Friday May 11th, 2012

“EXTRA INNINGS” –  BY BRUCE E. SPITZER

(Bear Hill Media:  2012)

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen:  We are full swing into the baseball book season. Stopping by my local bookstore (yes…they still have those as e-books have not yet completely taken over), I went straight to the baseball book section. I was amazed at how many new titles were out. With so much to choose from, picking a new title to read can be overwhelming. Let’s face it- we all have busy lives. There is a strong time commitment required to complete any book from beginning to end. If taken too long to read, the stories and messages can often be lost. Thus the special story that you choose must be worthy of your time. To pick the book, read it from beginning to end and walk away having gained wisdom and enjoyment from it. That is why we encourage reading books here on MLB reports and work to find you the latest and greatest titles. Today’s book is revolutionary in the world of baseball and one that completely blew me away.  Extra Innings, a novel by first time author Bruce Spitzer. Imagine science was able to bring Ted Williams back to life in the year 2092. Do I have your attention? I knew I would.

Here is a brief introduction to Extra Innings, courtesy of extrainningsthenovel.com:

   In the year 2092, Ted Williams, the greatest baseball hitter of all time, is brought back to life through the science of cryonics.

Once again playing for the Red Sox, Williams finds himself trapped in a world he hardly recognizes: the corruption of the game he loves with über-juiced batters and robot pitchers; difficult love affairs clashing with his old desires; and a military conflict of the future in which he must harness the fighter pilot skills he used in his first life.

Dr. Elizabeth Miles is the cryonicist who brings him back to life, initiating a dramatic sequence of medical achievements. She and her young son Johnnie are a constant reminder of what Williams lacked in his first trip around the bases, never devoting much time to love and family. But old habits die hard.

With enemies and allies both on the field and off, Williams must make sense of it all and play on against a machine that he detests, pressure to take the “giddyup” he abhors, unrelenting media mania, and a dystopian world he can’t ignore.

The narrative resonates with the consequences of the major issues we face in our world today—the steroids debate in sports, global warming, corporate greed, technology run rampant, and the moral ambiguity of war.

Extra Innings is alternately poignant and humorous, heartbreaking and joyous. Thought-provoking throughout, it’s a rollicking ride that looks at second chances and redemption, the ability to triumph over adversity, and the search for meaning in this life and the next.

Flawed in his first life, Williams must decide in the second what’s more important, the chance to win his first World Series, or the chance to be a better man?

I enjoyed Extra Innings on many levels. It is a book that made me think, feel and learn all at the same time. Too many of today’s baseball fans grew up having never watched Ted Williams play. Sure, they heard some stories and remember some of the tributes to the baseball great later in life. But not many fans I meet have actually watched Ted Williams play. This is where Extra Innings shines. To be able to imagine a future world where Ted Williams returns, we have to remember and think about Ted Williams in his previous life. The life that many of us missed. Spitzer likely picked Williams for several reasons. Living and growing in Boston, he would have an automatic passion for the Red Sox and Williams. A logical choice. But Williams presents an interesting contrast from days gone by to what the future would be like. Williams was a “man’s-man”.  A throwback. Playing the game hard. Giving it all on the baseball field. Serving in the army. They don’t build many like Williams anymore. From a baseball standpoint, Extra Innings gives the requisite baseball education and information that I always crave in a baseball book.

Then you start to think on so many topics. What would the world be like in 2092? What would baseball be like during those times? Would they have baseball? My mind went into overload trying to reason what would be in 80 years from now. Then on top of it, take a hall of fame player from the past and put him into the future and you have a great deal of intrigue. I will admit that I am not the biggest science fiction fan. But you don’t need to be to enjoy Extra Innings. Spitzer was able to walk the delicate line of futuristic imagery while still keeping the essence of a clear and defined baseball novel. The return of Williams and his life in the future is the backdrop of the story. But to me, the essence of baseball is what made the book flow. So I was learning and thinking while enjoying baseball.

That is where we come to the best part of the book. I started thinking to one of the biggest reasons I enjoy interviewing baseball players and officials on MLB reports. While I personally enjoy talking and analyzing baseball, it is really fun to climb into the mind of a person involved in the game and learn about their thought process. Before reading Extra Innings, I had the opportunity to interview Bruce Spitzer back in November. Before even reading the book, it was a hoot to climb into the shoes of the author and gather his thoughts, views and feelings. Getting to known Bruce personally made reading the book even that much more enjoyable. I would highly recommend that you read the interview before jumping into the book. So then imagine if you would, what it would be like to get into the head of Ted Williams. With Ted having passed several years ago, most of us believed and would not return. But then Ted returns. Plays baseball again. We get to know how he feels about the game as it advanced from his day. That what was the part of the book that most intrigued me going in. Spitzer passed that test with flying colors. Having read Extra Innings, I felt that I really knew Ted Williams. The man…and the baseball player.

I am not going to ruin the book for you by going deep into the plots, with the twists and turns. That is for you to explore on your own. Reading a baseball book is a very private journey. We all start and end at the same place. But how we react to the words on the pages and develop the images in our mind…that is personal to each individual reader. To appreciate Extra Innings, here is what you need to do. Firstly, get over to Amazon or your local book retailer and obtain your copy, either as an e-book or hard copy. Secondly, relax. Feel loose. Let your mind go free. Take away your life stresses. Be open. Stay open. Third, get your imagination ready. Get ready to do some thinking and exploring. Get ready to be taken away, to a different space and time. Finally, remember. You need to remember the past, as you recall the great Ted Williams. What you saw live, on television, in books, on baseball cards. The Ted Williams you know, but returning in a new form. When you do these things, you will get the fullest possible journey out of Extra Innings. And that is what a good book is all about. Taking you on the best journey through the eyes and the mind of the author.

Overall, Extra Innings hit it out of the park. It is different. It is unique. Quite frankly, a book that is based around Ted Williams already has many plusses in my book. Add in the strong storytelling of Bruce Spitzer and the book is destined to be a classic. You don’t have to be a Red Sox fan to appreciate Extra Innings. You don’t even have to be a baseball fan (which if you aren’t…speak to me, that can be fixed). Whether you read the book for the love of baseball, Ted Williams, the Red Sox, or the future and what it holds, Extra Innings has something for every reader. So as the cover of the book asks: Will Ted Williams use this second chance to win his first World Series or to become a better man? Buy the book and find out. A wise investment in your baseball and personal growth.

Bruce E. Spitzer has been a writer and editor his entire professional life. Spitzer’s writing has won awards from the New England Press Association, the International Association of Business Communicators, and the Publicity Club of Boston. His writing has appeared in newspapers, magazines and online. He is a public relations executive and writes the “Dollars and Sense” business column for the MetroWest Daily News, and is also the editor of a business trade journal, Massachusetts Banker Magazine. Spitzer is a graduate of Boston University and Rutgers and lives in the Boston area with his wife and young son. Extra Innings is his first novel.

You can reach Bruce by e-mail:  Bruce@BruceSpitzer.com, on Twitter (@BruceSpitzer1) and be sure to check out the website: ExtraInningsTheNovel.com

Jonathan Hacohen is the Founder & Lead Baseball Columnist & Editor for MLB reports:  You can follow Jonathan on Twitter (@JHacohen)

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