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Scooter
Scooter Riley–named after Yankee shortstop Phil Rizzuto–is just a regular kid growing up in the Bronx, right near Yankee Stadium, in 1969. His father, Patrick Riley, is a New York City cop. His grandfather, a fireman for thirty years, is a man who firmly believes that all of life’s great lessons are explained in baseball lore. In the wake of the assassinations of Dr. King and Bobby Kennedy, as the neighborhood changes around him, Scooter is forced to see that life, like baseball, is a game in which a few extraordinary moments–moments of either courage or cowardice–will define the man he becomes.
320 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
5 people are currently reading
265 people want to read
About the author
Mick Foley
44 books385 followersMick Foley is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of several memoirs, a WWE Hall of Famer, and the author of numerous books for children. He has appeared on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Late Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, Good Morning America, Family Feud, Fox News, and has made several appearances on The Today Show. He was featured in a story on ABC’s World News Tonight for his work as an online volunteer with RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual assault organization. Foley was also recognized for his work with RAINN at the famous "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear" – where he was awarded the Medal of Reasonableness from "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart. Follow him at @RealMickFoley.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 26, 2022
There are some places you don't expect to find someone with great novel writing talents. Actors, models, politicians and presenters have tried writing with varying levels of quality and success. Perhaps the most unlikely and possibly the best of them all is Mick Foley, a man who spent a long career as a WWE wrestler, which involved being hit around the head rather a lot. Despite this, or maybe because of this, he has subsequently become a very decent writer and "Scooter" is his second novel.
Scooter Reilly is a young child in 1960s New York, inheriting his unfortunate name from the former Yankees player Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto. It's a time of historical change for the country and a major change in the Bronx where Scooter and his family live. It's a time of great change for Scooter himself, as when he is four his grandfather has a nasty accident that costs him an eye. Soon after, his father and grandfather become estranged from each other after an argument and then his father steals from Scooter first his baseball playing dreams and then, after another nasty accident, his ability to walk properly.
As if his name wasn't enough to cope with, Scooter's life never seems to take the easy path. He finally finds someone who can love him, but first his mother and then her brother comes between them. He is frequently in fights, some of which he wins, but mostly not. His only solace is the grandfather he is forbidden to visit, but does anyway, and a giant McCovey baseball bat he collected in his only visit to Shea Stadium to see the Mets, New York's other baseball team. Between the two, Scooter has all the knowledge he needs to get by and is able to keep a finger on his dreams.
Considering he's not been a novelist for long, Foley's writing of character is incredible. Early in the story, where Scooter is only four, Foley portrays the naive innocence of youth perfectly and the tone and manner of his speech is perfect and allows for some very funny moments. As Scooter gets older, Foley manages to follow this as his actions and speech develop and you see him mature through the writing. Even if the dates and references to Scooter's age weren't present, you'd still be able to feel Scooter getting older.
Foley also has a good eye for a story, which is perhaps a touch less surprising, given that his wrestling career would have involved acting out storylines given to him by the WWE writers. He manages to pack Scooter's life with plenty of events, but separates them well enough that it doesn't feel too unrealistic. There is some suspension of disbelief required, but this is common in such books and it's certainly nothing that sticks out as being any different from elsewhere in the genre and Foley's writing has a touch more realism than many.
Part of the reason for this is that he doesn't neglect the mundane as so many writers do. The hours of sitting around bored with nothing much to do may be glossed over and not touched upon in much detail but they are at least present, which is rare in novels. This adds a touch more realism into a story that already had plenty. Scooter is a young man with a young man's interest; he loves baseball, he experiences young love and he's driven by pain and a desire for revenge. This makes him a character you can relate to and sympathise with a lot better than most.
Foley's grasp of writing emotion helps with this as well. After one serious incident, Scooter goes into shock and Foley's writing is descriptive enough that you can almost experience that with him. Early in the book, Foley puts across the bewilderment of youth very well and later, during the more emotional periods of Scooter's life, it's difficult not to feel some empathy with him. Foley has a rare ability to write characters and their emotions with the same skill and touch that he writes the events they are involved in.
