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Infield Hit
A story for baseball lovers and fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green!
Hal has to get out from under his father’s shadow. Hal Stevens has always been compared to his father, a superstar third baseman and power hitter. But Hal doesn’t have his father’s build and strength. When his new baseball coach moves him to second base and hands him a lighter bat, Hal discovers his real abilities—and finds himself faced with an angry second baseman, who is sure Hal got the spot because of his father. Can Hal prove him wrong?
“Baseball fans will love the play-by-play descriptions of games, and Hal’s struggles . . . will appeal to an even wider audience.”— Booklist
Hal has to get out from under his father’s shadow. Hal Stevens has always been compared to his father, a superstar third baseman and power hitter. But Hal doesn’t have his father’s build and strength. When his new baseball coach moves him to second base and hands him a lighter bat, Hal discovers his real abilities—and finds himself faced with an angry second baseman, who is sure Hal got the spot because of his father. Can Hal prove him wrong?
“Baseball fans will love the play-by-play descriptions of games, and Hal’s struggles . . . will appeal to an even wider audience.”— Booklist
- GenresSports
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
6 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Thomas J. Dygard
23 books11 followersIn His Own Words...
"I can't remember when I first started writing fiction. it was shortly after I began reading fiction, I'm sure.
"I've been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I read a lot of the same kinds of books I'm writing-the John R. Tunis sports stories, for example. I also read a lot of history when I was young-and I still do now. It's always fascinated me.
"When I was a high school senior, I was offered two jobs, both of the apprentice sort. One was in a commercial artist's studio, on a recommendation from my art teacher. The other was in the sports department of the local newspaper, following work on the school paper. I took the sportswriting job.
"For four years I worked for the Arkansas Gazette while attending the University of Arkansas, first at Little Rock and then at Fayetteville, covering football, baseball, basketball, boxing, golf, tennis-everything that made up the sports page. After graduation, I joined the Associated Press as a newsman at Little Rock and later worked in AP bureaus in Detroit, Birmingham, and New Orleans. Eventually, I was Chief of Bureau in Little Rock, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Tokyo, Japan. I retired from the Associated Press in 1993 and now live in Evansville, Indiana.
"For me, writing fiction is fun, relaxing, and satisfying-an enjoyable change of pace, a recharging of the batteries.
"My first young adult novel, Running Scared, got started one night in a motel room in Champaign, Illinois, when I had nothing else to do. Before long, the story had me in its grip. The creation of the thing was a fascinating experience. I liked the characters. I liked leading them through their problems to their triumphs. I kept going until one day it was finished.
"I did not set out to write for young people. Looking back, I think it was something of a blessing that 1 did not. As I wrote Running Scared, I imagined the reader as an adult, but after it was finished, it seemed more appropriate for young readers. The result, I think, was that the story did not talk down to teenagers. In every book I've written since, I've tried to keep the same approach."
"I can't remember when I first started writing fiction. it was shortly after I began reading fiction, I'm sure.
"I've been a voracious reader for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, I read a lot of the same kinds of books I'm writing-the John R. Tunis sports stories, for example. I also read a lot of history when I was young-and I still do now. It's always fascinated me.
"When I was a high school senior, I was offered two jobs, both of the apprentice sort. One was in a commercial artist's studio, on a recommendation from my art teacher. The other was in the sports department of the local newspaper, following work on the school paper. I took the sportswriting job.
"For four years I worked for the Arkansas Gazette while attending the University of Arkansas, first at Little Rock and then at Fayetteville, covering football, baseball, basketball, boxing, golf, tennis-everything that made up the sports page. After graduation, I joined the Associated Press as a newsman at Little Rock and later worked in AP bureaus in Detroit, Birmingham, and New Orleans. Eventually, I was Chief of Bureau in Little Rock, Indianapolis, Chicago, and Tokyo, Japan. I retired from the Associated Press in 1993 and now live in Evansville, Indiana.
"For me, writing fiction is fun, relaxing, and satisfying-an enjoyable change of pace, a recharging of the batteries.
"My first young adult novel, Running Scared, got started one night in a motel room in Champaign, Illinois, when I had nothing else to do. Before long, the story had me in its grip. The creation of the thing was a fascinating experience. I liked the characters. I liked leading them through their problems to their triumphs. I kept going until one day it was finished.
"I did not set out to write for young people. Looking back, I think it was something of a blessing that 1 did not. As I wrote Running Scared, I imagined the reader as an adult, but after it was finished, it seemed more appropriate for young readers. The result, I think, was that the story did not talk down to teenagers. In every book I've written since, I've tried to keep the same approach."
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 30, 2017
PERSONAL RESPONSE:
I thought this book was pretty decent. It was not the best, though, because the author always came straight out and said exactly what he was thinking. If he did not throw all of the information right at me it would keep me more intrigued. The idea of the story was a good idea, though.
PLOT:
This story was about a junior in high school. He was very athletic, but because of his dad, who was a famous third baseman, Hal was always stuck playing third base. Even though he was a good baseball player, he was not a good third baseman. When Hal moved to a new school, his team already had a great third basemen that was a returning starter. Hal tried to beat out the third baseman, but his arm was not able to do the job. When the coach saw how well Hal could field, he knew he needed him somewhere on the field. He decided that with a weak arm, second base would fit him perfectly. He was also a great offensive player too. He never got very big hits, but he was very good at placing the ball when he made contact. He also worked the other team and made them throw lot of pitches. The only issue with the team was their heavy hitter, Warner, lost his spot to Hal. Warner has started at second base the past two years and now the new comer, Hal, took his spot and bumped him to right field. Warner felt that the only reason this happened is because the coach wanted to find a spot for the son of Ralph Stevenson. He quit the team and without his bat in the lineup, they lost the game. Hal and Warner’s friends talked to him and made him understand that the reason Hal started at second base was not because of his dad. Warner realized that they are right and decided to come back to the team. Once they finally had the full lineup, they had a great shot to make it to the championship.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Hal is a junior. He just recently transferred high schools. His father was a famous third baseman that played in the MLB. He was also a slugger. Hal was a very different type of baseball player. He did not have the arm to throw runners out from third base. Hal was still a great fielder, so he moved to second base. He also was a leadoff type of batter. He placed the ball in the gaps in the infield rather than trying to swing for the fences every time and just shot for a base hit.
Warner was a returning senior who had started the last several years at second base. He assumed that he had the position with his name locked on it, but he struggled to field the balls cleanly. When the coach realized that Hal needed to play somewhere in the field, he also noticed how much Warner struggled to field the ball cleanly, so he moved Hal to that position. The coach moved Warner to right field, because even though he was not that strong of a defensive player, having him in the lineup was a key because of his power.
SETTING:
The setting of this story was in high school in Western Illinois. This was important, because it took place during the fall of Hal’s junior year. The setting was important, because he just recently transferred to this school this year in western Illinois.
THEMATIC CONNECTION:
Necessity of work was the theme that stuck out to me the most. The reason I thought that was because Hal always worked hard to make sure he got the most out of practice. He also knew the coach would see his hard work, and that would give him an edge over some of the other players as of who would start or not.
RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend this book to males that are the age of 13-18. The reason I chose that age group was because the book revolved around a high school baseball team. It would make sense for that age group to read it, because they are in, or about, to go into high school. However, within that age group, the younger end of the range would be best because of how easy the book was to read. There was no explicit content in the book. The reason I chose males was because baseball is for males.
I thought this book was pretty decent. It was not the best, though, because the author always came straight out and said exactly what he was thinking. If he did not throw all of the information right at me it would keep me more intrigued. The idea of the story was a good idea, though.
PLOT:
This story was about a junior in high school. He was very athletic, but because of his dad, who was a famous third baseman, Hal was always stuck playing third base. Even though he was a good baseball player, he was not a good third baseman. When Hal moved to a new school, his team already had a great third basemen that was a returning starter. Hal tried to beat out the third baseman, but his arm was not able to do the job. When the coach saw how well Hal could field, he knew he needed him somewhere on the field. He decided that with a weak arm, second base would fit him perfectly. He was also a great offensive player too. He never got very big hits, but he was very good at placing the ball when he made contact. He also worked the other team and made them throw lot of pitches. The only issue with the team was their heavy hitter, Warner, lost his spot to Hal. Warner has started at second base the past two years and now the new comer, Hal, took his spot and bumped him to right field. Warner felt that the only reason this happened is because the coach wanted to find a spot for the son of Ralph Stevenson. He quit the team and without his bat in the lineup, they lost the game. Hal and Warner’s friends talked to him and made him understand that the reason Hal started at second base was not because of his dad. Warner realized that they are right and decided to come back to the team. Once they finally had the full lineup, they had a great shot to make it to the championship.
CHARACTERIZATION:
Hal is a junior. He just recently transferred high schools. His father was a famous third baseman that played in the MLB. He was also a slugger. Hal was a very different type of baseball player. He did not have the arm to throw runners out from third base. Hal was still a great fielder, so he moved to second base. He also was a leadoff type of batter. He placed the ball in the gaps in the infield rather than trying to swing for the fences every time and just shot for a base hit.
Warner was a returning senior who had started the last several years at second base. He assumed that he had the position with his name locked on it, but he struggled to field the balls cleanly. When the coach realized that Hal needed to play somewhere in the field, he also noticed how much Warner struggled to field the ball cleanly, so he moved Hal to that position. The coach moved Warner to right field, because even though he was not that strong of a defensive player, having him in the lineup was a key because of his power.
SETTING:
The setting of this story was in high school in Western Illinois. This was important, because it took place during the fall of Hal’s junior year. The setting was important, because he just recently transferred to this school this year in western Illinois.
THEMATIC CONNECTION:
Necessity of work was the theme that stuck out to me the most. The reason I thought that was because Hal always worked hard to make sure he got the most out of practice. He also knew the coach would see his hard work, and that would give him an edge over some of the other players as of who would start or not.
RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend this book to males that are the age of 13-18. The reason I chose that age group was because the book revolved around a high school baseball team. It would make sense for that age group to read it, because they are in, or about, to go into high school. However, within that age group, the younger end of the range would be best because of how easy the book was to read. There was no explicit content in the book. The reason I chose males was because baseball is for males.
September 30, 2019
I overall thought this book was very good. It brought up a kid, Hal Stevens, who needs to fill his former baseball legend fathers shoes or he will feel he has let him down. I think it brought together drama and sports together nicely. It was a good read and I recommend it to others. I think the change it gave to Hal that made him move positions is a good lesson to others. That you don't need to be like others and it is good to be different. It's a great lesson to others that hard work can get you anywhere. Hal had to work his tail off to prove to the former second basemen that he deserved the spot and it wasn't because of his last name. The book was good and kept me reading. I hope i convinced you to read this book as well.
May 24, 2017
Personal Response: I think this book was very interesting because it shows the character's love for the game of baseball. I also love baseball, and like reading about it. The author's choice of using a character like Warner was a good choice because it added interest into the book. The book was also very interesting because the author had a major conflict that kept me wanting to find out what was going to happen next. The main character also related to me alot so I felt like I was in the book.
Plot Summary: The book was about a young boy whose father was a major league baseball player. He played third base and batted fourth in the lineup. His son Hal wanted to be just like his father and play third base and swing a heavy bat, but he was not like his father he was not strong enough to make the long throw of the third baseman. When Hal started playing ball his coach put him at second base were he could field the ball and make an easy throw. He also was lead of batter swinging a light bat and trying to get on base no matter what.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any guys in the grades of 8th through 12th. I would recommend this to them because it is about a bunch of boys who are playing baseball so they could relate to that. I would also recomend it to people who have a very strong interest in the game of baseball because the book goes in depth about the game.
Plot Summary: The book was about a young boy whose father was a major league baseball player. He played third base and batted fourth in the lineup. His son Hal wanted to be just like his father and play third base and swing a heavy bat, but he was not like his father he was not strong enough to make the long throw of the third baseman. When Hal started playing ball his coach put him at second base were he could field the ball and make an easy throw. He also was lead of batter swinging a light bat and trying to get on base no matter what.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to any guys in the grades of 8th through 12th. I would recommend this to them because it is about a bunch of boys who are playing baseball so they could relate to that. I would also recomend it to people who have a very strong interest in the game of baseball because the book goes in depth about the game.
May 17, 2017
Infield Hit
As they boarded the bus to the first game, the best hitter on the team was nowhere in sight. In this book the big slugger which is Warner, quits because he gets replaced at 2nd base by Hal the newcomer, and Warner gets moved to right field.
In the book”Infield Hit”, it shows how if you get changed from something, give it a shot, not just for you but for your team. Warner gets moved from 2nd base to right field because Hal is better than him, but Warner is also the best hitter on the team. Warner in the book says “coaches pet” right after he figures out Hal's dad and the coach used to be best friends. This is showing how Warner thinks he is better than Hal and Hal is just playing because of his dad.
This book also shows how if you don't live up to your dad who was a baseball legend, you will be ok and he will still be proud of you. Hal's dad was a baseball legend and played 3rd base and was a hitter who hit a lot of home runs. Hal on the other hand doesn't have a strong enough arm for 3rd base and has to play 2nd base and is a hitter who just gets singles. Coach says “Hal, use this smaller and lighter bat, you're not strong enough to swing that other one, singles are at better than fly outs.” This is showing how if you can't hit home runs, your still very important because singles are just as important as home runs.
So this book shows many things and I talked about two of them, how if you get changed positions and don't like it, then leave because there are other people who would love to have your position, and if your dad's a legend and you can't do what he could, don't get down on yourself and think you're a failure, instead try your hardest to be the best you can be and your father will think your a legendary son.
As they boarded the bus to the first game, the best hitter on the team was nowhere in sight. In this book the big slugger which is Warner, quits because he gets replaced at 2nd base by Hal the newcomer, and Warner gets moved to right field.
In the book”Infield Hit”, it shows how if you get changed from something, give it a shot, not just for you but for your team. Warner gets moved from 2nd base to right field because Hal is better than him, but Warner is also the best hitter on the team. Warner in the book says “coaches pet” right after he figures out Hal's dad and the coach used to be best friends. This is showing how Warner thinks he is better than Hal and Hal is just playing because of his dad.
This book also shows how if you don't live up to your dad who was a baseball legend, you will be ok and he will still be proud of you. Hal's dad was a baseball legend and played 3rd base and was a hitter who hit a lot of home runs. Hal on the other hand doesn't have a strong enough arm for 3rd base and has to play 2nd base and is a hitter who just gets singles. Coach says “Hal, use this smaller and lighter bat, you're not strong enough to swing that other one, singles are at better than fly outs.” This is showing how if you can't hit home runs, your still very important because singles are just as important as home runs.
So this book shows many things and I talked about two of them, how if you get changed positions and don't like it, then leave because there are other people who would love to have your position, and if your dad's a legend and you can't do what he could, don't get down on yourself and think you're a failure, instead try your hardest to be the best you can be and your father will think your a legendary son.
May 9, 2019
In the book "Infield Hit" a high school kid named Hal Stevens try's to hide the fact that his father, Ralph Stevens, is one of the best third baseman to ever live. Ralph Stevens was a great third baseman but he was also a big hitter with a heavy bat. When Hal started playing baseball he did everything like his dad, he played third base and had a heavy bat. After Hal's mom and dad got divorced him and his mom moved. They lived all over america, which means Hal was the new kid at school a lot and every time they moved someone found out Ralph Stevens was his dad. When people found out Hal was not Hal Stevens anymore, he was Ralph Stevens son. Then they moved to cannon city were Hal decided to keep his father a secret.
One reason I liked the book was because of the details in the games and practices the author uses. In the sentence "stepping quickly to face the pitch; sliding his right hand down the bat; poking slightly at the ball, then pulling away quickly back to soften the blow." we can see how Thomas j. Dygard, the author, uses the details. Hal is a junior in high school, so there is some drama in the book. Which is why i think that the book is meant for kids in high school. I also think if the person reading the book doesn't know a little bit about baseball they are going to be confused a lot through out the book.
I would recommend this book because as the story goes along Hal grows not only as a player but as a person. "I didn't beat you out at second base because I'm Ralph Stevens son. Well, Warner, I beat you out because in Hal Stevens." this quote shows that Hal doesn't have to live in his dads shadow.
One reason I liked the book was because of the details in the games and practices the author uses. In the sentence "stepping quickly to face the pitch; sliding his right hand down the bat; poking slightly at the ball, then pulling away quickly back to soften the blow." we can see how Thomas j. Dygard, the author, uses the details. Hal is a junior in high school, so there is some drama in the book. Which is why i think that the book is meant for kids in high school. I also think if the person reading the book doesn't know a little bit about baseball they are going to be confused a lot through out the book.
I would recommend this book because as the story goes along Hal grows not only as a player but as a person. "I didn't beat you out at second base because I'm Ralph Stevens son. Well, Warner, I beat you out because in Hal Stevens." this quote shows that Hal doesn't have to live in his dads shadow.
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December 16, 2019one copy
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December 3, 2021cool
November 6, 2013
Infield HitThe Infield Hit is a great sports book for anybody of all ages.The Infield Hit is about a boy named Hal Stevens, who is the son of a retired professional baseball player. Hal's parents are divorced and live with his mom all of the time. Hal's mom is a nurse and has to move around North America. Hal love to play baseball too, because his father played. Hal is a sophomore in high school this year and just moved to a new city. He just signed up for the team and doesn't know anybody. When he gets there he see some kids from his classes but doesn't talk to anybody. After they do some running drills they try out for the positions And Hal is a 3rd baseman and try out for that spot. He finds out that a senior is way better then he is and decided not to go for that spot. The coach see that he is really fast and perfect for the 2nd baseman spot so coach puts him there. The old 2nd baseman , who is the best hitter gets mad that he lost his position and leaves the team. The team losses the first game with out him because they didn't have his power swing in the line up. Hal decides to visit him to try and make things up so he can join the team again. The Infield Hit was a great book that i would recommend to anyone.
October 7, 2012
Infield Hit is a Fiction Genre rated book. The book is about a boy named Hal Stevens,Hal Stevens attends Cannon City High in Western Illinois. Hal always got compared to his father. His father is a legendary super star third baseman and power hitter for the St. Louis Carrdinals? But does Hal have what it takes to fit into his dad's shoes and be a legendary third base star? Hal and his mom have moved so many places it is so crazy. First there had been Ames, Iowa, where they lived with his mother's parents while she worked toward a law degree at the university, Next Had been Oklahoma city, for his mother's first job with her new law degree in hand.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes sports books, because it is a good sports related book.
It relates to me alot because I am in the same situation my dad is a superstar third baseman.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes sports books, because it is a good sports related book.
It relates to me alot because I am in the same situation my dad is a superstar third baseman.
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April 14, 2016Hal seems like a nice guy. He would be a good role model.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews