Fielder from Nowhere

Ken Holt arrived at the Terriers spring training camp packing little more than a dream and a set of minimal baseball equipment. He manages to talk his way past the guard and into the practice field. He is then able to meet Jake Tobin, the Terrier manager. After some initial big talk, he gets an opportunity to show his talents and is invited to stay with the team. Ken does very well and is offered a contract. However, there is something that he is not telling anyone about his past. After a few months of playing excellent baseball, Ken goes out into the rough section of town and talks with some boys playing a pickup baseball game. After overcoming some initial problems, Ken manages to organize a league for the boys. Unfortunately, a man from Ken's past surfaces and attempts to bribe him. The problems that this creates affects Ken's game to the point where he is benched. Finally, Ken decides to come clean and learns that he really had nothing to fear. The act of bringing his past out into the open is uplifting and relieving rather than the cause of additional problems. This is another one of the excellent stories about how the best way to handle difficulties is to face them head-on. It is also a lesson in holding on tight to your dreams, being persistent until things break your way. The best sports fiction of the 1940's and 1950's always dealt with success in two ways, as a person in the world and as a player on the field. This book is one of the best.