If there is one down side to Foley's writing, it's that his character names aren't always entirely imaginative, especially his minor characters. It seems strange that someone who can create stories so effortlessly can't think up enough names to fill the story. A number of the minor characters later on in the story have names that will be familiar to anyone who has read Foley's autobiography, as they are the names of those who had an influence on his life. This isn't in itself a bad thing, but the latter part of the book is crowded with familiar names and it does seem a little lazy, especially considering the amount of invention that appears in the story. Readers who are discovering Foley as a novelist wouldn't have this issue, it will just be fans of the man who will notice it but, at this point in his writing career, I suspect they may still be the majority of his audience.
This is a book that may be sneered at by literary snobs, who don't see that a wrestler's place is on the fiction shelves. But whilst they are busy sneering, they'll be missing a decent read. In terms of writing stories of people, Foley is up there with Tawni O'Dell and Donna Milner as being an expert in the art. Foley may not use clever words and his humour can be a little juvenile at times, but he presents a slice of life with plenty of imagination and emotion. Foley is a writer who should appeal to fans of the genre and not just wrestling fans.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
Scooter Reilly is a young child in 1960s New York, inheriting his unfortunate name from the former Yankees player Phil "Scooter" Rizzuto. It's a time of historical change for the country and a major change in the Bronx where Scooter and his family live. It's a time of great change for Scooter himself, as when he is four his grandfather has a nasty accident that costs him an eye. Soon after, his father and grandfather become estranged from each other after an argument and then his father steals from Scooter first his baseball playing dreams and then, after another nasty accident, his ability to walk properly.
As if his name wasn't enough to cope with, Scooter's life never seems to take the easy path. He finally finds someone who can love him, but first his mother and then her brother comes between them. He is frequently in fights, some of which he wins, but mostly not. His only solace is the grandfather he is forbidden to visit, but does anyway, and a giant McCovey baseball bat he collected in his only visit to Shea Stadium to see the Mets, New York's other baseball team. Between the two, Scooter has all the knowledge he needs to get by and is able to keep a finger on his dreams.
Considering he's not been a novelist for long, Foley's writing of character is incredible. Early in the story, where Scooter is only four, Foley portrays the naive innocence of youth perfectly and the tone and manner of his speech is perfect and allows for some very funny moments. As Scooter gets older, Foley manages to follow this as his actions and speech develop and you see him mature through the writing. Even if the dates and references to Scooter's age weren't present, you'd still be able to feel Scooter getting older.
Foley also has a good eye for a story, which is perhaps a touch less surprising, given that his wrestling career would have involved acting out storylines given to him by the WWE writers. He manages to pack Scooter's life with plenty of events, but separates them well enough that it doesn't feel too unrealistic. There is some suspension of disbelief required, but this is common in such books and it's certainly nothing that sticks out as being any different from elsewhere in the genre and Foley's writing has a touch more realism than many.
Part of the reason for this is that he doesn't neglect the mundane as so many writers do. The hours of sitting around bored with nothing much to do may be glossed over and not touched upon in much detail but they are at least present, which is rare in novels. This adds a touch more realism into a story that already had plenty. Scooter is a young man with a young man's interest; he loves baseball, he experiences young love and he's driven by pain and a desire for revenge. This makes him a character you can relate to and sympathise with a lot better than most.
Foley's grasp of writing emotion helps with this as well. After one serious incident, Scooter goes into shock and Foley's writing is descriptive enough that you can almost experience that with him. Early in the book, Foley puts across the bewilderment of youth very well and later, during the more emotional periods of Scooter's life, it's difficult not to feel some empathy with him. Foley has a rare ability to write characters and their emotions with the same skill and touch that he writes the events they are involved in.
If there is one down side to Foley's writing, it's that his character names aren't always entirely imaginative, especially his minor characters. It seems strange that someone who can create stories so effortlessly can't think up enough names to fill the story. A number of the minor characters later on in the story have names that will be familiar to anyone who has read Foley's autobiography, as they are the names of those who had an influence on his life. This isn't in itself a bad thing, but the latter part of the book is crowded with familiar names and it does seem a little lazy, especially considering the amount of invention that appears in the story. Readers who are discovering Foley as a novelist wouldn't have this issue, it will just be fans of the man who will notice it but, at this point in his writing career, I suspect they may still be the majority of his audience.
This is a book that may be sneered at by literary snobs, who don't see that a wrestler's place is on the fiction shelves. But whilst they are busy sneering, they'll be missing a decent read. In terms of writing stories of people, Foley is up there with Tawni O'Dell and Donna Milner as being an expert in the art. Foley may not use clever words and his humour can be a little juvenile at times, but he presents a slice of life with plenty of imagination and emotion. Foley is a writer who should appeal to fans of the genre and not just wrestling fans.
