Once upon a Fastball

Your legacy is in the Attic.

The words leap from the cryptic poem left for Harvard professor Seth Stein by his Papa Sol, the doting grandfather who vanished without a trace two years earlier. It was Papa Sol who instilled an unquenchable passion for baseball in Seth's soul; it was Sol who also ignited Seth's obsession with history, spinning fabulous tales of times and people long gone.

Seth is still searching for answers to Papa Sol's disappearance when the poem leads him to a scuffed, yellowed baseball resting in a box handmade by his grandfather. A single touch of the rough leather thrusts Seth through the swirling vortex of history onto the streets of 1950s Brooklyn, and then to the greatest baseball game ever played, the Bobby Thomson "Shot Heard 'Round the World" play-off classic. In this surreal, sepia-toned site of past glory, Seth begins a wondrous, life-changing odyssey to find the answers he so desperately seeks.

Suspenseful, thought-provoking, funny, and poignant, this beautifully crafted novel is a joyous tribute to our inspiring and timeless national pastime, and a rare treasure for all those who love baseball.

"Back . . . back . . . back . . . back. Yes, this novel is a home run."—Chris Berman

"Bob Mitchell writes like a crafty veteran with a lot of pitches . . . he mixes baseball, history, and family to show us how sports connects. Enjoy."—Dan Shaughnessy

"An endearing tale of love and loyalty . . . this delightful romp is a love letter to a time gone by."—T. Jefferson Parker

"Once Upon a Fastball celebrates things Mitchell and I both love: history, poetry, baseball, family traditions, and noble values. No wonder Iliked it immensely."—Fay Vincent

Your legacy is in the Attic.

The words leap from the cryptic poem left for Harvard professor Seth Stein by his Papa Sol, the doting grandfather who vanished without a trace two years earlier. It was Papa Sol who instilled an unquenchable passion for baseball in Seth's soul; it was Sol who also ignited Seth's obsession with history, spinning fabulous tales of times and people long gone.

Seth is still searching for answers to Papa Sol's disappearance when the poem leads him to a scuffed, yellowed baseball resting in a box handmade by his grandfather. A single touch of the rough leather thrusts Seth through the swirling vortex of history onto the streets of 1950s Brooklyn, and then to the greatest baseball game ever played, the Bobby Thomson "Shot Heard 'Round the World" play-off classic. In this surreal, sepia-toned site of past glory, Seth begins a wondrous, life-changing odyssey to find the answers he so desperately seeks.

Suspenseful, thought-provoking, funny, and poignant, this beautifully crafted novel is a joyous tribute to our inspiring and timeless national pastime, and a rare treasure for all those who love baseball.

"Back . . . back . . . back . . . back. Yes, this novel is a home run."—Chris Berman

"Bob Mitchell writes like a crafty veteran with a lot of pitches . . . he mixes baseball, history, and family to show us how sports connects. Enjoy."—Dan Shaughnessy

"An endearing tale of love and loyalty . . . this delightful romp is a love letter to a time gone by."—T. Jefferson Parker

"Once Upon a Fastball celebrates things Mitchell and I both love: history, poetry, baseball, family traditions, and noble values. No wonder Iliked it immensely."—Fay Vincent

Bob Mitchell, a certifiable sports nut since birth, is the author of six nonfiction books, a collection of poems, and the acclaimed novel Match Made in Heaven. He studied at Williams, Columbia, and Harvard, where he received a PhD in French and Comparative Literature. He has had careers as a French professor and an advertising creative director and has lived in Paris, Brittany, Morocco, Montreal, London, Florence, Stockholm, and Tel Aviv. He resides in Santa Barbara, California, with his wife, Susan Love, an artist.