The King's Game [Paperback]

John Nemo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 13, 2007

A story of fathers, sons and baseball, along with the eternal choice every man must one day face ... The crowd of 45,000 rises as one, chanting his name. Veteran pitcher Cody King takes the mound for Game Seven of the World Series, unaware these nine innings will mark the end of his troubled existence. With each pressure-packed pitch, King confronts a past - from being abandoned by his teenage mother to keeping his wife's love from fading away - filled with tragedy and talent. And before he flings his final fastball into the cool autumn air, King, a fatherless son who grew up to become one of the game's greatest pitchers, will have to face the one true father he's never known.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A rich, well-told, thought-provoking tale about the precious moments we have on this earth." -- The Tennessean

"A riveting, intense story written by someone who obviously knows baseball well." -- Minnesota Twins Magazine

"Definitely more than just a simple book about baseball. It's clearly written with a warm perspective on life, too." -- Associated Press

"Interesting elaboration of Michael Shaara's For Love of the Game ... Nemo's knowledge of baseball beats even Shaara's." -- Tim Morris' Guide to Baseball Fiction

"John Nemo makes you believe ... This may just be the only time a baseball game moves too quickly." -- Sports Illustrated.com --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Back Cover

Veteran pitcher Cody King takes the mound for Game Seven of the World Series unaware it will mark the final nine innings of his troubled existence. With each pitch, King confronts a past - from being abandoned by his teenage mother to fighting to keep his wife's love from fading away - filled with tragedy and talent. And as he carries the hopes of a desperate, dying city and its beloved baseball team - the Warriors - on his back, the opposing St. Louis Cardinals are poised to wash away one of the most amazing turnarounds in Major League Baseball history. Yet Cody King’s final confrontation comes not against a batter, but instead the one thing he fears most - his own mortality. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (December 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434822478
• ISBN-13: 978-1434822475
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,809,735 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #46 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Sports

More About the Author

I'm a PR pro, author and former AP reporter and journalist. My passions include PR, Jesus, Social Media and Storytelling. I'm married to the best woman on the planet and we have three rowdy young boys. I wouldn't trade it for the world! Follow me on Twitter @JohnNemoPR, visit my Blog at www.JohnNemoPR.com or reach me via e-mail at [e-mail] - would love to hear what you think of my books!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Minnesotan's work pitches baseball and faith, February 23, 2009

By 

Robert E. Zyskowski "bobzbookreviews" (St. Paul, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King's Game (Paperback)

Minnesotan's work pitches baseball and faith
Labels: baseball, Catholic, faith, religion

"The King's Game,"
by John Nemo

Reviewed by Bob Zyskowski
www.bobzbookreviews.blogspot.com

In the middle of a month when temps across the Midwest have bottomed out well below zero, a baseball novel can have a warming effect.
Minnesotan John Nemo -- who covers baseball as a professional journalist -- combines his knowledge of the national pastime with his deep spirituality to come up with a page-turner that will keep any fan on the edge of his seat.

"The King's Game" is more than just a sports story. People of faith will quickly pick up on the allegory woven through the compelling tale of the life of Cody King, a great pitcher. The events of King's life -- beginning a birth - would test anyone's belief in God.

Nemo adds a love element, a friendship element, and best of all a father-son relationship element, exploring all of these while all the while taking us through the seventh and deciding game of a fictional World Series.

As a baseball junkie myself, I notice one faux pas in the action on the diamond: In the third inning, the pitching coach goes out to settle down the opposing pitcher, and later in that same inning the manager trots out to the mound, too. Any fan knows that second visit to the mound means there has to be a pitching change, but that doesn't happen in the novel. The pitcher stays in the game. Ooops.

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