The Dixie Association

The Dixie Association is a perfect book. It is hilarious, wise, profound, and unbelievably beautifully written. It should not be subtitled "Voices of the South". It is THE voice of the South, perfectly captured on paper. Donald Hays has perfect pitch for Southern language, on the street and in the locker room. The basdeball portions are true, interesting and exciting. The picture of the last game remains one of the great descriptions of an epic encounter in sports. There are more great characters than you can count. I read it in the 80s when it was published and probably bought a dozen copies before I was through giving it to people who I thought needed it. And finally, I simply loved the book so much that I tracked down the author and called him to tell him directly how much I was moved, and touched, and thrilled by it. I am about to launch into another buying and giving spree with this new edition.

As the others have said, I think this is just about the best fictional baseball ever written. The characters are brought to life by Mr Hays. These are some of the most memorable characters I have ever come to love in fiction. I do not agree in the slightest with the politics and world-view of Mr. Hays; however I must say that he presents his view of the world in such an engaging and humanistic way, that I find myself totally enthralled by these characters and thier trials and tribulations.The main character "Hog Durham" is an ex-con who is given one last chance by society. After having spent the last few years in the Oklahoma State Prison (I can't spell penitentiary) he is released to the care of the the Arkansas Reds. A minor league team mangaged by the oh so subltly named "Lefty" Marks. Lefty has assembled a team of has beens and wanna be's that by thier sheer oddness you just know that they will set the league on it's ear. The plot is predictable but the characterzations and humanizing of the players is incredible.The team consists of the ex-con Durham, along with Jeremiah Eversole (a Panamanian Native American, that psyches himself up by reading a history of how the Whites' raped Central America.) Bullet Bob Turner (A biggoted redneck has been major league relief pitcher) and the most important other character Lefty Marks himself.These charaters and many others bring this story alive. They are alive, aware, human and earthy. The language will offend some, but it is the language of ex-cons, and the down-trodden. A language that is rich in description and explitives.Do yourself a favor, read this book. If you are a fan of baseball, or a fan of the down-trodden masses, this will reach your heart and make you laugh and cry.

What else can I say? Hog Durham's narrative is simply brilliant throughout the entire novel. Not only a great work of fiction, but very accurate with its baseball details as well. Not a novel for the thin-skinned.

I am in my fifth reading of this novel. It is simply the best baseball novel ever. The book was first published in mid-80's and it left no one unoffended then and it leaves no one unoffended now. The baseball part is depicted in accurate detail, and life in America is depicted in more detail than we might generally be conmfortable with. Memorable characters, great storyline, and humor out the kazoo. If Chomsky had decided to write a baseball novel, this would have been it. Great read, worth the price, and thanks to LSU Press for the reissue.

Hays' _The Dixie Association_ is by far my favorite baseball novel. The Reds (pun intended) are an Arkansas farm league team owned by a one-armed socialist and populated by ex-cons, American Indians, rednecks, Cubans, and fallen cheerleaders. Their battles are played out both on the field and in the streets, as the Religious Right tries repeatedly to run them out of town. While many baseball books are concerned with the glory of America and the game that has come to be held as its symbol, _The Dixie Association_ shows us the underbelly of that image. The members of the Reds, despite their fistfights, yelling matches, and general cranky demeanor, have one thing in common: each has been kicked around by America and left for defeated. Hays will have us know that baseball is for all Americans, as the Reds find salvation and self respect through the great game. _The Dixie Association_ is one heck of a book, about baseball, yes, but mostly about the subversive spirit of any country's people and the doors that a sliding fastball can open. Kinsella's _Shoeless Joe_ could be considered the National Anthem of baseball novels. Fine. _The Dixie Association_ is the taunts and jeers from the drunks behind the left field foul line. Much praise to LSU press for re-issuing this fine novel.