This review may also appear, in whole or in part, under my name at any or all of www.ciao.co.uk, www.thebookbag.co.uk, www.goodreads.com, www.amazon.co.uk and www.dooyoo.co.uk
March 16, 2018
Mick Foley is a wrestler of some repute so seeing him associated with literature on the writers size might seem to be a bit of a stretch – especially when you consider his in ring persona.
However, there is a path that can be followed, from him deciding he wanted to write his own biography rather than having it penned by a ghost writer, to its acclaimed reception and the inevitable follow up.
Foley was not one to rest on his laurels and penned a couple of children’s books (mainly about cute versions of the wrestlers of the time), until he actually turned his hand at writing a novel. As far as things went, Tietam Brown was well received and was considered a slight success.
Inevitably Foley rode the wave of success and followed it up with Scooter.
Scooter is a novel that follows the life of a young man growing up in the New York area, over a period of decades, entwined in the backdrop of sport.
All well and good. Perhaps even a good idea. The story is well written, and the feel of the time is well reflected in the story, but it is let down by a few things, perhaps from an international perspective having the sport chosen to be Baseball. Understandably it is one of the great American pastimes, but there is nothing to latch onto for those readers who come from a country where baseball is as almost incomprehensible as cricket would be to the average American.
Cultural icons are just names in songs, the team names things that might have drifted across the consciousness at some point but have no real meaning to anyone outside of America. This is not a criticism as such, it is probably much the same had an English sportsman written a book using football or the aforementioned cricket in the same manner. It is only going to appeal to a limited readership.
Secondly, the main character, Scooter is not the most likeable of characters, growing up surrounded by other such characters, there is very little to latch on to. His life is one hard luck story after another, as he makes his way through the world caught up in the hopes and dreams of others, while letting himself stumble from one bad situation to another.
I can only think of one sympathetic character in the entire novel, (Scooter’s sister) everyone else is mess of neurosis and problems, most of which reflect back on the protagonist in the end. He has a hard life, almost impossibly so. Being shot, losing an eye, having his mother walk out, having his sister slightly mentally crippled and then abused, mother walking out, drugs, sexual manipulation, parentage thrown into question. It’s all there, probably too much so and it drains the book more than the writing can fill it.
There are some explosively good moments, much of the above is told well, and there are lessons to be learned. Do not try and live other peoples dreams for them. Do not give into the need for revenge. Indeed it is after Scooter realises this that he becomes a more likeable character, but all in all it is only an average novel.
It does not matter how great the writing is, if the story cannot carry it, then ultimately the book will sink.
Tellingly Foley has not written any more novels since this.
However, there is a path that can be followed, from him deciding he wanted to write his own biography rather than having it penned by a ghost writer, to its acclaimed reception and the inevitable follow up.
Foley was not one to rest on his laurels and penned a couple of children’s books (mainly about cute versions of the wrestlers of the time), until he actually turned his hand at writing a novel. As far as things went, Tietam Brown was well received and was considered a slight success.
Inevitably Foley rode the wave of success and followed it up with Scooter.
Scooter is a novel that follows the life of a young man growing up in the New York area, over a period of decades, entwined in the backdrop of sport.
All well and good. Perhaps even a good idea. The story is well written, and the feel of the time is well reflected in the story, but it is let down by a few things, perhaps from an international perspective having the sport chosen to be Baseball. Understandably it is one of the great American pastimes, but there is nothing to latch onto for those readers who come from a country where baseball is as almost incomprehensible as cricket would be to the average American.
Cultural icons are just names in songs, the team names things that might have drifted across the consciousness at some point but have no real meaning to anyone outside of America. This is not a criticism as such, it is probably much the same had an English sportsman written a book using football or the aforementioned cricket in the same manner. It is only going to appeal to a limited readership.
Secondly, the main character, Scooter is not the most likeable of characters, growing up surrounded by other such characters, there is very little to latch on to. His life is one hard luck story after another, as he makes his way through the world caught up in the hopes and dreams of others, while letting himself stumble from one bad situation to another.
I can only think of one sympathetic character in the entire novel, (Scooter’s sister) everyone else is mess of neurosis and problems, most of which reflect back on the protagonist in the end. He has a hard life, almost impossibly so. Being shot, losing an eye, having his mother walk out, having his sister slightly mentally crippled and then abused, mother walking out, drugs, sexual manipulation, parentage thrown into question. It’s all there, probably too much so and it drains the book more than the writing can fill it.
There are some explosively good moments, much of the above is told well, and there are lessons to be learned. Do not try and live other peoples dreams for them. Do not give into the need for revenge. Indeed it is after Scooter realises this that he becomes a more likeable character, but all in all it is only an average novel.
It does not matter how great the writing is, if the story cannot carry it, then ultimately the book will sink.
Tellingly Foley has not written any more novels since this.
January 19, 2025
Para estar escrito por un hombre conocido por autoinflingirse lesiones a sillazos, lanzarse encima de chinchetas desde jaulas de acero y tener una personalidad en el ring que giraba entorno a terminar metiéndote un calcetin en la boca es bastante tierno y sensible. Aún así este pavo no engaña a nadie, se maneja muchísimo mejor cuando la historia es más violenta, más sórdida y más, en resumen, hardcore.
No es Tietam Brown, y desgraciadamente trata bastante de baseball, pero se deja leer bastante bien!
No es Tietam Brown, y desgraciadamente trata bastante de baseball, pero se deja leer bastante bien!
December 27, 2018
A good read, but it comes off as a bit too much like a violent Zemeckis. Things happen a little too conveniently to someone within their lifetime. I.e. continuous suspension of disbelief with the sheer number of ludicrous stories and anecdotes throughout the book, which isn't linear but rather a bit of hopscotch and leapfrog. Equal parts mean-spirited and heartwarming at times.
It's a very decent read, but not a great one.
It's a very decent read, but not a great one.
May 15, 2023
I really enjoyed this story. It took a few chapters for it to grip my attention. But once I was pulled in it was a great story. A story that seems very dark and grim and at points. But I suppose it’s largely about the bigger picture and perspective.
I hope Mick Foley writes another novel. He’s a talented writer.
I hope Mick Foley writes another novel. He’s a talented writer.
September 21, 2025
I am fortunate to have a copy signed by Mick himself. The story is great and kept me engaged throughout. Thank you Mick!
Read
February 26, 2008As a professional wrestling fan as well as a writer and voracious reader, I was excited to learn that Mick Foley, the "Hardcore Legend" had turned to writing fiction after the success of his wrestling memoirs.
Now, after having read both of his outings as an author of fiction, I am just a little perplexed.
Perhaps I am guilty of knowing a little too much about Mick Foley the man himself. For I find the content of both Tietam Brown (his first novel) and now Scooter just a little odd.
Both books feature alcoholic, abusive and sometimes downright strange fathers, who proceed to systematically ruin their son's lives with their constant foibles, both accidential and intentional sabotages of their children's delicate self esteems, hopes and dreams.
I find this particularly odd mainly because if memory serves me correctly (having read Foley's autobiography) his relationship with his father was good. And as far as I can tell, he himself is a good dad to his own kids.
So as a writer, I find it odd that two books would be written with similar characters and themes without any personal frame of reference. That of course is not to say that someone else hasn't been like this in his family or he hasn't known someone who's been such a destructive force in their children's lives.
But in Scooter, the constant abuse and sequence of horrible events that befalls the title character almost becomes repetitive at times. You find yourself asking "Mick, how much are you going to screw with this poor kid?"
The book follows Scooter Reilly, a child of the Bronx of the 70s and chronicles life in his dysfunctional family for roughly a nine year period. During that period, Scooter's grandfather is permanently disfigured by a horrible fire, his materialistic mother runs out on the family, and his father manages to seriously injure and even disable both children during alcohol-infused "accidents". That's not to mention the numerous beatings and abuses he suffers at the hands of various classmates and thugs of the Bronx he encounters along the way.
The tie that binds this family is baseball, and Yankee fans (of which I am one) will relish in the numerous visits to the park and the constant mention of Yankee ball players and Yankee history.
But even baseball doesn't keep the characters together, as grandfather and son become estranged and Scooter comes to hate and resent the game at times.
This is not to say that the novel is bad, because it really isn't. Foley has shown improvement since his first effort. This novel is well researched and very detailed in regards to the socio political issues of the area at the time and the baseball trivia and knowledge will make diehard fans smile. His characters have depth and certainly encounter challenge after challenge.
I think I was perplexed and irritated by knowing Mick Foley like I do and having read his first novel. He seems to abuse and debase his characters unnecessarily at times. However, this book does end on a better note than Tietam Brown.
Foley is a decent writer and easy to read. His language is replete with various pop culture references and full of funny slang and at times even juvinile curse words and humor that should attract some readers, especially younger ones.
I guess my problem is that Mick Foley is just one of my heroes and I don't know where he's coming from. Huh. Now I'm starting to feel like a character in one of his novels!
Now, after having read both of his outings as an author of fiction, I am just a little perplexed.
Perhaps I am guilty of knowing a little too much about Mick Foley the man himself. For I find the content of both Tietam Brown (his first novel) and now Scooter just a little odd.
Both books feature alcoholic, abusive and sometimes downright strange fathers, who proceed to systematically ruin their son's lives with their constant foibles, both accidential and intentional sabotages of their children's delicate self esteems, hopes and dreams.
I find this particularly odd mainly because if memory serves me correctly (having read Foley's autobiography) his relationship with his father was good. And as far as I can tell, he himself is a good dad to his own kids.
So as a writer, I find it odd that two books would be written with similar characters and themes without any personal frame of reference. That of course is not to say that someone else hasn't been like this in his family or he hasn't known someone who's been such a destructive force in their children's lives.
But in Scooter, the constant abuse and sequence of horrible events that befalls the title character almost becomes repetitive at times. You find yourself asking "Mick, how much are you going to screw with this poor kid?"
The book follows Scooter Reilly, a child of the Bronx of the 70s and chronicles life in his dysfunctional family for roughly a nine year period. During that period, Scooter's grandfather is permanently disfigured by a horrible fire, his materialistic mother runs out on the family, and his father manages to seriously injure and even disable both children during alcohol-infused "accidents". That's not to mention the numerous beatings and abuses he suffers at the hands of various classmates and thugs of the Bronx he encounters along the way.
The tie that binds this family is baseball, and Yankee fans (of which I am one) will relish in the numerous visits to the park and the constant mention of Yankee ball players and Yankee history.
But even baseball doesn't keep the characters together, as grandfather and son become estranged and Scooter comes to hate and resent the game at times.
This is not to say that the novel is bad, because it really isn't. Foley has shown improvement since his first effort. This novel is well researched and very detailed in regards to the socio political issues of the area at the time and the baseball trivia and knowledge will make diehard fans smile. His characters have depth and certainly encounter challenge after challenge.
I think I was perplexed and irritated by knowing Mick Foley like I do and having read his first novel. He seems to abuse and debase his characters unnecessarily at times. However, this book does end on a better note than Tietam Brown.
Foley is a decent writer and easy to read. His language is replete with various pop culture references and full of funny slang and at times even juvinile curse words and humor that should attract some readers, especially younger ones.
I guess my problem is that Mick Foley is just one of my heroes and I don't know where he's coming from. Huh. Now I'm starting to feel like a character in one of his novels!
June 20, 2010
Mick Foley should be writing YA. I think he'd be great at it, because he's so good at writing clear, direct fiction and non-fiction (HAVE A NICE DAY, FOLEY IS GOOD) with a sense of humor, without skating around reality. SCOOTER proves (as did TIETAM BROWN) that he can write teenaged boys very well.
SCOOTER is set in the Bronx and Long Island in the 1960s and 1970s. His portrait of the Bronx in particular, at this point in time, is rich, detailed, and economical--the novel is spare for the amount of material it contains. I could practically smell the beer, peanuts, and sweat at the ball games, the smoke of the fires, and the girls' perfume. Scooter spares us nothing in his narration, not his grandfather's scars, the racism that is common coin among whites in those years, not the disasters that result from his cop father's drinking and addiction to pills.
The story Scooter tells revolves around cops, a small family with ugly secrets, alcohol, drug abuse, the change from the Bronx as an Irish enclave to a black/Puerto Rican one, then the change to a combat zone of drugs and arson, and about baseball. It is NOT A YA BOOK! (You may have figured that out already.) ;-) But it's good as Scooter tells us how he grows up, exchanging one family burden for others, trying to learn the truth about his family and other people while working out who he is. It's violent; it's sweet; it's heartbreaking; it's real.
SCOOTER is set in the Bronx and Long Island in the 1960s and 1970s. His portrait of the Bronx in particular, at this point in time, is rich, detailed, and economical--the novel is spare for the amount of material it contains. I could practically smell the beer, peanuts, and sweat at the ball games, the smoke of the fires, and the girls' perfume. Scooter spares us nothing in his narration, not his grandfather's scars, the racism that is common coin among whites in those years, not the disasters that result from his cop father's drinking and addiction to pills.
The story Scooter tells revolves around cops, a small family with ugly secrets, alcohol, drug abuse, the change from the Bronx as an Irish enclave to a black/Puerto Rican one, then the change to a combat zone of drugs and arson, and about baseball. It is NOT A YA BOOK! (You may have figured that out already.) ;-) But it's good as Scooter tells us how he grows up, exchanging one family burden for others, trying to learn the truth about his family and other people while working out who he is. It's violent; it's sweet; it's heartbreaking; it's real.
January 29, 2011
Another one that I selected but don't know why - and am very glad I did. This is the first love story about baseball I've read that is a journey toward realizing you don't love it enough. I get that - when I listen to baseball fans, I want to have that obsession, that love, for the game. To cherish it. Since I don't, I love baseball literature.
It is also a painful book to read - very intense. Exciting and enjoyable, but the things that happen...wow. I liked it because it is one of the only books I've ever read (possibly the only) where the father turns out to be the good guy. He inflicts all this damage and then STAYS. He could have bailed so easily, could have stayed and made excuses but he stays, tries and I think even I forgave him at the end. Unexpected - not the forgiving part, though there is that, but that the mother does all the "right" things and abandons them in the darkest hour for her hair, nails and shopping.
I was also delighted by the author's participation as a character (it is fiction, probably, but I suspect the author's soul is part of it), and even more by the well-done surprise twists. Usually, I know what is coming and I literally sat up and said 'wow' because I hadn't. At all. I was impressed and pleased.
It is also a painful book to read - very intense. Exciting and enjoyable, but the things that happen...wow. I liked it because it is one of the only books I've ever read (possibly the only) where the father turns out to be the good guy. He inflicts all this damage and then STAYS. He could have bailed so easily, could have stayed and made excuses but he stays, tries and I think even I forgave him at the end. Unexpected - not the forgiving part, though there is that, but that the mother does all the "right" things and abandons them in the darkest hour for her hair, nails and shopping.
I was also delighted by the author's participation as a character (it is fiction, probably, but I suspect the author's soul is part of it), and even more by the well-done surprise twists. Usually, I know what is coming and I literally sat up and said 'wow' because I hadn't. At all. I was impressed and pleased.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2008
Foley is a good writer. Pretty amazing considering the number of chair shots he has taken to the head over the years. Plus that 20-foot drop from the top of a steel cage that knock teeth out.
He must channel that pain into his writing, because while there is a basic warmth to the story, there is a depth of pain and torment that his title character Scooter must endure.
Foley captures the turmoil of a changing demographic during the turbulence of the '60s and '70s. Classism, racism, poverty, greed, all get their limelight in "Scooter." So does honor, loyalty, strength -- both inner and outer -- and family. Lighthearted at times, dark at others, this story worth reading more than once.
One caveat: If you absolutely hate baseball or have no understanding of it at all, you may not fully enjoy this book. Baseball and its life lessons is the runnning theme, the backbone of the narrative. It is part of the story, part of the action and part of the scenery. I am not a huge baseball fan, but I used to follow it as a kid so I understand what an RBI is or who Yogi is. And damn if this book didn't add to my rekindling love of the game!
He must channel that pain into his writing, because while there is a basic warmth to the story, there is a depth of pain and torment that his title character Scooter must endure.
Foley captures the turmoil of a changing demographic during the turbulence of the '60s and '70s. Classism, racism, poverty, greed, all get their limelight in "Scooter." So does honor, loyalty, strength -- both inner and outer -- and family. Lighthearted at times, dark at others, this story worth reading more than once.
One caveat: If you absolutely hate baseball or have no understanding of it at all, you may not fully enjoy this book. Baseball and its life lessons is the runnning theme, the backbone of the narrative. It is part of the story, part of the action and part of the scenery. I am not a huge baseball fan, but I used to follow it as a kid so I understand what an RBI is or who Yogi is. And damn if this book didn't add to my rekindling love of the game!
August 6, 2011
When i first started this book, i thought that i had most of the book and plot line figured out. Not that it was a bad thing but i figured that it would follow in familiar steps of Mick Foley's debut novel Tietam Brown, of which i also enjoyed. It wasn't till a certain point that i realized that what i thought was going to be a warm hearted plot line with the ups and downs of the main character Scooter Reilly turned to a feeling of almost living vicariously through Scooter. There is one particular point where i honestly thought that scooter (named after yankees player Phill Rizutto) was going to finely see some justices carried out for all the things that had gone wrong for him in his life, ie) getting a 2nd chance at love with schoolmate of his named Angie to the "Final Showdown" between him and his "baseball nemises"...angie's brother. Overall i would firmly stand by my rating of 4 out of 5 stars for this book and i would most definitely recommend this book for any Foley fan
September 7, 2007
This book ranks as one of the worst books I have ever decided to slug through to the end. In a weak moment, I bought it while on a trip after finishing the book I had brought along. It is about a boy and his very disfunctional family from the Bronx in NYC and then later Long Island. Baseball is the underlying theme of this book, which was why I picked it up. But the story line is weak and contrived and the ending is absolutely stupid. Please, don't bother with this. I can't see myself ever even contemplating reading anything written by the author Mike Foley. If a one-half star rating were possible, that's how I would have rated this one.
January 2, 2012
I respect Foley as a writer, wether there were parts of the book that dragged or didn't flow organically Foley makes up for with his writing style and humor. Anybody that's read his biography's, specifically his first two will be able to pick up on where he injects his own humor and even has the grace to put his father in the book while resorting to his self deprecating humor referring to himself as a child as a "pretty goofy looking kid."
He wrote this as if he looked at one of the kids that he grew up around watching in High School going under the bleachers to smoke and drink and fantasized what made that kid who was a rebel tick, it seems as if this book is the result.
He wrote this as if he looked at one of the kids that he grew up around watching in High School going under the bleachers to smoke and drink and fantasized what made that kid who was a rebel tick, it seems as if this book is the result.
Want to read
May 31, 2009Got about 75 pages through this book when the baseball references became too much. It makes up a large proportion of the book, and I just couldn't hold my interest through it. I don't follow New Zealand's major national sports, let alone another country's sports.
Was a tad depressing because I loved Tietam Brown. One day I'll sit down and force my way through the book as I'm sure when I get invested I will love it, but I just can't give it that much time when there is my six week old baby to look after.
Was a tad depressing because I loved Tietam Brown. One day I'll sit down and force my way through the book as I'm sure when I get invested I will love it, but I just can't give it that much time when there is my six week old baby to look after.
May 14, 2021
I've been a wrestling fan since the age of eight, and that was my original interest in Mick Foley's writing. However, as a voracious reader, I also know a great book when I read it, and this is great. It's also a good 10 years ahead of its time with its commentary on policing and structures of racism...not because those things weren't an issue in 2005 - they were - but because fewer people were paying attention. Do yourself a favor and read this book. It's got a great story, told well, and it will make you think.
April 27, 2012
I thought it was another great story by Mick Foley. It was a good read but the only problem I had was that I'm not a baseball fan at all. I know it's america's passtime but I think it's like watching paint dry. So in this story it was hard getting through the parts where it went on and on about baseball. However if you are a baseball fan and a fan of dark comedy you will absolutely love this book.
October 2, 2015
Scooter’s family lives in the Bronx and loves the Yankees. His grandfather loves the Yankees and his father loves the Yankees. But the story is really about families. About how they interact, and how they fail and succeed, about how they stop talking for reasons no one can really remember after while, and about how they try to change.
August 1, 2008
A very well written book and a crazy and interesting story. Mick Foley may be more talented as a writer than as a wrestler. A bit too much baseball for my taste, but a very unique story.
June 6, 2012
Addicted to all things Foley.
April 4, 2013
Book started out with some promise, but I thought that the storyline turned out to be too fabulous for my tastes.
May 24, 2016
My second favorite book by my favorite WEE wrestler-turned-novelist. A story about baseball, growing up, changing neighborhoods and violence. At turns funny and sad, bleak and affirming.
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