The Big Field

by Mike Lupica

For Hutch, shortstop has always been home. It's where his father once played professionally, before injuries relegated him to watching games on TV instead of playing them. And it's where Hutch himself has always played and starred. Until now. The arrival of Darryl 'D-Will' Williams, the top shortstop prospect from Florida since A-Rod, means Hutch is displaced, in more ways than one. Second base feels like second fiddle, and when he sees his father giving fielding tips to D-Will (the same father who can't be bothered to show up to watch his son play) Hutch feels betrayed. With the summer league championship on the line, just how far is Hutch willing to bend to be a good teammate? Mike Lupica returns to the big field for the first time since his #1 New York Times bestseller Heat and delivers a feel-good home run, showing how love of the game is a language fathers and sons speak from the heart.

Genres: Sports, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Baseball, Young Adult, Childrens, Middle Grade

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 4, 2008

About the author

Michael Lupica is an author and American newspaper columnist, best known for his provocative commentary on sports in the New York Daily News and his appearances on ESPN.

Reviews

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fun Book

This baseball book by Mike Lupica is just fantastic. It is not a detailed number driven analytical baseball books that we see quite often on the market these days. This book is just pure 100% fun.

I remember reading books like this when I was in my early teens and it was just how special formula having a baseball team doing well on the news some intra-team jealousy and we go down to the last game to see who wins.

I remember in grade school and high school anytime those folks came along on the scholastic truck are used to take them off and they were great for good mind relaxation.

In my second week of hospitalization now and it was this was a great book to just let the air and frustration out of my head so I canFocus on something else besides being sick. I highly recommend to baseball fans. 00 my God

[Morgan Folk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response:
I thought the book, The Big Field by Mike Lupica, was a very good book. I could relate to a lot of this book especially the sportsmanship. Also, I could relate to the players in the book because they were a team, kind of like Weyauwega. They were a small legion team.

Plot:
In the book, The Big Field , Hutch was the star shortstop for his team. His team, the Cardinals, was for kids ages twelve to eighteen. Hutch’s team was one of the youngest in their legion conference. The Cardinals had been to many World Series and were trying to go for the next year’s title. Hutch had entered the season starting at shortstop where he always planned to play. Then there came a new kid named Darryl. Darryl was an outstanding athlete and he had played shortstop too. Hutch and Daryll had not gotten along for most of the regular season. As the post season approached, Hutch realized he could play second. Hutch and Daryll became pretty good friends. Then again a problem came up, Hutch’s dad started to help Darryl to become better at baseball. Hutch was disappointed because his dad never came to any of his games or watched any of them. Hutch became very disappointed, but that did not stop him. During the sectional final game they were all tied up, four to four, and Hutch hit a bomb that let the cardinals won six to four. The cardinals made it to the championship. The cardinals won the championship World Series and Hutch’s dad came to watch them play. Hutch and Darryl became best friends. At the end of the book Darryl and Hutch began to work out and get ready for the Cardinals next season.

Characterization:
The main character in this book would have been Hutch. Hutch was a very good baseball player. He had a lot of talent and his dad had helped him with all the skills. The reason his dad had been able to help was, because he had been in the MLB for four years and had an injury that made him retire. Another main character was Darryl. He was also very good at baseball, because he was one of those kids who was a field rat. He always had to be at the baseball diamond. Hutch and Darryl were not fans of each other until the second season where they had to like each other.

Impacts of Setting:
The setting took place on the baseball field and also at Hutch’s house. It took place on the baseball field was, because there had been two seasons played in the whole book. The book was about their team and how they had to make it to the Junior World Series. The reason it was at hutch’s house quite a bit was, because the whole team would go to his house to eat dinner before every game. The book is very relatable because it had taken place in modern time and everybody knew everybody. The book was everybody knew the star athletes.

Thematic Connection:
The main themes were sportsmanship and do not cheat. Sportsmanship was a huge part in the book. Hutch did not get along with his team or the other team. Hutch would just walk away from everyone after the game and not high five anyone. Cheating was another theme. Daryll cheated in the beginning of the book. He would put pine tar on his bat or take enhancing drugs from his older brother. Darryl later on found out that it was not doing him any good to take those drugs or use that pine tar. Darryl ended the season being the best player on the team.

Recommendation:
I recommend this book to any high schooler or middle schoolers, age 13-18, boy or girl. I recommend this to high and middle schoolers because there is some content that can be disturbing. This book could be for girls, because although the main character is a boy he has a mom and a girlfriend in the book that are important in the book too. I think the book had a lot of good reasoning for the lessons learned in the book. Also, I thought the book became a little personal on some parts. Overall, this was a great lesson to learn about and I would recommend this book.

