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Out Standing In My Field by Patrick Jennings
Ty has been named for baseball legend Ty Cobb, but the hero of Jennings' wonderful new novel isn't living up to his namesake's reputation when it comes to The Game. He loves baseball; he just isn't great at it, despite all the efforts of his coach and father, who himself once dreamed of playing in the majors. To complicate matters, Ty's younger sister Daisy is a baseball whiz (as well as the school genius). In this sharply witty, deeply poignant all -American novel, Ty has to figure out just who he's trying to please -- his father, his teammates, or himself.
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 6, 2016
Did not finish. I was hoping to use this as a book club book. It was incredibly slow moving. More than halfway through the book we were still partway through a single game of baseball. I had high hopes but they were short lived. I rarely don't finish a book. I won't be using this as a book club book but may recommend it to struggling readers who enjoy baseball. Not enough to appeal to a wide audience which I'm looking for.
February 25, 2018
I picked this book up as I do so many books, on the clearance shelf at Books-a-Million. It was marked all the way down to $1, and I love a good bargain. So, I read the description on the dust jacket, and found that it sounded pretty interesting, so I picked it up.
The premise is certainly intriguing. The story is told from first person point of view and takes place entirely during a little league baseball game. The protagonist and narrator of the game is Ty Cutter. Ty was named after the famous baseball player Ty Cobb, but the name is where the similarities between the two end. Ty Cutter is the worst player on his team, despite his best efforts. The poor child just has no athletic talent to speak of. Yet, he still ends up starting every game because his dad is the coach of their team.
Ty gives us a play-by-play of the game. He also tells us how he feels about his teammates and family members. The exploration of his psyche is interesting, as is the outcome of the game. I found this book highly readable. I liked it a lot.
The premise is certainly intriguing. The story is told from first person point of view and takes place entirely during a little league baseball game. The protagonist and narrator of the game is Ty Cutter. Ty was named after the famous baseball player Ty Cobb, but the name is where the similarities between the two end. Ty Cutter is the worst player on his team, despite his best efforts. The poor child just has no athletic talent to speak of. Yet, he still ends up starting every game because his dad is the coach of their team.
Ty gives us a play-by-play of the game. He also tells us how he feels about his teammates and family members. The exploration of his psyche is interesting, as is the outcome of the game. I found this book highly readable. I liked it a lot.
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October 13, 2021it was a good book.
September 8, 2015
At first, this book seems to have potential to be a real winner. The premise is an interesting one—the entire story that takes place over a single baseball game. Like Nicholson Baker’s The Mezzanine, that forms much of its initial quirkiness.
However, that novelty wears off quickly. You have to be a real baseball fan to love this book. It is mercifully short. But, like a baseball game that goes on for extra innings, it can seem to go on forever. The baseball jargon is indecipherable to anybody out of the loop; the odd bits of math thrown in are nearly as puzzling.
Ty Cutter (named because of his father’s mania for all things Ty Cobb) isn’t a happy camper. He adores baseball; he just can’t play worth a damn. That dichotomy in his feelings and his abilities is what drives this novel and what causes his inner turmoil and outer dilemma. His sister Daisy—who is almost as incomprehensible a character as her brother—serves as a kind of psychological spokesperson; she understands fully his complete mental anguish. He, on the other hand, is fast turning into the kind of male who is so out of touch with his feelings as to be incapable of recognizing them even when they’re laid out by another human being. That makes sense; he’s only 11, after all. But you can see where this is headed.
He’s desperate to please his father. He cringes at the sight of his mother waving to him from the stands. He thinks it’s fine to be enthusiastic about things; you’re just not allowed to show it because other guys don’t think it’s cool, etc., etc., etc. A real John Wayne type without John Wayne’s innate toughness.
At first, it’s hard not to be annoyed at Ty’s reluctance (read: terror) about talking to his father about quitting. Actually, Ty appears terrified about doing anything that might rattle his father. At first, we think his dad might be physically abusive. He certainly appears to be emotionally abusive, sneering at anything he doesn’t think to be manly enough (forcing Ty to quit oboe for tuba because reeds are for sissies). He secretly drinks, a subject that gains greater dramatic weight as the story progresses. So is he physically abusive? That would be telling.
In the end, Ty gains a modicum of courage or rather scrappiness. Anybody hoping that he’ll quit baseball altogether or for an epic scene in which he confronts his father with his true feelings will be in for a letdown, though. This isn’t that kind of book. But there is a note of individuality about Ty now and that’s the best we can hope for at this point.
However, that novelty wears off quickly. You have to be a real baseball fan to love this book. It is mercifully short. But, like a baseball game that goes on for extra innings, it can seem to go on forever. The baseball jargon is indecipherable to anybody out of the loop; the odd bits of math thrown in are nearly as puzzling.
Ty Cutter (named because of his father’s mania for all things Ty Cobb) isn’t a happy camper. He adores baseball; he just can’t play worth a damn. That dichotomy in his feelings and his abilities is what drives this novel and what causes his inner turmoil and outer dilemma. His sister Daisy—who is almost as incomprehensible a character as her brother—serves as a kind of psychological spokesperson; she understands fully his complete mental anguish. He, on the other hand, is fast turning into the kind of male who is so out of touch with his feelings as to be incapable of recognizing them even when they’re laid out by another human being. That makes sense; he’s only 11, after all. But you can see where this is headed.
He’s desperate to please his father. He cringes at the sight of his mother waving to him from the stands. He thinks it’s fine to be enthusiastic about things; you’re just not allowed to show it because other guys don’t think it’s cool, etc., etc., etc. A real John Wayne type without John Wayne’s innate toughness.
At first, it’s hard not to be annoyed at Ty’s reluctance (read: terror) about talking to his father about quitting. Actually, Ty appears terrified about doing anything that might rattle his father. At first, we think his dad might be physically abusive. He certainly appears to be emotionally abusive, sneering at anything he doesn’t think to be manly enough (forcing Ty to quit oboe for tuba because reeds are for sissies). He secretly drinks, a subject that gains greater dramatic weight as the story progresses. So is he physically abusive? That would be telling.
In the end, Ty gains a modicum of courage or rather scrappiness. Anybody hoping that he’ll quit baseball altogether or for an epic scene in which he confronts his father with his true feelings will be in for a letdown, though. This isn’t that kind of book. But there is a note of individuality about Ty now and that’s the best we can hope for at this point.
February 1, 2016
In the book Outstanding in my Field by Patrick Jennings, Ty cutter is a lousy right fielder. He can't catch, he can't hit, everybody knows his sister, Daisy is a zillion times better than he is. Ty does not want to quit baseball because he loves baseball. His dad is the coach, and he wants to hit a grand slam for glory. Daisy, Ty's sister is the score keeper of the game. She makes her own scorecards with paper, A compass, and a protractor. She says baseball is pure geometry. In the end, Ty works really hard to become better than his sister.
My opinion of this book was ok. He didn't explain the book well and it didn't make sense. There were some good parts of the book, but the book out of a scale of 10 is a 5.
I would recommend this book to someone who has time to really understand the book. And has time to really read the book.
My opinion of this book was ok. He didn't explain the book well and it didn't make sense. There were some good parts of the book, but the book out of a scale of 10 is a 5.
I would recommend this book to someone who has time to really understand the book. And has time to really read the book.
December 24, 2008
I read this book because the title cracked me up everytime I saw it. I assumed the book was very clever. The entire story takes place during one baseball game which is fine, but reading about Ty's constant clumsiness gets a little old.
Probably kids who like baseball will like this a lot, but it is slowly revealed that Ty's Dad (and team manager) is an alcoholic. This particular plot point seems forced and unnecessary.
Probably kids who like baseball will like this a lot, but it is slowly revealed that Ty's Dad (and team manager) is an alcoholic. This particular plot point seems forced and unnecessary.
November 23, 2012
The whole book is about one baseball game and goes into great detail about the plays; I could see how people really in to baseball would enjoy reading this book. It wasn't for me. Also, there was quite a bit of swearing for a middle school book.
September 30, 2016
This was a decent book. I liked it cause Ty the main character and he is also the worst player on the team. But he is trying to find out how he can be a winner. I like that cause he isn't that good but he wants to win. I reccomend this book if you like sports.
October 3, 2009
Baseball, tough dad, not too detailed, but a bit of thinking. Quick read.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews