The Big Stretch

by Duane Decker

Blue Sox, Book 6. Ex-bat-boy, Buster Stookey can become the next first baseman for the Blue Sox if he can overcome the obstacles in his path, which include teammates who won't take his skills seriously. Can the rookie with the fuzz on his chin fire his old club with some championship spirit?

191 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1950

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

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first academic job was at the same institution where I received my baccalaureate degree only a few years earlier. Nearly all of the teachers that I had had were still there, so now I was a colleague rather than a student. While it was not difficult, there were times when they treated me as a former student rather than as a fellow instructor. In this book, the former Blue Sox batboy, Buster Stookey, returns as the starting first baseman. Now going by the name Stretch, he is a quality player, both in the field and at the plate. Unfortunately, he is replacing longtime star Marty Blake, a power hitter whose fielding skills have severely deteriorated. However, only Stretch can see that and even though he plays very well and the Blue Sox win, he is booed by the fans and shunned by his teammates, especially Blake. In many ways, they still treat him as if he is the batboy. With my academic experience, I could relate to what was happening to Stookey.
After being injured, he is replaced by Blake and is about to be sent back to the minors. In the last game before he is due to depart, the main challenger of the Blue Sox exploits Blake’s fielding weaknesses and Stretch is grabbed before he leaves. He is then installed at first and the entire Blue Sox team welcomes him with open arms.
Unlike some of the other main characters in the Decker series about the mythical Blue Sox, Stretch Stookey has no major character flaw to overcome. He is a team player all the way and should have been accepted right away. The only challenge he has is to be accepted as a ballplayer rather than as a former batboy. After persevering and never quitting, he is accepted for what he is. This, along with my personal experience, is what makes this my favorite story in the Decker series about the Blue Sox.

This review also appears on Amazon

[CLM · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stretch used to be the Buster the bat boy for the famous Blue Sox baseball team. He worked hard to improve his game and spent time in the minor leagues so it's a dream come true when he gets called up to the Big Show - and to play first base for the team he has always idolized. With just as many freckles, a fair amount of humility, and a nickname that reflects his skill handling a baseball, Stretch eagerly returns to the locker room where he once waited on the players. To his surprise, even the players who were kind to him as a teenager are condescending to him now and don't realize he has grown up and become a real athlete. Even worse, they blame him for the benching of Marty Blake, the long time first baseman! Can Stretch use his skill on the diamond to gain acceptance and help the Blue Sox win the pennant?

[Steve Mccormick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another classic Blue Sox novel. Check out my Duane Decker facebook page.

[Ronald]

possibly read in 1967