[Conor Matz · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s all or nothing. This is the most intense game your team has ever faced. In order to get to regionals, you have to win. If you lose, you’ll have to wait until next summer. A ground ball is hit! It feels like it’s coming right at you, but it isn’t. It’s coming towards your teammate. He throws the hitter out, and you’re going to regionals.
The sports novel The Big Field by Mike Lupica is a book not only about playing on the big field, but life off the park. It is like the movie The Blind Side because it does involve the sport the story is based around, but discusses the emotional problems that each of the players faces.
It discusses the personal problems of the captain of the team, Hutch. It tells of his conflicts with the star of the team, Daryl, who plays the position Hutch wants to play, shortstop. As the book progresses, they hate each other more and more, both hating each other out of jealousy. Daryl hates Hutch because he is captain, and steals his fire, while Hutch hates Daryl because Daryl gets attention from Hutch’s dad in one instance, and Hutch feels he does not. Hutch’s conversations with his dad consist of them sitting in front of the tv, his dad drinking a beer, and saying, “hey,” to Hutch. Soon Hutch learns that his dad doesn’t hate him, but he feels empathy knowing that baseball is Hutch’s dream, and like him, that dream may be broken.
The Big Field puts out the message of how important it is to work as a team. Daryl and Hutch’s conflict almost gets Hutch kicked off the team, which could cost them the championship. Without a team, it is impossible to play a team sport. The novel also discusses that one should not be heartbroken by a failed dream. Hutch’s dad had tried to pursue his dream of becoming a pro baseball player, but he was let down. After he failed the pursuit of his dream, he never played baseball again.
This novel has panache. Although I am not into sports books, this novel was interesting due to the internal man vs. self conflicts. Whether one plays a sport or not, they should read this book.

[Michael Hickey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Big Field
By Mike Lupica

The book starts out with a boy named Hutch. He lives in Miami, Florida with his mom and dad. He is a huge baseball fan. His favorite player is Derek Jeter. Hutch is one of the best youth baseball players in Florida. He plays on the same team as his best friend Cody Hester. Hutch's favorite position is shortstop and he is really good at that position.
The team they play for is Boynton Beach Post 226 Cardinals. They just got a new player and his name is Darryl or D Will. He is an even better player than Hutch and plays shortstop. Their coach, Mr. Cullen, decides that Darryl is the new shortstop for the team. Hutch hates this idea but he cannot do anything about it. He gets moved to 2nd base.
Hutch's dad was a professional baseball player and is a legend throughout the area. He quit baseball for a mysterious reason and had many jobs. They are not the richest family. Hutch goes though his season with his team and constantly fights with his teammate Darryl. They get to the championship game of their league in baseball. They win it and Hutch's dad shows up. His dad doesn't come to his games because baseball crushed him. he loved it so much and it crushed him. After the game he told Hutch that. His dad said that he saw that Hutch loved the game as much as he did and he didn't want his son to get crushed like he did. After that Hutch understood why his dad never wanted to be involved in his baseball life. Shortly after the championship game, Hutch and Darryl made up and be came friends.
I rate this book at four stars because it was a really enjoyable book to read and it had a good story. I liked that is was about baseball because i like baseball. I think a good audience for this book is kids from ages 12 to 18. It is a really good book though and can be enjoyed by a variety of audiences.

[Cameron Kleinberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

What would you do if you were struggling with your teammate, father, a new position, and with your father? Hutch Hutchinson has to deal with all of these problems in his life. He needs to find a way to make it to the Florida state championship for his beloved sport, baseball. If he doesn't, his summer will be over. The book, The Big Field, is a great sports novel, written by Mike Lupica with an interesting plot and definitely a must read for baseball lovers from ages eleven to fifteen.

In The Big Field, Hutch is moved from his original position, shortstop, to second base. Hutch feels more like he was demoted to second team. He was moved over so Darryl Williams, the best baseball prospect since Alex Rodriguez, could play. Hutch also feels that his father has an absence presence in his life. All Hutch wants from his dad is to have a catch or talk about baseball. And on top of all this, Hutch has to find a way to the baseball state finals, or baseball is done for the summer.

I thought that Mike Lupica did do a good way of telling this story. The way that he had structured his paragraphs made the story more suspenseful and interesting. He also did give a good representation of most teenagers relationships with their best friend. However, I did think that Mike Lupica was a bit cheesy in this novel. Also, I think that this story was a bit predictable.

In conclusion, The Big Field is a great sports novel. There are interesting plot twists and interesting character relationships. Although this book may have been a little bit predictable, the story makes it worth it. The novel would be a good read to baseball lovers from the ages eleven and fifteen. This sports story will leave you thinking,

[Jay Hsiang · Rating 3 out of 5]

I need to say that I love this book even though I'm not a baseball player.

It's actually quite a typical sport's book, which is about a teenage boy's growing and dream about his sport life. Hutch is exactly this kind of boy. He always dreams to be a professional baseball player. As the captain of his team, he has to lead the team to success. But Darryl, who is regarded as the best player, appears and takes away Hutch's favorite shortstop spot. But when they're playing real games, it turns out that Hutch is the real star player. The conflict between Hutch and Darryl becomes more and more serious. This is about the main theme about this book.

I like this book, because the story is exciting and attractive. Also, the author, Mike Lupica, presents the details about baseball so carefully that the scene of the plays can form in your brain naturally.

But unfortunately, just like some other books, it also has cliches. I would call it a typical sport's book because it includes a boy overcoming barriers, looking for acceptance by father, etc. Those are obviously stories you can see in other books.

Overall, the book is good and worth reading.

[Christopher Almaguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Field by Mike Lupica was a really good I got attached to this book, I really liked it. It is about a kid named Hutch Hutchinson. His dad was a really good baseball and the best in his area. But when he got to the minors he realized that he was like all the other players he faked that he had a am injury to get out of baseball. Hutch's dad grew up one of the best players in his area and he wasn't ready for him to be up there with all the other good players. Now everybody expects Hutch to be as good as his dad. I would recommend this book to people who like baseball and have to live to a lot of expectations.

[Brendan]

The book was ok at the beginning but then it got good towards the end.

