The Grand-Slam Kid

by Duane Decker

Fame came to Bucky O'Brian with a pich-hit home run during his first game with the Blue Sox. Suddenly his chances of replacing fading catcher Pete Gibbs became excellent, for Manager Jug Slavin needed a catcher who could hit. There was nothing to warn any of them that he would be hitting .209 the following season and getting boos from the fans. Bucky hated to bunt and never more so than the day his roommate Oklahoma has a no-hitter going. Coming toward Bucky was a pitch too high to bunt, but easy to hit out of the lot. Here was an opportunity to get the Sox in the scoring column, to save the day for Oklahoma, and to redeem himself. What happened then surprised every player on the field. It also brought Bucky to his senses so that his education as a complete ballplayer could begin in earnest. This warm-hearted installment of the Blue Sox saga is sure to be a favorite with the team's many fans.

189 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1964

About the author

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

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

Reviews

[Steven Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of the Blue Sox books by author Duane Decker. When I was in high school, I loved going through our local library's stacks to root out the books in this series (and another baseball series by John Tunis). So, I ended up reading most of the works available at the Kewanee Public Library in the first half of the 1960s.

I ran across references to the two series and have reflected on my reaction to them at the time. This volume focuses on a catcher, Bucky O'Brian. He had the luck (whether good or not is a part of this story) to hit a grand slam during his earliest days with the Blue Sox. After that, he began to lose sight of team play, as he would eschew bunts to swing for the downs.

In his first full year with the Blue Sox, he fit poorly. He helped blow a no hitter for his friend by refusing to bunt and swinging away (he did not hit the home run). Finally, he began to "get it," that he had to think in terms of team.

Decker's works tended to emphasize the role of the team and the value of not thinking just of one's own exploits as a player, but working with others. Obviously, that is an ethos that is not so apparent today in major league baseball, as we see "hot dogs" showing off to the fans rather than attending to business (sorry for the editorial comment).

Anyhow, a late work in the series. . . . It is not among the very best, but it is a book worth reading (if a copy can be found).

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bucky O’Brian is a catcher who appears headed for a spot in the big leagues. Pete Gibbs, the regular catcher, is too old to play every day and the Blue Sox are looking for a replacement. Although Bucky is an excellent hitter, he is still unpolished when behind the plate, so Gibbs becomes Bucky’s tutor. Bucky becomes an immediate media sensation when he hits a grand slam in his first at bat. Not only does it win the game; it also clinches the pennant for the Blue Sox in the last game of the season.
Unfortunately, Bucky now believes that he must hit a home run each time he comes to the plate, so shortly into the next season, he is batting a mere .209 and is hearing boos from the home crowd. Things get progressively worse, as he swings away and makes an out when he is ordered to bunt. This happens more than once and it is devastating when he fails to bunt in a critical situation and costs his best friend a no-hitter. Eventually, Bucky learns to be more concerned about winning games rather than with his image as a home run hitter.
Duane Decker is one of the best writers of juvenile sports fiction, where his main character also teaches a lesson in personal character. In this case, the lesson is about winning by contributing rather than winning by glorious personal action. This is something that is not taught as much as it used to be.

[Steve Mccormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last of the novels. Still a classic Blue Sox novel. Check out my Duane Decker facebook page.

[Ronald]

possibly read in spring of 1967