering where he will go next. . . .

[Brad Laidman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite novel as a child. Bernard Malamud stole it all for the Natural. Gripping read. I bought it for all the little league kids I coached. Roy Hobbs is a tragedy. Tucker is a triumph. A story of work and redemption. Each chapter is gripping. Not just a book for kids. Tunis wrote a ton of great material. All of this trilogy should be read by every child baseball fan or not. Tunis encapsulated the boys of summer before everyone else did.

[Darren McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kid from Tomkinsville is about a fictional character named Roy Tucker who is "the kid" and lives in a small town in Connecticut. Roy Tucker started living with his grandmother after his parents died. He worked at the town's corner store while he played local baseball trying to continue his baseball career. One day, Major league scouts came to watch another player on Roy's team and Roy got attention from them so he ended up playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Roy was off to a fantastic rookie season until (Spoiler Alert) after a game some players were joking around in the showers and Roy hurt his arm. Roy Tucker's rookie season is put on hold but this isn't the worse thing that happened in his first season. (Spoiler Alert) The manager of the Dodgers was killed in a car crash soon after Roy's injury. The veteran catcher named Dave Leonard who was cut during the season becomes the manager of the team and turns the season around after a slump. (Spoiler Alert) Dave Leonard takes the Dodgers to the playoffs and the story ends when Roy makes a diving catch to make it to the world series.

I enjoyed reading this story and I would recommend this to any baseball fan. The story makes you feel like you are right with Roy Tucker in his rookie season. The book makes a lot of baseball references and you may need some baseball knowledge to understand the full story. I especially enjoyed this book because of how realistic it was for a full season of baseball. There were a lot of ups and downs during the book and you never knew what was going to happen next. I thought it was great how the veteran Catcher Dave Leonard assisted Roy during the whole season and was always by his side. One thing that I found interesting was that the media didn't go crazy about Roy's shower accident and if that were to happen in real life I think the player would make up something else so they don't get bashed by society.

[Tracy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baseball, not normally my kind of story, but this was pretty enjoyable. Roy Tucker from Tomkinsville was a farm boy turned Brooklyn Dodger. Follow his journey, from rookie to all-around good player. This story takes you through many ups and downs of the game, both physical and emotional. I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys the sport and wants to get to know how it feels from a rookie's point of view. Happy Reading!

[Jim Gold · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tracked down this book because Philip Roth devotes several pages to discussing it in the context of its appearance on the childhood bookshelf of the protagonist in American Pastoral. Written in 1940, the Kid certainly provides an old school view of baseball during hardscrabble times before player free agency. More valuable as history than on its own merits; I didn't find a whole lot of depth in the characters or the story.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like sports, you won't want to miss this!
Even if you don't like sports, you'll probably still enjoy it. I did. By now this is probably also classified as Historical Fiction, so there's that too. It is a fun book suitable for all readers.

[Mattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old school baseball book, reminded me of "The Natural," my all-time favorite. Funny how I think of this as a male writing style, something about the pace of it, or maybe it was just the old fashioned euphemisms.

[Deb Oestreicher · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty simple story of a young ball player. I imagine it is a terrific read for baseball fans.

[Rodney Haydon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great sports novel, and I just wish I would have graduated from Matt Christopher to John Tunis when I was younger. had I only known about him. 5 stars!

[Jamey Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to read with my 10 year old grandson.

[Jess Bae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quite delightful -- the dreams of a young rookie, the guidance of the kind, patient, all-seeing catcher/Daddy. Fun baseball slang from 1940.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 read

[Brim_berries · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got choked up about a dozen times reading this out loud to my 4yo. I’d say it was a good read.

[Darren · Rating 2 out of 5]

B-
2.5 stars

[Bob Redmond · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kid from Tomkinsville, in Tunis' crisply-written novel from 1940, is Roy Tucker, a pitching prodigy who gets a shot in the big leagues with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He succeeds, only to get injured in a freak accident. Spending the winter practicing hitting, Tucker switches to right field and helps the Dodgers make the postseason.

But it's no fairytale, this story. The Kid injures himself yet again, and as the book ends he is being carried off on a stretcher, possibly ruined for life.

Tunis writes like he's making a woodcut, drawing scenes with minimal exactitude. His characters don't waste words, and Tunis packs an amazing amount of baseball detail and strategy in the spaces between. Best of all he lets them fail and fall, which not only evokes the desperate pre-war years in this country, but gives the book a gravity apropos of the human condition, where, even at our best, we miss almost all the time. And then what do we do?

If we're the Kid from Tomkinsville, we play until the last out of the last inning.


*

WHY I READ THIS BOOK: Another in a series of "tangential reads," this book was recommende via AMERICAN PASTORAL by Philip Roth (itself recommended via Greil Marcus SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME). Roth described the book so engagingly, I had to look it up to see if it was real. Turns out it was real, the first of a whole series of baseball books by Tunis featuring Tucker.