[BRANDON SCHEER · Rating 3 out of 5]

PLOT

In this book, Hutch is the main character. He starts out as a skilled shortstop, but soon an even more talented 14 year old comes to take over his position and he gets moved second base. The baseball team that Hutch is on is one of the youngest in the state for Legion ball. It is a league for 12-18 year olds. Hutch's team is made up of two 12 year olds, a handful of 14 year olds and the rest are all 13 years old. They are on their way to play in the Sectionals if they can beat the last team in their conference. The game is on the line when the batter for the other team hits a grounder to Hutch and he rifles it to first to get the last out and win the game. Hutch is a very solid baseball player, he makes very few errors and has a high batting average. Daryl is also a solid player. He has a higher batting average and makes even fewer errors, but he isn't a good team player. He only plays to become rich and famous and play professional ball someday. He only cares about himself, not his team. Hutch cares more about his team than himself and plays for the love of the game. Every single player on the team votes Hutch as captain except for Daryl, who seems upset that he wasn't chosen to lead the team. Cody, Hutch's best friend, tells Hutch to just ignore Daryl. Cody and Hutch have been best friends as long as they can remember. They both love baseball although Hutch does so more. They practice all the time, not just in their daily baseball practice. Hutch's dad, Carl, also used to love baseball. He was a very good shortstop who lived for baseball and did well in the minor leagues until he had a knee injury. He used his injury as an excuse not to make it into the pros. Later in the book he tells his son that it wasn't his injury that caused him to not make it any further in his career, but the fact that he just wasn't good enough. He is afraid that the same thing is going to happen to Hutch. I think that he was very depressed about not making it into the pros and Carl knows that Hutch cares about baseball even more than he did. Carl doesn't talk to Hutch very much as a result and he doesn't come to many of his games because it hurts him to watch. He watches it occasionally on TV while drinking a beer or two. Now the Cardinals, Hutch's team, are playing in the Sectionals. The score isn't even close and the Cardinals are moving on to Regionals. This next game they decide to throw their best pitcher and it is a good thing they did because this team puts up a fight. The score is tied 4-4 in the ninth inning when Daryl hits a bomb over center with a man on base so they win 6-4. They are qualified for state! The State Championship is like a mini World Series. It is best two out of three against a team that is made of mostly 17 and 18 year olds. In the first game it is going very close. Both teams are pitching their best to start and it is a hard matchup. The pitcher for the other team throws an average of 90 miles per hour which is faster than anyone on the Cardinals have seen. They keep it tied all the way to the bottom of the ninth inning when someone hits a grounder to Hutch and the ball shoots right under his glove, which let the runner on third base score and end the game. The next game is also very close until the ninth inning when Daryl hits a double right after Hutch to drive him in as the winning run. The third game is going the same exact way, tied up and in the ninth. With two outs and a runner on third base, Hutch's dad yells his name while Hutch is up to bat. Hutch looks over and realizes that his dad is telling him to bunt. Hutch thinks it is crazy but decides that he can trust his dad. He lays down a perfect bunt to bring in the last run to win the State Championship. Daryl, who of course, does not like Hutch, congratulates him and is very nice to him. Daryl leaves to give a television interview and become famous.

MY RESPONSE

I enjoyed reading this novel. Baseball is one of my favorite sports and this book is about a baseball team that succeeds in attaining every baseball player’s dream, making it to the State Championship and coming out victorious. I like that it doesn’t just deal with the game, but the player’s family lives. Being on a Little League or Middle League team since I was 4 years old, I was able to relate to all of the issues that the players had to deal with. I also like the fact that the main character, Hutch, is not the best baseball player or star of the team, which is a twist from other books I’ve read in the sports field.

CHARACTERIZATION

In The Big Field, Mike Lupica develops characterization using the indirect method. There are five main characters and several others. The main character is Hutch. He is a 14 year old boy from Boynton, Florida. He plays for the Cardinals. He absolutely loves baseball and wants to play shortstop in the Big Leagues someday. Unfortunately, he only plays second base under Daryl who took his position. They do not get along well at all because Daryl has a rotten attitude and took Hutch's position. Hutch really wants his dad, who was almost a professional, to play ball with him. He has a good personality and is a nice kid and has a bright future. Daryl is one of the best players to come out of this area in a while. He is a great player although a bad team player with a poor attitude and he doesn't care about anything except his future in professional baseball. Unlike Hutch, who plays for the love of the game, Daryl plays because it promises him a future. His dad left when he was a baby and he has had a rough life. Hutch's parents Carl and Connie are good parents who are loved by Hutch. Carl's dreams were shattered when he found out he wasn't good enough to go on to play Major League Baseball. His mom gets both Carl and Hutch through happily. Cody, Hutch's best friend, is always there for Hutch. They have always been best friends and plan to keep it that way, despite the fact that Hutch took his position as second baseman. He now plays in left field.

RECOMMENDATION

I would recommend this book to middle school children, ages 10-13 years old, of both genders who love baseball. I don’t think that it matters if it is a boy or girl as long as the reader has the love for baseball or softball. It was an easy and quick read. Again, I appreciated the fact that the main character was not the star of the team and I feel it is important for children to realize that they do not have to be number one in everything they do. They need to find something they like, give it their all and be true to themselves. I am in high school and I would recommend it to middle schoolers, because the book is written below the high school reading level.

[Matthew Eisenberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read The Big Field with my 12 year-old son, who, like me, is a big baseball fan. We both really enjoyed it.

The Big Field is about Hutch, the 14 year-old captain of his baseball team, who loves the game and strives to be the best he can be, while also trying to negotiate difficult relationships with his father and the other best player on the team.

Author Mike Lupica does an excellent job depicting the camaraderie of teammates, the passion one feels for the game, and the uncertainties and insecurities that go along with being 14. It is a perfect book to read with your 12 year-old baseball-playing-and-loving son.

[Thomas O’Halloran · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommy O’Halloran
10/5/18
Mr. Schleifer 9H
Period 3

A sports novel’s purpose is to teach a lesson or make the reader feel a certain way through the power of sports. Mike Lupica’s The Big Field does exactly that through fourteen-year-old, Keith “Hutch” Hutchinson.

This book made me wish that everyone accepted their talent level. The book has helped me see this through Hutch being forced to play second base instead of shortstop, his favorite position. This happened because a young baseball prodigy named Darryl Williams (also a shortstop) joined the team, bumping Hutch over to second base. Though Hutch was not happy with this, he still dealt with it, his team ended up winning the championship, and he actually became friends with Darryl. I wish that more people were like Hutch, people that accept their skill level and adapt to their circumstances.

This book made me realize that I don’t have to be the best. I have realized this through Hutch not even starting at the position that he normally plays, and still playing a big role on the team. To prove this, him and Darryl both work together very well throughout the season and their team ultimately won the Florida state championship. In this scenario, Hutch was not the best at what he did, yet he still contributed heavily to the team that he was on. People often get too caught up in how they are not the best at something when they really just need to see that they are actually contributing.

This book made me wonder about other people’s feelings towards me. My reason for this is Darryl not really realizing that he was making Hutch feel very bad at first that he was taking his spot. Luckily for Darryl though, Hutch didn’t actually get mad at him for it, instead, Hutch worked with him and became his friend. However, in most real-life case scenarios, the person getting started over would probably think negative thoughts about the person that is starting. This leads me to wonder how other kids think of me when I play longer in a game than them in sports or even just do better than someone on anything.

This book made me see that a lot of kids don’t have the same relationship with their parents as I do. The book showed me this through Hutch’s encounter at the end of the championship game with his father. After they’d already won the game, Hutch ran to his dad and they hugged each other. This may not sound like anything special, but to Hutch, it meant the world. His father didn’t usually support him or come to any if his games because of his disliking of the sport. His father disliked baseball because of a shoulder injury ending his baseball career in the minors. I couldn’t imagine my dad never showing up to any of my games to support me.

This book made me believe that the more a person is willing to sacrifice for you, the more they are your friend. The book led me to believe this through Cody, one of Hutch’s life-long friends. This is shown when Cody sacrifices his spot at second base so that Hutch can still play in the infield. This was a really nice move by Cody because he gave up his own position, forcing himself to play outfield, which is completely different from second base. I sure do believe that my closest friends would do the most for me of out of anyone else in the entire world (besides my family).

This book made me feel that I judge people too fast. The book demonstrates this through Hutch’s early relationship with Darryl and his father. At first, Darryl and Hutch do not get along too well considering that they are fighting over who will get to play shortstop for the team. However, as the book progresses, their relationship becomes more and more friendly. Also, in the beginning of the book, Hutch’s dad was completely unsupportive towards baseball to the point where he didn’t even want to step on a field. Then, at the end, he finally shows some support for his son by hugging him. If I was Hutch in either of these situations, I would’ve assumed that neither of them were changing.

This book made me hope that I will not give up at anything I do. Hutch and his team winning it all has caused me to hope this. Hutch, Darryl, Cody, and the rest of his team were not quitters and being that the game was very close the whole way through, each and every one of them had to have not given up. Additionally, when Hutch didn’t get to play his favorite position, he was really bummed out, but he didn’t give up on trying to win all those games. Throughout the book, Hutch really inspired me to not give up on whatever it is I am trying to do, even if it is something super small.

[John W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel caught my eye because I am a baseball player and any book written by Mike Lupica is bound to be a good one. I know this from experience having read books like Million Dollar Arm, Heavy Hitters, and No Slam Dunk. All of those books were entertaining to read and all told lesson-learning stories. This was no different in The Big Field, this book not only had you on the edge of your seat during every single-elimination playoff game, but it also illustrated to you how a game can bring people together. This book is a third-person limited narration that goes through a journey with a kid named Keith Hutchinson, better known as Hutch. Hutch is the second basemen for one of the best American Legion teams in the state of Florida, the Cardinals. The thing is that he is not a second baseman, he is a shortstop by heart. The only thing keeping him at second base is the kid who is the shortstop and is the best player Hutch has ever played with, his name is Darryl. This sparks some tension between the two that just grew as Darryl began more arrogant and selfish. Their tension tops when Hutch goes to the practice field to play with his best friend Cody and he sees Darryl taking infield with his father, Carl Hutchinson. Hutch and his father’s relationship has also been very rocky since a very young age. They have been distant ever since Hutch got into baseball because his dad put all of his eggs into one basket on going to the MLB and he did not want the same to happen to his son. Hutch would usually just catch his dad watching the games and drinking beers without his son. He did not even show up to Hutch’s games at first and that hurt Hutch. Hutch sees his dad and Darryl taking infield and that gets him mad because he knows that his dad has never done that for him before. Darryl says some words that get under Hutch’s skin about his him and his dad’s relationship and it provoked Hutch to push Darryl. This got Hutch suspended for one game in the playoffs and since the playoffs are do or die that is a huge hit for the team. This also got Hutch a talking to with his father. His dad takes him to where he caddies and has a long conversation on why Hutch should not be so invested in baseball because of how it backstabbed him. The Cardinals end up winning even without their captain and Hutch is eager to return to play. The Cardinals end up going on a winning streak thanks to the heroics of Hutch such as walk-off home runs and great defensive plays. The end up winning to the finals because of their great play. Before game 1 of the finals (best of three series) Hutch finds a scrapbook of his father playing baseball. He was smiling in these photos, Hutch wondered why he never smiled anymore. The finals were played on Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium and Hutch is surprised to see his dad there. This is easily the biggest game of Hutch’s life and he has no room for error. The game is tied the bottom of the ninth with two outs and a man on third. A sharply hit ground ball is hit to Hutch and it goes right through the five-hole. What do you think the team's response is going to be after this error? How is Darryl going to feel? How is Carl Hutchinson going to feel about this? Will the Cardinals be able to come back from a 1-0 series deficit and will it all 2-1 or will they get swept on live television? What will Hutch do differently in preparation for the next game? Find all this out by reading The Big Field by Mike Lupica.
The main thing that worked in this book was the way that the author could have the reader feel connected to the relationships that Hutch is in. Hutch’s relationships with two important shortstops in his life are the main conflict in the book. Baseball seems to be just beneath that even though most of the stuff between Darryl and Hutch happens on the field. It also did a good job presenting how Hutch felt, some of the time it said it through dialogue, but other times it through the action that he did or how he reacted to things. The author should have included Hutch’s best friend Cody more throughout the book. He is important because sticks with Hutch threw the whole rollercoaster, but does not do anything significant besides tell Hutch he was on TV or in the paper or hit him ground balls. He does give a heartwarming speech at the end when Hutch needed it the most, but I think he could have been used better in the story.

[Austin Callens · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Big Field by Mike Lupica
Paragraph 1 on Question 1 As Clear As Crystal

In the book "The Big Field" by Mike Lupica, the author has a very unique writing style. His usage of imagery is not use by the ordinary author. His arguments are always easy to find throughout his books. He is very good at expanding on the scene that he has set for his characters. He has the rare ability of making the characters seem like they are in the room with the reader. In this book particularly I could almost feel the main character (Hutch's) presence. Throughout the book there are only a lot of characters because of all of his teammates and opponents, but the obvious main character is Hutch. At first Hutch is upset that Darryl took his position but in the end he puts it behind him for the good of the team. Hutch keeps pushing himself to make him and his teammates better. He has a bit of a struggle because on one hand he wants to win but on the other he wants his old position back. A handful of times the Hutch wanted to get angry, and only once did he actually get physically mad but for the majority of the book he stayed calm. This is a book that I believe if I was to read again, the story would change a little. As a person who has played baseball when I was younger I understood most of the terms but there were a few I didn't but using context clue I managed to figure it out. The authors word choice and sentence structure helped me to enjoy this book when I am not much of a fan of reading. At first I had to force myself to sit down and read but over time I got into the book and it actually became enjoyable.


Paragraph 2 on Question 2 Like Flowers in Spring

The main characters are an Hutch and Darryl. Hutch is a baseball player who has been playing shortstop his whole life. Darryl moves in from out of town and is supposed to be the next great prospect at shortstop so Hutch gets put at second base which is not his favorite position. He is good but not as good at Darryl is. Hutch knows that he doesn't have a chance to get better than Darryl, so he sticks to his strengths which are leadership and baseball IQ. He does not try to get his position back, but rather tries to help his team win any way that he can. Hutch uses everything he has ever learned playing baseball to help his team make it to the state tournament. A large majority of this book is spent either at a baseball field or talking about baseball. All of the speaking habits are very believable because most of it is all about the game. One example is dialogue between Hutch and Darryl when they are playing baseball. They talk about strategy and who is going to do what. In the end, they make it to the state championship and win it with a walk off home run. They all celebrate what a great summer they had and talk about what they are doing the next summer for baseball. This was a pretty predictable ending. I saw that Hutch was going to get over loosing his position and win the biggest game of his life. That was what the author had been building toward the whole book. This flows naturally with the characters because Hutch is a team first player and all he cares about is winning so he got his goal. Darryl is a self first player and he got what he wanted because he hit the winning home run in the championship.

[Jakob Cantor · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the middle of january, I finished a baseball book called The Big Field written by Mike Lupica. I was in a room in my house and saw a book by Mike Lupica. Memories of my younger childhood came back to me and I remembered loving books written by him. I know I have a lot of school work so I chose this book because it was on the shorter end and was about one of my favorite things in the world, baseball. While reading the book, I found that it took me away from the real world and put me in the shoes of a character in the book that has a lot in common with me.

The main character in this book is a young kid by the name of Keith Hutcherson or ¨Hutch¨. Hutch is a shortstop who always plays baseball and whenever he is not doing that, he is watching it. His life dream is to make it to the MLB. I thought this young kid was me when I was reading the book because we have a lot of similarities. Hutch is my favorite character because he reminds me of myself in some ways. Baseball is his love and passion as well as mine. He is a character I could understand and relate to.

Like all of the baseball teams I play on, the team in the story is successful. One of the kids that is on the team turns out to be a better player then Hutch and takes his position. Hutch only wants to play shortstop, his favorite and most comfortable position. When he is fighting to get his position back and get better then he was, the team is losing chemistry which has a bad impact on the team. Hutch reminds me of myself towards the beginning of the book because of his dedication towards baseball and when his position gets taken, it reminds me of myself in a way. Even though this specific incident has never fully happened to me, I know if somebody takes my positions it is best for the team and I would work even harder to get better just like Hutch. There have been small instances where I know I have to get better and work harder than usual which reminds me of what Hutch went through.

In the book, there are lot of conflicts and resolutions that are best for most of the people on the team. There are important themes in the book such as relationships between friends, relationships between family members, cheating, and never giving up. The themes are important and are what make the book interesting and nail biting. This book always kept me on my heels and kept me ready for what could happen next. I made myself a schedule so I could prioritize my time but I found myself reading ahead most of the time because I was always anxious and excited to find out what was going to happen next in the book.

I enjoyed reading this book because it was mostly around a character that reminded me of myself and because it took me away from some of the stress I was having in the real world. There were not any big parts of the book that needed a change except for that I felt some parts were predictable, otherwise I loved it.

This book is a great sports book that I recommend for middle school kids and teenagers in high school (ages 11-18). I recommend the book to no specific gender, just ones who like reading about sports. If you are a Mike Lupica fan or one who likes reading about sports and sport conflicts, then you will love this book. Mike Lupica is a sports book author and comes out with many great sport stories.

[Bailey Folk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Personal Response
In my own opinion, The Big Field is a good book. I can relate to it because the main character plays baseball. It's a good book that shows no matter what position you are in life, or in a game, you will still be a big part in it. The main character realizes that you have to never give up. You may lose at first, but you have to get up and get going again.

Plot Summary
Keith Hutchinson was a great baseball player. Keith is fourteen, and he plays for the American Legion Cardinals in Boynton Beach, Florida. He is one of the best shortstops that the Cardinals have ever seen. Until one day, when a new kid named Darryl joins the team. Keith (otherwise known as Hutch) was devastated when Darryl got his position. Hutch was moved to second which moved his best friend out to right field. Keith's dad used to be a great baseball player until his shoulder got hurt. Keith and his dad never really had a good relationship. Baseball seemed to be the thing that brought them closer together because it was something they both liked to do. The team thought all was over when they lost their first game. They worked their way to the top by winning all of their playoff games. They ended up going to the championship game. They ended up winning the Florida championship title.

Recommendation
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a good easy book. It is a good book for people who like baseball and know the struggles of the sport. I think the audience is pushed towards boys age 8-18 because it is a good book showing that when you get knocked down, it is important to get right back up. It's an easy book that is very good and I would suggest it to a lot of people.

[Noah Tibben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written my Mike Lupica a very awesome sports author. This book is about a boy named Hutch Hutchison who lives in Florida and the book is his journey to the Big Field. There's only one thing Hutch wants and that's to be a big league ball player. So when the Post 226 Cardinals make the playoffs Hutch feels as if his team could win the state championship which could be the closes thing to the major leagues as he will get. The only things standing in his way is a few teams and the two shortstops in his life. Darryl the first is his teammate a superstar show off that stole is position. The next is his dad a former superstar baseball player until he wasn't good enough for the major's. He does not love the game any more. So can Hutch and Darryl lead there team to the state championship.

To Mike Lupica: I love how each baseball player is unique in there own way. I like the florida location. I feel like the book has a good amount of good moments and bad moments. I like the main charcters passion for baseball. I love the twists every few chapters. I liked to see a journey of a baseball player. I love how through the losses and wins Hutch constantly plays with energy.

To Mike Lupica: I thought there could have been more action in the book. I wish you would have gone deeper into Darryl's life. I wish you could have told more about Hutch's mom. I wish you would have told us more about Cody's parents. I wish there was more details on Roger Dean. I was disapointed because the book didn't start in the regular season. Finnaly i wish you would have described or confirmed Darryl's mom.

[Christy Rosso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Christy Rosso
Genre: Sports
Lupica, M. (2008). The big field. New York: Philomel Books.
Format: Print
Selection process: NoveList
http://web.ebscohost.com

Hutch Hutchinson is a fourteen-year-old shortstop from East Boynton, Florida. His team, the Cardinals, are finalists in the county baseball tournament, with the potential to win the World Series in their age division. Hutch loves baseball and wants a future in the game. As team captain, Hutch has to make the best decisions for everyone. That includes accepting his new role as second baseman when Darryl, a shortstop phenom, joins the team. But that’s not the only problem in Hutch’s locker. His dad was a minor baseball prospect back in the day. Now he caddies at the local golf course and stays away from Hutch’s baseball career. Hutch has missed his Dad’s coaching and support. The tension builds during county semi-finals, and Hutch’s resentment reaches explosive levels.
Mike Lupica is a New York Daily News columnist and author. His colorful baseball news reporting translates well into fiction, and teen fans will picture themselves right in the games with Hutch and his team. The exciting play-by-play action on the field is contrasted with a disturbing disconnect in Hutch’s family relationships. Teen baseball fans will relate to Hutch Hutchinson as a great baseball player, team captain, and as a young adult coping with father/son issues. Lupica offers a moving and authentic story of a young ball player.
Recommend.

[Joe Deluca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relationships on and Off the Field
A book review on The Big Field by Mike Lupica

This book is about a kid named Hutch whose life revolves around baseball. He plays one of the most important positions on the baseball field at shortstop until he started playing on his new team, The Post 226 Cardinals where they already have a shortstop who is really good named Darryl. With Darryl at shortstop Hutch is forced to play second base which is very demoralizing to him and causes him to dislike. Even more demoralizing to him is the fact that him and his dad have a bad relationship. His dad was a minor league baseball player that was just never good enough to make it to the MLB and because of that it seemed to Hutch that his dad hated baseball. His dad won't even have a catch with his son let alone see him play because he doesn't want the same sport that broke his heart to break his sons' heart also. Now, all Hutch wants is for his dad to come and watch him play and after winning a couple of playoff games Hutch's team was in the finals and if they win they go to the biggest stage for any little league baseball team, The Little League World Series. Hutch needs to win this game to get his dad back to loving baseball and maybe after that he can forgive Darryl for taking his position at shortstop. I really liked this book because I love baseball and this book centers around that but I also love to read about drama which is present in Hutch's relationship with his dad throughout the book.

[Weston Lorenz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book I am going to be reviewing is The Big Field written by Mike Lupica. Will the team win the championship? Continue reading the review and read the book to find out. The Big Field was published in March 4, 2008 by Philomel. In a short sentence, the book is about a team who is led by their shortstop Hutch and D-Will comes into town. D-Will takes over shortstop which makes Hutch feel threatened because he feels that his father is betraying him when his father gives D-Will advise when he’s never offered advice to Hutch. Hutch’s father used to be a good baseball player, and you would think that he would be helping his son out all the time but that is not the case at all. There are some characters that the reader may be able to relate to such as Hutch and D-Will. This can compare to anyone’s life when something happens to them where they are unable to play and someone takes their spot, but when they return from their injury, the person who replaced them has that spot locked down. There isn’t anything that is very controversial for the reader to be aware of. The theme for this book is definetly don’t take anything for granted because it can be taken away from you at any time. This book is a good choice for teens who enjoy a good story that involves drama, success, happiness and triumph. Go online or to your local bookstore and check this book out. If you are interested in other sports, Mike Lupica writes books about a lot of different sports that may appeal to other audiences.

[Stephen Beaman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book “Big Field” by Mike Lupica is a book about a kid named Hutch Hutchinson. Hutch plays on the Cardinals American Legion baseball team in Florida. Hutch has problems throughout the story that he must overcome. The first problem that Hutch has is that is dad is always busy and doesn’t support him or help him in baseball. Another problem Hutch has is that for all the time he has played baseball he has played shortstop, but now there is a new kid named Daryl who plays shortstop, and Daryl bothers Hutch. Hutch’s team is playing in the American Legion Tournament and they make it all the way to the finals at Roger Dean Stadium. Before this happens, Hutch has to overcome problems with his dad and Daryl. Hutch’s dad comes early to practice one day and helps out Daryl, the reason Hutch is mad about this is because his dad never helps him. Throughout the practice Daryl continues to make comments to Hutch because he knows Hutch is bothered, them Hutch gets in a fight and gets suspended for one of the tournament games. Once their team is at the finals Hutch and Daryl are able to work out their differences and play together, and at the end Hutch and his dad are also able to be like father and son again.
My overall review of this book is 4 stars because of the way Hutch has to overcome the issues and how he is able to overcome them. The reason I wouldn’t give this 5 stars is because it is only focused on baseball and nothing else, which is fair because it is a book about baseball, but I would’ve liked to see a little bit more that wasn’t about baseball.

[Joaquin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mike Lupica is one of the best sport's book author in my mind. This book "The Big Field" is about a boy named Hutch Hutchinson, a star shortstop. but when a new shortstop comes to there team. Hutch has to move over to second base because the new kid is a little bit better than him. But hutch takes this change kinda harshly because shortstop is his spot, also his to favorite major league players play shortstop. But in the end Hutch sucks it up and takes one for the team and plays second. Through out the book Hutch stays true to himself and dosent let the new kid bother him he just keep doing his thing. Hutch and his team face many struggles on there way to the playoffs, like having to play against kids that are like 4 years older that them. I dont believe this is one of mike lupica's best book i thought it was kinda good at the beging but towards the end it wasnt that good.It kinda let me down. Because ive read alot of Mike's books and this wanst one of his best. if you know me, you know i love any thing that has to do with baseball if its playing, watching, or even reading about it. However the way that this book described the plays on the infield, outfield, and in the batters box were not that very vivid in my mind.when i was reading i didn't really get a good picture in my head. Other than the baseball parts is was an alright kind of book. I wouldn't recommened this book to anyone unless your in love with Mike Lupica's books or if you've read all of Mike's baseball books.

[Ben Collinge · Rating 5 out of 5]

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. Not only is it about sports which I love, it's also very suspenseful and kept me always wanting to read more. The main character in this novel, Hutch, is an outstanding baseball player with dreams of playing Major League Baseball. He plays for the local post 226 Cardinals baseball team where he is forced to play second base instead of shortstop where he had played his whole life. Their shortstop, Darryl Williams, is ultimately a team bully and is very cocky and mean to Hutch throughout the novel. As the season goes on, the two are able to put their issues aside and be the co leaders of an amazing streak of games that they'll never forget. There were several thrilling, tight and suspenseful games, however, Hutch and Darryl routinely picked the team up in the late innings to get some very big wins. In the end, the two are able to achieve their dream goal of a state championship which they will remember for the rest of their lives. Hutch was able to accomplish this great feat with absolutely no support from his father who made it to the major leagues himself. He was able to ignore his dad who routinely told him he was going to go nowhere in baseball and continued to improve in the game he loved. Overall, this was an excellent book that I highly recommend all sports minded teenagers, like me, to read. It's not a long novel, or a hard read, so it's a perfect book to pick up if you deal with a very busy schedule too.

[Cody Becker · Rating 2 out of 5]

Personal Response- This book was ok. I liked other books by Mike Lupica better. I like his books, because most of his books are about sports. I can relate to some of the stuff that happen in this book.

Plot- Hutch´s dad never goes to Hutch´s games, because he ruined his life trying to make it professional. All his dad does is work and then have a beer and watch baseball. Hutch´s team is really good. Hutch and Darryl got in a fight, because Darryl said Hutch´s dad liked him better than him. So Hutch got suspended to play in the tournament. Hutch said he did not want to even go to the game, because he did not feel like watching. Hutch decided to go to the game and cheer on his teammates. At the tournament Hutch and Darryl made up. They won the tournament. They won the tournament by one.

Characterization- Cody is Hutch´s best friend. Hutch is one of the best baseball players on the team and plays shortstop. Darryl thinks he is going to get somewhere with baseball. Carl and Carrie Hutchinson is Hutch´s parents

Recommendation- I recommend it to 11+, because it is an easy read. I rate it a 3 out of 5, because it was not very interesting to me. I recommend it to boys and girls, because boys and girls like baseball.

[Nile Schuett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hutch has always played shortstop for his local baseball team. His father used to be one of the most famous baseball players in the area and seemed to be on his way to the MLB. Hutch is the best on his team until a new player named Darryl joins the team. Hutch gets moved to play second base and feels horrible. I like this book because this happens to everyone. In sports sometimes you get moved or benched because you're not as good as someone else. In the workforce, you don't do your job as well as others and they can make more money and be given more opportunities. But it is all about how you come back from those things that shock you that define you and show your true character. Hutch realizes that it isn't a bad thing at all and that he can help his team on the other side of second base. He notices that sometimes change is good and help even the best of teams. No matter what you just have to take what is given to you and run with it. That's why this book teaches one of the greatest that we should all learn in life.

[Alek Severkovski · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Field by Mike Lupica was about a boy named Hutch Hutchinson who loved baseball more than anything. His dad Carl Hutchinson was a minor league player for the twins but he went oit with a shoulder injury he said. Hutch was always a huge Derek Jeter fan and loved playinv shortstop but a new kid named Darryl shows up and takes the spot from Hutch. But Hutch's dad would never go near a baseball or pick up a bat ever again, he won't even go to his own sons game. Find out more in The Big Field!

For me I think this book was a top notch 5/5 book. It always made me look back and relate about how similar I am to Hutch but how we are different. I loved this book it was a gteat sports fiction novel, I am not mutch of a reader but this book was one of my favorites!

If I had to recommend this book to anybody it would be to first of all any baseball players or baseball fans. Also I would recommend this book to any people who read to "The Kid Who Only Hit Homers" by Matt Christopher.

[Wesley larue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. The biggest reason being, that I love baseball. Which if i dont pass this semester i wont get to play. haha. not good really. Anyways this book is about a kid named hutch who is really good at baseball. He really is a shortstop in his mind and he has the build and arm for it, but a star player deicdeds to play for his legion team which means he cant play shortstop but gets stuck at second base. He hates this naturally. Well it has been a dream season even with him playing second base. They get to the playoffs and all of a sudden he is the star player, hitting the walk off homer stealing at the right time and making the plays that are legendary for a legion baseball player. But when it comes down to the world series. Will Hutch be able to make the plays or will he come to understand a smart baseball player is better than a superstar?

[Jacob Vanden Avond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started this book a while ago and finished it to nights ago. I started reading it at about 8:30, at the time I was 1/4 done. At about 9:00-9:10 I decided it was getting time to go to bed soon, at about 9:15 I said to myself, "1 more chapter, then lights out," I finished the chapter and moved on to the next one, then said that would be the last one, instead I read another one. I kept reading till 10:00 when I finished the book. This book was a really good page turner, some extremely surprising parts, a couple that weren't, but it was still a great book. Mike Lupica did it again. The main part of the book was baseball, but there was a lot about family involved, the biggest conflict was between Hutch (the main character) and his dad. Overall this is a great book, this is a book for baseball fans and non-baseball fans alike. READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this realistic fiction book, a boy named Hutch is a star shortstop for his Post 236, Florida team. That is until D-Williams comes in and takes shortstop right out of Hutch's hand. Hutch is moved to second base and feels his goal of becoming the next Derek Jeter is done. As his team gets closer to the "Big Field" Hutch becomes clutch, night in and night out. Until he has to deal with his off-field issues with his Dad. The feud between Hutch and his dad, reaches a breaking point when he catches his dad playing baseball with D-Williams instead of him. Can
Hutch gather himself and make his dreams come true? Get a copy of this book as soon as possible. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes sports mixed with some drama.

[Carl Vaca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. It is about a teenager named Keith Hutchinson who is a great shortstop. His nickname is Hutch. He moves to second base because a future star Darryl Williams is a fantastic shortstop. Hutch was also a great player and his main position is shortstop. Darryl wins the position, but Hutch is voted captain of the team. One day Hutch sees him and Hutch's dad together on the field doing drills. His dad never really works with him and Hutch is mad. They get in a shoving match and Hutch got suspended from the next game. Their team was 1 win away from going into the championship. Hutch and Darryl go to the championship together and will be remembered for the kind of star players they are.

[RM Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

summary- Hutch and his team go through the state tournament for baseball, they go through hard times but pull it off.

passage- Hutch and darryl were the first ones to pull loose from the crowd. When they did DArryl was grinning at him. "what?" Hutch said. Darryl said, " i gotta be honest, Captin. I would've been happy if it was you got the big hit."

I pick this passage becasue it shows Hutch and Darryl do not care who gets the big play. Before if Hutch got the big play in the game Darryl would get mad that Hutch would get all the attention. Now this time Darryl got it but he says he would have rather had Hutch get it.