Rating: 
Summary: ...
Review: "Wild Pitch" is definitely Lupica's best sports novel. It starts a little slowly, but when Showtime Charlie Stoddard the 40-year-old comeback kid finally gets his start with the Red Sox, the story kicks into high gear.A whole array of colorful characters project Lupica's view of the game and those around it. Mo Jiggy, the gangsta rapper from "Bump and Run" who became a big time agent in "Full Court Press", is back for a cameo. The main voice of irreverence, however belongs to Pooty Shaw, the hard hitting catcher whose baseball millions have attracted an endless string of beautiful girlfriends with attitude. We also get to meet Booker Impala Washington, the limo driver who's really the brains behind the new Red Sox owner. The main story revolves around Charlie and his inscrutable trainer Chang, which will remind you a lot of Kevin Costner and Cheech Marin in "Tin Cup". As it builds to a close, you will realize that there's not enough time for a real sappy storybook ending. Lupica finds the perfect touch to wrap it up. There are a few bumps along the way. Lupica seems to insert a brand name on every other page giving you the feeling that you're watching those rotating ads in the ballpark, spinning at warp speed. There's a little too much baseball trivia, like three solid pages on the history of the left field wall at Fenway. The references to Elaine's and T.J. Tucker's make it read like a Dan Jenkins knock off at times, and the word games around the Grace MacKenzie character - Amazing Grace, goodnight Gracie, Grace under pressure - are a little too cutsie. All in though, it was a five star read.
Rating:
Summary: I fell for Lupica again. When will I learn?
Review: A few years ago I bought "Bump and Run" mainly because it came highly recommended; particulary by Don Imus. As I struggled through it, I kept waiting for the laughs, which never came, not even a smile. I find it hard to believe, but "Wild Pitch" is even worse!! A book this size is usually a two stitting read for me, but it took me over a week to finish.... In sum, the book was boring and unfunny. The events predictable and the characters so poorly drawn that I didn't care what happened to any of them.
Rating: 
Summary: It's still the same old story
Review: Charlie Stoddard was a great pitcher. Like most young men he was unappreciative of his gift when he had it. Like Roy Hobbs' father tells Roy in "The Natural," 'Roy, you have a gift . . .' With a tragic, predictable hubris, Charlie loses his gift. And like Roy, the real life Jim Morris, maybe Kevin Costner's in "For the Love of the Game," he gets a chance to reclaim it. Recapturing it is really just a metaphor for all of our second chances. We all get them; some ignore them and some jump at them. We don't always know why we have this opportunity. We're just fairly certain we won't get a third. So Charlie Stoddard get's a chance with Chang, sort of a 'Hawk-like' Yoda character into healing, and refinds his lost 94 mile an hour fastball. There are no doubt many women will enjoy Mike Lupica's writing. But the real appeal may be to the little boys who grew up with Reggie Jackson and even Kyle Rote and Frank Gifford and Vida Blue and George Brett and Bucky Dent. And the American League. And the designated hitter. The real lesson is somewhat like Gene Shallit wrote about the Rocky I movie in 1975. Shallit wrote, ". . . it ain't about boxing." And "Wild Pitch" may not be about baseball. Well. It's probably about baseball with a heavy dose of the moral consequences of your acts. Lupica has a nice style. I especially enjoyed the dialogue. Mike Lupica is an excellent narrator. The paper better watch out or he'll do this full time. It's a feel good book with Charlie's son finally coming to grips with 'his' gift and an acceptance of his father's frailty and humanity. I prefer H. G. Bissenger's "Friday Night Lights" but I'll put Lupica next to him.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. After being introduced to Lupica's earlier work, I have been hooked. When I heard he was writing a book about baseball, I patiently waited until the release date, and bought it the minute came out. I was not disappointed, as this book brings to life real sports life. As someone who grew up a sports fan, and spent five years with a collegiate team, his characters are perfect, as I can see people from my own experiences in the book. Although some have complained about too much of a happy ending, I feel that the story flowed really well, and the ending wasn't as cheesy as people made it out to be. As a fledgling sports reporter and sports fiction writer, Mike Lupica is definitely someone I can look up to and shoot for.