The book also serves as a continuation of great "books of failure about America" I've been reading: Paul Auster's NEW YORK TRILOGY, Greil Marcus SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, and Roth's AMERICAN PASTORAL. Throw in Pinnochio for good measure (re: the failing anti-hero), as well as Doctorow's HOMER & LANGLEY (which I read next), and the set makes an interesting, unwitting meditation on the human condition.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roy Tucker, the “Kid” of the title, is recruited from his hometown baseball field to join the Brooklyn Dodgers during spring training. The young southpaw hurler isn’t quite sure what he’s getting into, having never before been out of his Connecticut home town. The story, published in 1940, rings true for its time. Once in camp and feeling the pressure of its quality and the rigor demanded of its training, quiet, humble, talented rookie Tucker struggles a bit. Thankfully, he’s taken under the wing of near-retirement age, wise, calm catcher Dave Leonard. The Dodgers are a team of scrappers, guys following the example of their feisty manager and shortstop. Taking the reader through two seasons, we follow Roy’s rise and its effect on the Dodgers, his challenges, his between-seasons return home to his grandmother’s farm and his job at the drugstore, his colorful teammates and members of the press. The difficulties Roy encounters force him to make some changes for his second season. Tucker and Leonard are particularly well made, and their teammates become secondary characters with more than enough to make them distinguishable individuals. This is the first of eight books based on the Dodgers by Tunis. His style takes some modest getting used-to for its tendency to jump from one place to another with nothing more than a one line break. Once familiar, it ends up adding something to the story. A baseball fan will eat this up. As one, this reader enjoyed its realism for the time and baseball anecdotes, habits, quirks, and its short-story-like ending. Roy’s next step is in Tunis’ book World Series. I’ll be reading it soon.

[Johnpatty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kid named Roy Tucker tries out for a baseball team. He wants to become a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was a decent pitcher and a overall good pitcher. He starts to get better and better during try outs, and hits a couple home-runs over the fence which is amazing for a pitcher to do.

In the beginning of the story Roy is nervous and scared and thinking he will get cut the first day of try outs. He thinks about one practice a day and says that's not a lot. The first day he was exhausted from practice. He gets more confident with being worked with and starts to pitch the ball way better. Toward the end of the story he is one of the best pitchers in the league and tries to help his team win the season.

The book was overall pretty good. It explained whats it like to practice with a coaching staff that is one of the best out of the entire league. It shows how exhausting it can be and what some struggles can be while your practicing for a professional team. He goes through a lot of the struggles while on his way to the practice and during the practice and the author explains that really well. It's a good book and shows what kind of people can be on teams like that and trying to advance to MLB (major league baseball.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and feel it has held up very well for being pretty old. Roy Tucker is young boy that lives on a farm with his grandmother. Roy is a pretty good pitcher and when a storm destroys his grandmothers farm he receives checks from the Dodgers organization in return for his attendance at there training camp. At the camp Roy befriends a veteran catcher and learns some tips and ends up making the team. Roy is a young star that leads his team on a win streak but an unfortunate accident injures his throwing arm he can no longer pitch. Luckily for Roy the coach is his friend and Roy converts to a hitter and leads his team to a world series. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys sports books or themes of never giving up.

[Pete · Rating 4 out of 5]

like medically corny and predictable but also satisfying. this is a YA novel about a kid, from tomkinsville, who gets picked up by the brooklyn dodgers as a minor leaguer, wows everyone with his electric stuff in training camp, and then becomes a phenomenon in the bigs. sort of like the natural, but boiled down to a single season instead of a career, and also without any of the sex or most of the evil. i would say this is for basic tweens if it wasn't 100% riveting. i feel happier about living in the world after blasting through this in a few sittings. dunno if i will read any more john r tunis but i am glad he wrote this and that i read it.

[Teri-K · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son loved these books when he was younger, but I've never read any of them. They were written for adults but became popular with young men over the years, especially sports-minded ones. So now, years later, I decided to give one a try - and I'm sorry I waited so long. Tunis tells a wonderful story about people you can really care about.Roy Tucker and Dave Leonard are men I know, or would like to.

It probably helps to know something about baseball when you read this because there are several in-depth descriptions of games which are nail-bitingly tense. But the story itself doesn't depend on the game.

Excellent, I plan to read more. And I'll be rereading this, I'm sure.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to read at least one or two baseball books in the Summer. I read The Art of Fielding earlier in the year, but I thought I'd pick up another quick one. Set in the 1940s, the story describes the journey of Roy Tucker, a young kid from Connecticut who gets drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers as a pitcher. He excels as a pitcher but then suffers a freak accident and cracks his pitching elbow. He works to come back to baseball as an outfielder. I enjoyed this book a lot, and I think my sons will too when they get a little older.

[Patricia Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm afraid that I just wasn't into this book. It was written by a sports writer (John R. Tunis) as the first book in a series of children's sports books. The story was OK - a young rookie goes to try outs, makes the team and proves he is a great pitcher. Because of injuries he is put in right field and proves that he is an excellent fielder and hitter as well. As a BIG fan of baseball I was looking for a bit more plot. The theme was pretty predictible. I just couldn't get into the writer's writing style.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Discovered Tunis in high school, reading both this and World Series. I can't recall now if they were written for kids or adults, but what has stayed with me for 25 years is that they are the best baseball works I have ever read. Beautiful stories, and a must for any serious fan of our national pastime.

[Bcpl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reminded of this book while reading American Pastoral. I didn't realize that this was actually an "old" book when I read it as a kid, probably because there is so much kid historical fiction set amidst the Brooklyn Dodgers.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This whole book series got me interested in reading again when I was younger. I was lost in reading and this series was pointed out to me. I love the combination of characters and facts about baseball. Every young boy, who likes sports, should read this series.

[Brian]

Recommended by Walker Lamond of 1001 rules for my son