Sophomore Campaign

In 1949, seventeen-year-old pitching phenom Mickey Tussler is back with the rejuvenated minor league Brewers. Despite Mickey's proclamation that he will never play baseball again after last season's violent conclusion, manager and now surrogate father Arthur Murphy cajoles the emotionally fragile, socially awkward autistic boy into giving it another shot. When a young African American player joins the team, the entire team is subjected to racial threats and various episodes of violence, one of which Mickey happens to witness. Struggling to understand the ugliness and hatred to which he has been exposed, and fearful of reprisal should he tell anyone about what he has seen, the boy's performance on the field suffers. Mickey now must deal with a side of human nature he scarcely understands. Praise for "The Legend of Mickey Tussler": "Not just a baseball masterpiece, but a clever, delightful, touching tale that is a triumph of imagination and empathy. The "Legend of Mickey Tussler" is "Roy Hobbs" meets "Rain Man"." (Father Tom Hartman, "The God Squad," "Good Morning America"). "Riveting. Rewarding. The "Legend of Mickey Tussler" reaches the heart the way Alex Rodriguez reaches the bleachers." (Bill Madden, "New York Daily News"). "A knowledgeable yet unsentimental book starring an autistic teenager with a fearsome fastball...The baseball elements really sing; baseball fans will find much to appreciate, while the sports treatment of triumphing over adversity adds crossover appeal to the YA market." ("Publishers Weekly").