Minnesotan's work pitches baseball and faith

"The King's Game,"

by John Nemo

In the middle of a month when temps across the Midwest have bottomed out well below zero, a baseball novel can have a warming effect.

Minnesotan John Nemo -- who covers baseball as a professional journalist -- combines his knowledge of the national pastime with his deep spirituality to come up with a page-turner that will keep any fan on the edge of his seat.

"The King's Game" is more than just a sports story. People of faith will quickly pick up on the allegory woven through the compelling tale of the life of Cody King, a great pitcher. The events of King's life -- beginning a birth - would test anyone's belief in God.

Nemo adds a love element, a friendship element, and best of all a father-son relationship element, exploring all of these while all the while taking us through the seventh and deciding game of a fictional World Series.

As a baseball junkie myself, I notice one faux pas in the action on the diamond: In the third inning, the pitching coach goes out to settle down the opposing pitcher, and later in that same inning the manager trots out to the mound, too. Any fan knows that second visit to the mound means there has to be a pitching change, but that doesn't happen in the novel. The pitcher stays in the game. Ooops.

This appears to be a self-published book, so if you're interested in getting a copy, contact the author at john@johnnemobooks.com. -- bz