Rating: 
Summary: One of Lupica's best efforts
Review: Lupica brings his tight, witty style to baseball fiction with this story of second chances. His protagonist pitcher gets one last chance at cheers at age 40, and also gets one last chance to connect with his son. If this is what sports cliches are made of, at least Lupica carries it off with cleverness and a profound sense of fun.
Rating:
Summary: Lupica is getting better
Review: Lupica will never be considered a great writer of fiction, but this novel is a huge step in the right direction. This novel has a pretty good story and a couple of well-developed characters. Unlike his two basketball novels (Jump and Full Court Press), this novel kept me reading because I actually wanted to see how it would turn out. I have a few problems with Lupica's writing in general. He tends to use the same type of characters in every book, it is impossible to get through 50 pages without ending up in a strip club, and every 20 pages guarantees a bar scene. Having said that, I did enjoy the story in this one. It helps that I love baseball and suffer as all Red Sox fans do. I have to give credit to Lupica for giving us one great season even if the Red Sox have yet to match it.
Rating:
Summary: Lupica is getting better
Review: Lupica will never be considered a great writer of fiction, but this novel is a huge step in the right direction. This novel has a pretty good story and a couple of well-developed characters. Unlike his two basketball novels (Jump and Full Court Press), this novel kept me reading because I actually wanted to see how it would turn out. I have a few problems with Lupica's writing in general. He tends to use the same type of characters in every book, it is impossible to get through 50 pages without ending up in a strip club, and every 20 pages guarantees a bar scene. Having said that, I did enjoy the story in this one. It helps that I love baseball and suffer as all Red Sox fans do. I have to give credit to Lupica for giving us one great season even if the Red Sox have yet to match it.
Rating:
Summary: Hated to Put It Down....
Review: Mike Lupica has "the ear". He also has a whole lot of talent in writing engaging sports fiction. If you are a Red Sox fan, (as I am) you will especially like the insights into what we go through every year. If you are a baseball fan you will also love this "inside look" at what goes on behind the scenes at the major league level. The story line in not unique. Forty year old former star pitcher (Showtime Charlie Stoddard) who's arm is shot finds a "guru" who restores his physical prowess and tries for another shot at "The Show." His former catcher is now the Manager of the Red Sox. They are both in love with Grace MacKenzie. Charlie had the good fortune to marry her and the bad judgement to cheat on her - big time - so she is now his ex - and the mother of their son who is the newest phenom for - guess who - the Boston Red Sox. Grace and Charlie still talk. The son hates Charlie and carries enough hate for both himself and his mom. The Sox had a big lead on the hated Yankees, but as the season draws to a close - the lead has shrunk. Mixing these characters and many others into the pot in a believeable and entertaining way is something that Lupica has done in a most entertaining fashion. You will smile, you will laugh out loud and you will hate to put this book down until you finish it.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for Red Sox fans and true Baseball lovers
Review: This book is great! Lupica tells the story of an old Mets pitcher trying to make a comeback. His use of real players and baseball history makes this story seem like a non-fictional biography. For anyone that was a ball player and loves this great game will relate to everything the main charactor (Charlie Stoddard) goes through. From the pains of throwing a baseball your entire life to the night life of a pro ball player; his interaction with other teammates, the great pitcher/catcher relationship and the infamous Red Sox Vs Yankess rilvary. This book is a page turner and is extremely difficult to put down once you've started. Any true baseball fan will love this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for Red Sox fans and true Baseball lovers
Review: This book is great! Lupica tells the story of an old Mets pitcher trying to make a comeback. His use of real players and baseball history makes this story seem like a non-fictional biography. For anyone that was a ball player and loves this great game will relate to everything the main charactor (Charlie Stoddard) goes through. From the pains of throwing a baseball your entire life to the night life of a pro ball player; his interaction with other teammates, the great pitcher/catcher relationship and the infamous Red Sox Vs Yankess rilvary. This book is a page turner and is extremely difficult to put down once you've started. Any true baseball fan will love this book.
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