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At the start of the 1920 baseball season, 16-year-old Hank Cobb is assigned to train the New York Giants’ new mascot, a Mexican wildcat named Bill Pennant. Bill’s not too trainable, though, even with the help of sardines and mice. And if Hank can’t handle a cat, how can he handle his next charge, an undisciplined slugger for the Yankees named Babe Ruth? Ruth’s manager asks Hank to keep an eye on Ruth, and since both teams play at the same stadium, it’s doable. But is it wise? A disastrous “road trip” to Coney Island lands both Babe and Hank in hot water with their respective managers. Hank, who’s fallen under Babe’s spell, walks out on the Giants, determined to ditch school and become a big-league ballplayer. But another, far more serious incident, causes Hank to rethink his priorities. Evocative descriptions of the sights, sounds, and personalities of baseball’s heyday add to this exciting story about loyalty, responsibility, and the rules of the game — both on and off the field. ...
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Fifteen-year-old runaway Hank Cobb hops a freight and discovers Chief Sunrise, "the greatest Indian to ever step on a baseball diamond." At least that’s what he says. Chief is determined to try out for John McGraw, famed manager of the 1919 New York Giants, and baseball-crazy Hank decides to tag along. The pair’s adventures take them from a dusty baseball lot in Gainesville, Florida, to New York City’s famed Polo Grounds, where they track down the great John McGraw, and Chief gets his chance to play in the big leagues. Hank becomes team mascot and ball boy. Most days Hank can’t stop smiling, but he still has nightmares about his abusive old man, and Chief seems to be hiding something. A startling climax during an exhibition game at Sing Sing Prison changes everything for Hank and Chief. Rich in period detail, Chief Sunrise, John McGraw, and Me captures all the personalities and excitement that defined baseball in the era of Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson....
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