Inside the Park: A Funny Middle Grade Baseball Story About a Boy Trapped in a Stadium with His Dog for Kids

by Andrea Williams

From Andrea Williams, the bestselling author of We Are Family with LeBron James, comes Inside the Park, the story of a young baseball fan’s misadventures after getting locked inside a pro baseball stadium on the eve of the biggest game of the season.

In this all-new, hilarious, action-packed middle grade tale, Timothy “Pumpsie” Strickland, a baseball-loving twelve-year-old, is about to step up to the plate for the biggest swing of his life.

Pumpsie needs a win. Or to be more precise, he needs the Nashville Wildcats to win. Pumpsie’s been waiting his entire life—twelve whole years!—for his favorite team to make it to the playoffs. And this year—finally!—they’re just one win away.

But when Pumpsie accidentally gets trapped in Lookout Field the night before the last game of the season, with only a lost dog named Campy for company, he may have accidentally stumbled into the best night of his life. For a baseball fan like Pumpsie, using the pro batting cages, running the bases, playing with the public address system, eating all the concession-stand junk food he can find is a dream come true . . . until he realizes he’s not alone in the stadium. Foul plots are brewing beneath Lookout Field, and now it’s on Pumpsie to swallow his fears, gum up his courage, and swing for the fences if he wants to save the Wildcat’s post-season chances.

Inside the Park is a fun-filled, action-packed slice of wish fulfillment that’s perfect for fans of Mike Lupica and Tim Green, or perfect for any kid who’s ever closed their eyes and imagined stepping up to the plate with the game tied and the season on the line.

Genres: Middle Grade, Sports, Realistic Fiction, Baseball, Fiction, Juvenile, Audiobook

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 4, 2025

Reviews

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

✰ 2.75 stars ✰

​​​​“​​Everything that’s wrong eventually gets made right.​​​”

​​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ​I suppose every generation deserves their own version of Kevin Mccallister, so why not in the form of twelve-year-old Timothy Strickland​ aka Pumpsie​? 😃 Proudly named after Pumpsie Green​, the first Black player for the Boston Red Sox - least favored, always the last afterthought sibling of his family - baseball aficionado - baseball is my life​. He freezes right before the ball makes contact with the bat, lover of dogs, but can't have one because of his twin sister Tiana's fear of them, mistakenly forgotten by his parents when a rainstorm interrupts his sister's film commercial shooting at the expansive Lookout Field, and getting left behind in its locked down premises, with two threatening goons on the prowl to create mischief for his favorite team, the Wildcats. 🥺​ And with Campy, his sister's fellow co-star, an adorable but frightened Labrador, by his side, and clever and brave tricks up his sleeve, Pumpsie may just be able to outsmart them to save baseball and outsmart his own fears to be the worthwhile baseball player he knows he can be.​ 🧢⚾

​ ​“I will get over​ this just like I’ve gotten over everything else. It’s what you learn to do when​ life throws you nothing but Ls.​”

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ I could have done without the parents' inserts of them discovering the grave mistake they'd made of forgetting their so, despite the lovable bond Pumpsie shared with his mother over their love of baseball. 🙄​ It was a bit unbelievable, at best, but I'm trying to see it objectively from a middle grade reader, and well, we can suspend disbelief and appreciate that they were contrite of their ignorance and apologetic towards Pumpsie. It's worth seeing the solid growth that Pumpsie went through, even though, once again, how he mastered his baseball fear was also a tad unbelievable, but let's just roll with it.​ ☺️

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Even though he was scared, it was nice to see Pumpsie warm up being alone and trying to outwit those miscreants who planned to do nefarious actions.​ 'I see adventure. Fun. Freedom. ' 😆​ It nicely balanced his still lingering emotions of being the ostracized and ignored sibling - that screaming tantrum was so on-point of Kevin's being neglected! - and his frustrations of being at the mercy of his perfect older sibling, Isaac. Not the youngest of his siblings, but definitely the odd man out, who gets lucky enough to meet his idol and hero, Carter Langston, a moment that changes and helps them both in the best of ways.​ 🥹

