Take me out to the ballgame [Hardcover]

Gary Morgenstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1980

Baseball and bailouts, as American as apple pie. Weaving today's economic malaise with the powerful magic of a Cinderella baseball team, Take Me Out to the Ballgame is a political baseball novel for our times. The Buffalo Matadors haven't won a world championship in 37 years, a dying franchise. Until flamboyant Harry Witowsky, a 21st Century George Steinbrenner, buys them, vowing to do whatever is necessary to change the fortunes of the "Door Mats." Victories and attendance climb as Witowsky creates an Us versus Them mentality at the Stadium. The rally cry of "Where's My Bailout" replaces "Let's Go Mats." Buffalo's surprising surge resonates with a nation afraid of losing jobs and homes, shaken by terrorist threats, frightened for the future. The Matadors become America's Team.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Morgenstein's most recent critically acclaimed novels, Jesse's Girl, about a widowed father's search for his adopted teenage son, and the romantic triangle Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman, are also available on Amazon.com. His chillingly prophetic play Ponzi Man played to sell-out crowds at the New York Fringe Festival. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (1980)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312783515
• ISBN-13: 978-0312783518
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,748,442 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My new play, "Mad Mel and the Marradians," a sci-fi romp (hmm, Gary is Syfy Channel PR Director, writes sci-fi play), will premiere at the 12th Annual Midtown International Theatre Festival for five performances, premiering July 11 at 6PM; Saturday, July 16 at 2:30PM, Tuesday, July 19 at 8:30PM, Sunday, July 24 at 6PM and Thursday, July 28 at 8PM at the Main Stage Theatre, 312 West 36th Street in New York City. In the play, the ambitions of Imperial Chancellor Larynx of Marradia -- a planet very far away -- to become High Priest Dubya are threatened by writer Melvin Worthington. In his best-selling "scholarly" books about the Marradians and their visit to Earth 30,000 years ago (which he thinks he has totally made up), Worthington stumbles upon a secret that threatens the existence of the human race - bringing the Marradians to Manhattan to stop him. Directed by Carlo Fiorletta, it will star Jordan Auslander, William Beckwith, Rachel Caccese, Robert Gaines and Mary Riley.

My previous plays were "Ponzi Man" and "A Tomato Can't Grow in the Bronx."

And remember to join me Sundays at 9PM/ET for my radio show, "Purple Haze" at blogtalkradio.com/mediablvd. The number is 347-205-9801.

I am also the author of four novels. "Jesse's Girl" is a thriller about a widowed Brooklyn father who searches for his adopted teenage son, who has run away from a Montana wilderness drug treatment program to find his biological sister in Kentucky. In the romantic triangle "Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman," a divorced middle-aged man falls in love with a beautiful, enigmatic woman rabbi, while still in love with his ex-wife. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," a political baseball novel -- baseball and bailouts, as American as appple pie --follows a Cinderella baseball team led by a ruthless owner with political ambitions. "The Man Who Wanted to Play Center Field for the New York Yankees" is a baseball Rocky. All are available on Amazon.

My dating and relationship book, "How to Find a Woman...Or Not" provides a comic guide to finding true love anywhere on Planet Earth -- in the gym, on the street, riding mass transit, waiting to get your teeth cleaned, visiting a friend in the hospital, buying a book or lamb chops -- or dating online.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Morgy spins a compelling tale of baseball and politics, May 8, 2010

By 

Kristin Wilkinson "Kristin Wilkinson" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Take me out to the ballgame (Paperback)

The best praise I can give Gary Morgenstein's Take Me Out to the Ballgame is not insignificant. With approximately 50 pages left to read, I put the book down in order to go out to dinner. While at dinner, I found myself distracted, thinking about the book, wondering how it would end. I actually found myself anxious to get home, so I could finish reading.

That being said, Take Me Out to the Ballgame is definitely a book for people who love baseball, like baseball, or, at the very least, tolerate baseball. If you would sooner get a colonoscopy than watch a baseball game, then this is probably not for you. If you count yourself among the legion of baseball fans, you will enjoy this novel. Don't misunderstand, however. This is not some heart-warming, apple pie tale of America's pastime.

I didn't get anything that I expected from Morgy in this novel, which is a good -- if not great -- thing for readers. While I thoroughly enjoyed two of his other books (How to Find a Woman...or Not and Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman), which were replete with Jewish humor and a good dose of New York living, this book strays far from that style. The plot revolves around a fictional -- but very believable -- baseball team, the Buffalo Matadors. There are actually two storylines, but ones that are inextricably woven together. One focuses on Cal, the Matadors' number one fan, whose love of baseball can't really be called an obsession -- because obsession is far too weak a word. The other storyline is behind-the-scenes of the Matadors' ball club; the owner, the manager, the PR guy who figures out how to transform a failing ball club into a national sensation. Cal grows increasingly irritated by the newfound popularity of the Matadors, especially the bandwagon-jumpers. And again, irritated is far too weak a word.

You won't believe what happens in this story, but it's not preposterous, which is possibly the scariest part. This is hard to put down...and when you finally do, it'll be because you've reached the end.

4.0 out of 5 stars Bridget's Review, October 3, 2009

By 

bridget3420 "Bridget Hopper" (KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Take me out to the ballgame (Paperback)

The Buffalo Matadors have been stuck in rut for 37 years. The team undergoes some major changes when Harry decides that he is willing to do anything to win. When the team changes, so do the fans. Harry isn't only interested in baseball, he's set his sights on a position in the senate. This dream has a higher chance of coming true if he can use his team to his advantage. Will his hard work resemble a home run or a foul?

The crazy players and outrageous fans make for an entertaining read.

For those of you that don't know, I absolutely love Gary Morgenstein. He is in my top ten favorite authors of all time. I fell in love with Jesse's Girl and Loving Rabbi Thalia Kleinman. Not only is Gary an extremely talented writer and storyteller, he is also one of the most down-to-earth person. I'm so glad that he has written these three books and I'm hoping there are several more to come.

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story, interesting political commentary, September 29, 2009

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Take me out to the ballgame (Paperback)

Cal Fleisher has always been the number one fan of the local professional baseball team, the Buffalo Matadors. The new owner of the Matadors, Harry Witowsky, wants to rebuild the flagging franchise, and he is willing to do anything it takes draw in the fans. To that end, he turns into a demagogue, working the fans into a fevered pitch. But, before he knows it, things begin to spiral out of control and Cal Fleisher starts seeing that desperate times call for desperate measures.

As a work of fiction, this book is actually pretty good, with interesting characters, and an interesting plot. I found the characters to be quite believable, and the storyline to be quite absorbing. To make this book even more interesting, the political commentary is quite timely. Here in the United States, demagoguery on one side of the political aisle has aroused political activism on the other as well, raising the temperature of debate, with political leaders decrying the passions unleashed even as they try to stoke it on their own side.

My one and only complaint against this book is that, as the author himself admits, this is a rewrite of a 1980 book. As such, the political message is muddied and unclear, and as such the book loses some of the power that it should have.

But, that said, I did enjoy reading this book, and recommend it to all political junkies. It's quite a read.