Deadball is the story of former minor-league baseball player Byron Bennett, who has a deep and spiritual connection to the game and its history. He sees things in a way others cannot and believes in things others would not. He thinks the old men working the menial jobs in the diners, dives, and graveyards he frequents are not what they seem. They try to fit in, go unnoticed, but Byron suspects they are not your typical second-career working stiffs. Part pilgrimage and part road trip, Deadball visits vanished ballparks like Baltimore's Union Park, Pittsburgh's Forbes Field, Cleveland's League Park, Detroit's Tiger Stadium, and Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. As visions of baseball's golden era appear around him with greater frequency and intensity, he must question everything he believes about life, himself, and the game he loves. Are the flickering images he sees real, or are they all in his head? His friends, his ex-wife, and his former teammates don't believe what he tells them he sees. At times, neither does he. Deadball will appeal to baseball fans and history buffs, but it also will appeal to anyone who knows what it means to be driven by a passion that others can neither appreciate nor understand.
Deadball: A Metaphysical Baseball Novel
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Deadball is a riveting read for fans of baseball and its long and storied history." (Midwest Book Review)
"Deadball is about the magical intersection of memory and mystery, a place where the crack of the bat and the shouts of the crowd mingle with the bricks and mortar of vanished ballparks. It's about trying to turn a double into a triple and about trying to turn a barely-held memory into a tangible artifact. (John Kelly, The Washington Post)
"Deadball is about the magical intersection of memory and mystery, a place where the crack of the bat and the shouts of the crowd mingle with the bricks and mortar of vanished ballparks. It's about trying to turn a double into a triple and about trying to turn a barely-held memory into a tangible artifact. (John Kelly, The Washington Post)
David Stinson's new book Deadball, is a breath of fresh air for buffs of Baltimore baseball heritage. His lacing of historical persons, places, and events into his fictitious ballpark sojourn is well crafted and a pure delight to read. I urge him to write another!" (Mike Gibbons, Executive Director, Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum)
Deadball is "engaging." An "entertaining and bittersweet story." (Ron Kaplan, Ron Kaplan's Baseball Bookshelf)
Deadball is "A Pilgrimage to the Past." "Stinson's style is straightforward and casual, as if he's just along for the ride, too, not even in control of what happens next . . . . Is the payoff worth it? Yes. Absolutely. Read it and discover the connections for yourself." (Gabriel Schechter, Never Too Much Baseball and Seamheads)
"Deadball . . . is unlike any other baseball book in that it does a good job of combining past truths such as the history of well-known ballparks from beginning of the 20th century with fictional occurrences such as the story of Bennett's life and the visions which have come to him." (Bill Jordan, Baseball Reflections)
"I would highly recommend [Deadball] to anyone. Baseball fans will love the history that is incorporated into the story, but I think anyone would enjoy the book for the story of Byron and his struggles with reality. I can only hope Mr. Stinson decides to write another book.” (Eric Bynum, Baseball Journeyman)
"I would highly recommend [Deadball] to anyone. Baseball fans will love the history that is incorporated into the story, but I think anyone would enjoy the book for the story of Byron and his struggles with reality. I can only hope Mr. Stinson decides to write another book.” (Eric Bynum, Baseball Journeyman)
About the Author
David B. Stinson, a former litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice, is a recovering lawyer. A long-time youth baseball coach, he did not learn to hit a curve ball until he was in his 40's. David is General Manager of the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, a collegiate wooden bat league team in Maryland. Deadball is his first novel. He resides with his wife and three children in Silver Spring, Maryland. Visit him at www.davidbstinsonauthor.com.
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More About the Author
David B. Stinson, a former litigator for the U.S. Department of Justice, is a recovering lawyer. A long-time youth baseball coach, he did not learn to hit a curve ball until he was in his 40′s. David is General Manager of the Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts which plays in the CRCBL (a summer wooden bat league). Deadball is his first novel. He resides with his wife and three children in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
"Deadball" takes on the world of early baseball--its long-forgotten teams, closed ballparks, and celebrated players--and makes them come alive in a present day story with mystery and fantasy elements. Truly a tale that even a baseball luddite (like me) can thoroughly enjoy.
Down on his luck, alone at the end of his minor league career, and wondering what on earth to do with himself, Byron Bennett begins a quest to learn about Baltimore's Union Park, a fabled venue that housed the earliest incarnation of the Orioles. There he finds a clue, and heads deep into baseball-induced obsession, leading to a road trip across the country to solve the mystery by way of other long-forgotten ballparks, ghost diners, and unforgettably eccentric characters.
Highly recommended for nth-degree baseball fans and mystery lovers alike, "Deadball" is a page-turner of the first order.
Down on his luck, alone at the end of his minor league career, and wondering what on earth to do with himself, Byron Bennett begins a quest to learn about Baltimore's Union Park, a fabled venue that housed the earliest incarnation of the Orioles. There he finds a clue, and heads deep into baseball-induced obsession, leading to a road trip across the country to solve the mystery by way of other long-forgotten ballparks, ghost diners, and unforgettably eccentric characters.
Highly recommended for nth-degree baseball fans and mystery lovers alike, "Deadball" is a page-turner of the first order.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By BobR
Format:Paperback
If you are a baseball fan and a fan of the history of the game, you will love this book. The author takes great pains delving into baseball's past, eloquently describing many of the no-longer-in-existence ballparks where the game once was played; then again, maybe some of those old parks are still there. You need to read this book to find out how that is possible. If you are a player, this book is for you!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Austin
Format:Kindle Edition
One of baseball's beauties is that Time does not matter, at least in each individual game. If we are talking about Baseball with a capital "B," however, then Time matters a great deal. David Stinson has written a wonderful adventure that explores Baseball's Time factor, for Baseball's past is never really past; it is always before us fans in the form of statistics and stories and the places where the game has been played. For main character Byron Bennett, the game and its heroes are before him in more metaphysical ways.
Any fan of baseball history, particularly of the deadball era will thoroughly enjoy this novel. So, too, will anyone who has ever experienced the doubt and loneliness that often accompanies the pursuit of a passion as Byron explores a reality unbounded by logic and Time.
This is a fun, fast, and thought-provoking read.
Any fan of baseball history, particularly of the deadball era will thoroughly enjoy this novel. So, too, will anyone who has ever experienced the doubt and loneliness that often accompanies the pursuit of a passion as Byron explores a reality unbounded by logic and Time.
This is a fun, fast, and thought-provoking read.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Guy Cote
Format:Paperback
This book catches your attention from the get-go and holds it to the very end. Bygone eras come to life...if only briefly, but send the reader's mind escaping to purer times. I love original stories and this certainly is one. Anyone who appreciates baseball, history and great storytelling should leap at the opportunity to acquire this book. It makes a great addition to the library of books written about baseball, while also carving a singular place for itself with a unique, entertaining story. I highly recommend it.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Baseball's past meets Baltimore's present as an Ordinary Joe finds things aren't so ordinary after all.
November 27, 2011
Format:Paperback
Think of a mid-Atlantic "Field of Dreams" with a touch of "Time and Again" and a healthy dose of baseball tour-guide trivia. David B. Stinson brings it all together in this clever novel that moves you seamlessly from the daily disappointments of a middle-aged guy still dreaming of what shoulda been, into that moment when you're not sure if our hero is losing his mind, or finally finding his true path. And you want him to find that path - that baseline, if you will - filled as it is with nostalgia and the exhilaration of getting that call to the Bigs. Stinson has done his research about deadball and baseball parks, and trivia buffs not be disappointed. A satisfying read for the baseball fan in all of us.
By Daniel Dotts
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book had moments when you thought, here it comes...something big is about to happen...and then nothing. I love baseball novels and I'm alway on the lookout for a diamond in the rough. This was not it!
By Rip Lowe
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Author knows baseball.....
I enjoy baseball fiction with a weird twist. Henry Waugh type material in some aspects. Good read.
I enjoy baseball fiction with a weird twist. Henry Waugh type material in some aspects. Good read.
By Bob71142
Format:Paperback
I could not put this book down and was acutally sorry that I had completed it so fast. It is not only a good "metaphysical" novel but this is a great story of baseball past and I highly recommend it to all. I hope that the author is planning on writing additional stories.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Baseball fans AND Mystery Lovers
An excellent first novel from an excellent writer who researches his facts extremely well. Woven into a background of baseball history is a superb plot that keeps you absorbed... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Barbara A. Chipman BAC
5.0 out of 5 stars
absolutely loved this book!
what a great read. if you're a baseball fan, YOU WILL enjoy this book. guaranteed! letting my friend borrow it now and he is half way through and he is enjoying it very much also.
Published 5 months ago by cvansant
5.0 out of 5 stars
A magical mystery ballpark tour
Imagine what it would be like to go back in time and meet baseball legends like Babe Ruth, Cy Young, and John McGraw. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Mr. Terry L. Hartzell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Dead Ball's a winner
Dead Ball, it's not a fantasy. It exists, at least that's the way it felt. Through Byron Bennett I was able to explore the contours of Stinson's (author) imagination. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Steven Jack Carlson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deadball brings the baseball past to life
Deadball is a very well written book that combines fiction with true facts about the early years of baseball called the Deadball Era, from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Read more
Published 9 months ago by BargainBill
5.0 out of 5 stars
Metaphysical History
A well-written story in the genre of Field of Dreams, blended with a superbly researched history of early baseball that leaves the reader with an appreciation of both the story and... Read more
Published 9 months ago by David M. Wiegand
5.0 out of 5 stars
Time travel without leaving your la-z-boy.
The author takes us along with the protagonist back in time to visit some of the most iconic temples of baseball. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Bert Walker
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just for baseball fans
I'm not particularly a baseball fan, but David Stinson conveys an enthusiasm for the details and history of the game that is infectious. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Liz L.