​ “Take control of​ your own destiny. Don’t let it rest in someone else’s hands.​”​

​ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ Even if the action and danger is quite comical and minimal, at best, the pacing was fluid and well, quirky, fun and fast-paced. Pumpsie's hopeful wanting to be a better baseball player shines even through his uncertainties and his determination to protect the sport he loves is inspiring and uplifting, with a dash of humor and sincerity. ✊🏻​ The villains were well, you know how the villains were in Home Alone, but there is a definite love of appreciation for the sport.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ From Carter's advice, to Pumpsie's awe, to the ways of the stadium (honestly, I had no idea, bathroom lines could be so long!!), the anticipation and admiration of the ballpark and the batting cages shined through his eyes. For it is that one fateful night Inside the Park that awakens his spirit and courage in ways he least expected. It's a nice empowering book that reminds us to feel more confident in their abilities, to find that even in weakness, there is strength. Pumpsie may always have been the last thought in everyone's mind, but like his Grandfather used to say, 'first is important, but sometimes last is most significant.'​ ✨

[Beth Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inside the Park is like Home Alone meets baseball with a dash of Cheaper by the Dozen and the heart and depth of Black family life found in Renee Watson books. As a lifelong baseball fan, I could tell that author Andrea Williams knows and loves baseball too, and that made this book really come to life.

Twelve year old "Pumpsie" is a huge baseball fan and loves going to games with his baseball-loving mom especially. On the night of the second to last regular season game, his whole family is in attendance and after the game Pumpsie's twin sister is recording a commercial for the team with a dog actor named Campy. When a thunderstorm rolls in and Campy gets scared, only Pumpsie sees the dog dash for an open door in the stadium. Boy and dog are trapped inside overnight and discover that they are not alone. Can Pumpsie make it all night? And who are the mysterious figures also in the stadium with them?

I really loved the setup of this story, especially how the author used made up professional baseball teams seamlessly with real-life players both past and present. The attention to detail was immersive and delighted my baseball loving heart. The overnight stadium antics were over-the-top and perfect for the middle grade age group, and will especially resonate with boys. I also loved the emphasis on family, and in particular how families aren't perfect.

There were several chapters in the second half told from Pumpsie's mom's perspective that felt like they were included either for parents reading along or to reassure very sensitive readers that Pumpsie's family loved and cared for him. They pulled me out of the story and I didn't feel like they were necessary, but I can understand why they were included.

Overall I definitely recommend this one, especially for sports fans, and most especially for baseball fans! The length is great, the story is fast and fun, with a great mix of silliness and real life. I'm truly so happy to see a baseball book done so well, a story I'd have loved as a twelve year old kid.

[Lou Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was kind of hard to decide what to think about. What did it open my eyes to? I kept asking myself, but most of them kind of sounded silly. But I decided that it opened my eyes to love, in a way that made me feel warm and hopeful inside.

This book is about a boy named Pumpsie—yeah, that is his nickname. His real name is Timothy Strickland. One day, he walks into a stadium to find a dog that ran into the stadium, and before he knows it, he is stuck in there by himself with no one else.

This book is about adventure, friendship, and, most of all, love. "LOVE!" I thought. That is what it opened my eyes to—love.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

A baseball-themed knockoff of Home Alone. Even some of the dialogue felt familiar.

If I had a nickel for every time I read a middle grade sports novel that ended with a tween foiling a criminal plot, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice. (I think, anyway. I don't read a lot of middle grade sports novels.)

At least this book's plot was more slapstick than disturbing, so I feel like I can recommend it to young baseball lovers.

[SuperWendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Home Alone where the left behind kid is trapped overnight in a baseball stadium with a dog and two inept bad guys. This lost me a bit at the end when it goes totally over-the-top, but if you have a 12-year-old boy in your life who loves baseball, chances are they'll like this book.

[Sarah BT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good choice for readers who love baseball. A touch of mystery and some wish fulfillment and you have a fun summer read. Adults will need to suspend belief but kids who have big baseball dreams will eat it up.

