FAST MAN ON A PIVOT

by Duane Decker

Bud Walker is a second baseman who is the best pivot man on the double play. However, even though he has all the skills to play the position for the major league Blue Sox, he has remained in the minor leagues for several years. Finally, it appears that he will be given his chance. Unfortunately, as spring training begins, the Blue Sox sign a flashy second baseman named Devlin to a huge bonus. Walker is anything but flashy, so Devlin becomes an immediate crowd favorite.

Genres: Sports

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Duane Decker wrote a beloved series about an imaginary major league baseball team called the Blue Sox from 1947 to his death in 1964. During World War II, he served in the Pacific with the Marine Corps. After participating in several island invasions, he became a combat correspondent on the Leatherneck, the official Marine Corps publication, where his tour of duty took him to Peleliu, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. One of the highlights of his military career came when he witnessed the formal surrender of Japan aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay as a Staff Sergeant and editor of Leatherneck.

After the war, he had a notable career writing for leading magazines, residing in New Hampshire. An enthusiastic baseball fan, his books have been enjoyed by thousands. He was a graduate of Colgate University.

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bud Walker is a second baseman who is the best pivot man on the double play. However, even though he has all the skills to play the position for the major league Blue Sox, he has remained in the minor leagues for several years. Finally, it appears that he will be given his chance. Unfortunately, the Blue Sox sign a flashy second baseman named Devlin to a huge bonus. Walker is anything but flashy, so Devlin becomes an immediate crowd favorite. The other members of the Blue Sox think otherwise, Devlin is so obnoxious and full of himself that he creates a great deal of dissension on the team.

While Devlin is playing second, the Blue Sox languish in the second division. However, Devlin is injured in a collision and Walker takes over at second. The Blue Sox begin winning and reach a tie for first. However, the fans begin screaming for Devlin, booing everyone on the team, including manager Jughead Slavin. Charlie K. O'Neill is the president of the entire Blue Sox system and is steadfast in his belief that Devlin should play second base, even though he is not a team player and is despised by everyone else on the team. Eventually, at the point where Walker is about to be sent to the minor leagues for the last time, his teammates confront O'Neill and threaten not to play if Devlin is selected over Walker. O'Neill backs down and Walker gets his chance, which he immediately takes advantage of.

This is a story about perseverance, hustle and team play, where success is measured by how well your team does rather than how much you excite the crowd. Like all good stories with a moral, the good guy wins in the end, overcoming the odds and reaching a high level of success. It is also about the value of friendship and togetherness, when the Blue Sox players stand up for Walker, he learns what friendship and commitment to a joint goal really means.

[Ronald]

possibly read in winter 1967