Don’t let the whimsical title of this thoroughly-researched book fool you. Sure, it’s a nostalgic look at baseball, the 1972 White Sox, and Dick Allen, the player who likely saved that team from being sold and sent to another city. But authors Owens and Fletcher adroitly use those topics as gateways to the examination of other important historical and cultural issues, particularly race relations.
While Owens and Fletcher don’t hide their admiration for Allen — the book’s main subject — and others, their writing often transitions seamlessly into less-than flattering objectivity. They remind us that there are often good reasons that our heroes, sports and otherwise, are flawed.
~ Gary Johnson, Finalist Judge,
2022 Chicago Writers Association,
Book of the Year Awards