[Mary Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great 4th grade and up sports mystery that has Home Alone Vibes and great values of friendship and family all set in a baseball stadium!

[Mark Lieberman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this one from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I chose this as the description looked interesting, it’s a story of a young baseball fan’s misadventures after getting locked inside a pro baseball stadium on the eve of the biggest game of the season.

Timothy “Pumpsie” Strickland is the main character, and his mother and him share a passion for the hometown Nashville Wildcats. Pumpsie is also a baseball player, but he is in a batting slump and a very important tournament is coming up. The coach is considering benching him.

At the same time, the Nashville Wildcats have a 3-game series to end the season against the Portland Hemlocks. If Nashville sweeps, they advance to the playoffs for the first time in a long time.

For the 2nd game, his family of seven (Pumpsie has 4 siblings) attends the game as his twin sister, Tianna is filing a commercial after the game to promote the ball club. Tianna’s co-star is Campy, a dog! A thunderstorm scares Campy, and he runs into the stadium and Timothy goes after him. His Home Alone adventure begins as there are also two villains from the Portland team lingering in the stadium who are trying to do something bad so the Nashville team will have a disadvantage for the third game. A lot of things happen inside the park and I won’t spoil anything, but I will say it can easily be a Disney movie.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought aI would. Probably because it’s aimed toward a younger reading mind than mine.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timothy Strickland—otherwise known as "Pumpsie"—feels lost in his large family. To make matters worse, he's a baseball obsessed twelve-year-old in a batting slump. At least his favorite MLB team, the Nashville Wildcats, is on the verge of making the playoffs. A series of unfortunate events lead to Pumpsie and Campy, a lost dog, being locked inside Lookout Park—home of the Wildcats—the night before the big game. The story takes one barely-plausible turn after another, especially once Pumpsie realizes he's not the only one in the park after hours. Can Pumpsie save the day, in more ways than one, and find the inspiration he needs to end his batting slump?

Readers who can suspend their disbelief will enjoy Pumpsie's antics and the absurd, but satisfying, ending. The zany plot moves quickly. The story is enhanced by information about the Negro Leagues—Pumpsie is named after the first Black player for the Boston Red Sox—on which Pumpsie's scholarly grandfather is an expert. Hand to readers who are fans of crazy capers or those who simply cannot get enough baseball stories.

Optional purchase for readers in grades 3-6.

[SOYAMRG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Timothy Strickland—otherwise known as ""Pumpsie""—feels lost in his large family. To make matters worse, he's a baseball obsessed twelve-year-old in a batting slump. At least his favorite MLB team, the Nashville Wildcats, is on the verge of making the playoffs. A series of unfortunate events lead to Pumpsie and Campy, a lost dog, being locked inside Lookout Park—home of the Wildcats—the night before the big game. The story takes one barely-plausible turn after another, especially once Pumpsie realizes he's not the only one in the park after hours. Can Pumpsie save the day, in more ways than one, and find the inspiration he needs to end his batting slump?

Readers who can suspend their disbelief will enjoy Pumpsie's antics and the absurd, but satisfying, ending. The zany plot moves quickly. The story is enhanced by information about the Negro Leagues—Pumpsie is named after the first Black player for the Boston Red Sox—on which Pumpsie's scholarly grandfather is an expert. Hand to readers who are fans of crazy capers or those who simply cannot get enough baseball stories.

Optional purchase for readers in grades 3-6.

K.M.
Middle School Librarian

[LS Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! The book would be enjoyed by readers of (mildly) adventurous books with hints of danger and suspense, all-you-can-eat hotdogs, sports lovers, and dog lovers. This is like Home Alone, but at a ball park. Timothy (Pumpsie) never felt too panicked or afraid. I would have liked to get to know the dog better and in the middle of the story I was unclear what was happening to him. The family relationship was interesting to read about. I could have done without the barf scenes, but there was a reason for them as it set up the climax of the story. And I don't think readers will mind reading it. The added bonus of learning about Black History in terms of baseball was great.

[Jennybeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is definitely for the 12 year old diehard baseball fans who just want a fantasy adventure -- it absolutely provides on that scale. Since I am not part of this demographic, it wasn't really my cup of tea. Unfortunately, I didn't really like Pumpsie very much, and I hated the way the various siblings interact -- it's realistic -- growing up is hard and full of cruelty -- but it wasn't an experience I wanted to relive. Loved all the references to the Negro Leagues, loved that it centers a Black family.

[Diana of Shelved by Strand · Rating 3 out of 5]

I saw this described as "Home Alone" set in a baseball stadium, and, while it doesn't quite have the same level of slapstick mayhem, I'd have to agree in terms of the target audience. It takes quite a bit of suspension of disbelief that Pumpsie could have even gotten trapped inside the stadium, but the fact that he doesn't speak up before a fateful pregame meal just made this downright ridiculous for me. I gave it an extra star since I have several students who would enjoy it despite the implausibility of it all.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

12-year-old Timothy or Pumpsie loves baseball and his favorite team is the Nashville Wildcats. He's been waiting forever for his team to make it to the playoffs. He and his family are at the field and have all arrived in different cars so no one notices that they forgot Pumpsie, so Pumpsie is stuck at the field overnight with a dog.
This will be so easy to book talk. I loved the storyline and the length of the book which will attract reluctant readers.

[Lindsey Kult · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this for reluctant readers looking for a sports book. It’s Home Alone but in a baseball stadium and has so many baseball references! It’s also a great one to recommend to people looking for Black protagonists who aren’t experiencing trauma. Pumpsie is just a middle child who feels forgotten and then is literally forgotten. He’s just a 12 year old boy put in a wild situation and that makes for a really good story!

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Home Alone meets a baseball stadium is a fun idea for a book and perfect for baseball fans, but I found the story to be too far fetched. I think my middle school sports readers might like it because of all the baseball references, but it wasn’t really a hit for me. I will be curious to see what students think of the story.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a Home Alone type set-up, Pumpsie is accidentally left behind and locked in his favorite team’s baseball stadium overnight with just a dog for company. He soon learns he is not alone and uncovers a plot to sabotage the big championship game. Readers will enjoy this fast-paced sports story with an unlikely hero.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The trio was solidly entertained and as the millennial adult reading to them I liked the connections to Home Alone and Rookie of the Year. I also selfishly appreciated that the book had an animal character in the dog Campy without being a book only about animals because I’ve read what feels like a lifetime’s worth of anthropomorphic dog characters.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 5 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Timothy "Pumpsie" Strickland's Music City Legends team is having a decent year, but he is not. Every time he gets up to bat, he freezes and finds himself unable to hit the ball, striking out. His friend Shep has tried to talk him through it, but nothing seems to help, and he's in danger of being benched if he can't get over it. In the meantime, he and his mother get to go to see his favorite player, Carter Langston, who has a chance of finally getting to the playoffs with the Nashville Wildcats! It's a nice break from his five siblings, which include 2 year Jasmine, twin sister Tiana, and older brother Miles ( a science geek) and Isaac (a sixteen year old sports start who is mean to him). Pumpsie, who is nicknamed after the first Black player on the Boston Red Sox, who were the last team to get a Black player in 1959, has been at the stadium before, and when his mother needs to use the restroom (and he's spilled mustard on himself), he takes her up to a VIP bathroom that he's been invited to use any time that security guard Jack is there. He is, and let's Donya Strickland in, but while Pupmsie is waiting, he meets two men, Travis and Jordan, who work with the Portland Hemlocks team, which is playing the Wildcats the next day. Something feels off about the two, but he doesn't think much of it. Returning home, the two are regaled by the news that Tiana has been hired to do a commercial for the Wildcats at the stadium the next day, with Campy the dog, even though she is scared of all things canine. Pumpsie thinks this in unfair, but since she also gets tickets to the Ball Club, he gets ready to go the next day, armed with Miles' new science-y upgrades to his shoelaces and sunglasses. During the game, Pumpsie shuts off his phone because the battery is low, and when he goes to the photo shoot, it starts to rain. This puts everyone in a panic, and when Campy runs off, Pumpsie chases him into the stadium. He lures the dog to him with leftover hot dogs, and since there are free leftover hotdogs, eats a few himself. When he goes to leave, he realizes he is locked in! He panics a bit, and we also see the scene at his house as his family settles in for the night even though something feels a bit off. Eventually, Pumpsie decides to check things out, eat a few more hotdogs, visits the press box, makes some annoucements, plays with the pitching machine, and has an encounter with the animatronic mascot, Willie the Wildcat, that is a bit scary. Even scarier is meeting up with Travis and Jordan. They are planning something evil to take the Wildcats out of commission, but Pumpsie manages to sabotage them and run. The next day, he meets Jack as well as his idol, Carter, who assumes he is the new bat boy and gets him a uniform as well as a phone charger. His parents, meanwhile, have called the police and arrive at the stadium just as Pumpsie calls his mother. She agrees that he can stay, and Pumpsie is glad that he hasn't yet been tied with all the destruction in the Club Room the night before. In the dugout as bat boy, he starts to notice that all of the players are getting sick. Before he knows it, the coach is putting him into the game, since he's in uniform. He gets up to bat and has two strikes, and as he is waiting for his next pitch, manages to see Travis and Jordan in the stands with Miles' telescopic sunglasses. After getting a home run that puts the team into the playoffs, he manages to hunt down the evil doers, and Jack helps him bring them in.
Strengths: This is what middle grade novels should be: Amazing adventures that just don't happen in real life... but could. Getting locked overnight in a baseball stadium when you are a big fan? With a dog, since you aren't allowed to have one because of all of your obnoxious siblings. And your parents are so frazzled that they don't even know you are missing. Williams has clearly had more access to the inner workings of stadia than most of us have, so the behind the scenes adventures are fantastic. Combine that with some somewhat goofy villains as well as unlimited hotdogs, and this will be such a hit with young baseball fans. Wrap this up with a pair of tickets to whatever local game you can afford, and give to your favorite young fan with a promise of a special outing. This is a must purchase for every elementary and middle school library.
Weaknesses: While Miles' gadgets were clever, they weren't really necessary. Also, there were tantalizing glimpses of the grandfather but not nearly enough of him. How cool if he had been locked in the stadium WITH Pumpsie! Also, I sort of hoped he would save the day before the players got sick, but the target demographic will enjoy the ensuing barf fest more than I generally do.
What I really think: Williams, who wrote the excellent nonfiction baseball title Baseball's Leading Lady : Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues as well as We Are Family (with LeBron James), absolutely knocks it out of the park with this wish fulfillment novel rich with elements of Scooby-Doo, Home Alone, and Matt Christopher, taking us out to the ballgame with plenty of cinnamon rolls and hot dogs. The only thing missing in the Cracker Jack.

[Stefanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will still recommend this widely to my sports kids because of the Great Premise™️ but I personally didn’t think the dialogue or writing was spectacular. I also had high hopes for the audiobook and thought the narrator undersold the action a bit. Still love a book with a premise though!! 😊

[Scott Labrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I give 4.75 stars to be exact.

It’s basically “Home Alone” but inside a baseball stadium…genius idea 😍

I have a high cheese tolerance, but the reason it’s not a full 5 stars is because the ending is too cheesy.

[Amanda Brazil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Home Alone meets Rookie of the Year. So much fun and a good one for younger middle grade readers, but kiddos on the older range will enjoy it too, especially if they love baseball.

[Taylynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was like the movie Home Alone but takes place in a baseball stadium and there is a dog.

[Emily Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home Alone but inside a baseball stadium

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home Alone meets baseball, I can think of a number of readers who will enjoy this book!

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

So easy to sell to kids! Baseball meets Home Alone… super fun concept. :-) Love the length, too!

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook

Getting locked inside a baseball stadium would be fun. This was a good book and I liked the mystery part.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Think Home alone baseball-style. The first half of the book was slow for me.

[Ricki · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids really enjoyed this book!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would have been 5 stars but I can’t believe a 12-year-old that mentions birth certificates wouldn’t know about roster fraud.