The Baseball Code

In the tradition of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Karate Kid, The Baseball Code is a story about the passing on of wisdom from generation to generation, from father to son, from teacher to student, from coach to player. It is a story about goodness, about why we tell the truth and why sometimes we don’t, about always doing your best, about playing fair and putting the team first, about understanding that giving up something you want isn’t the same as losing and that sometimes a sacrifice bunt is the right play.

         Terry Richards is a retired math professor, struggling with grief and loneliness after the loss of his wife. Noah is a ten-year-old boy down the street whose father has recently moved away. When Noah’s baseball rolls into Terry’s yard, their friendship begins with a simple game of catch and conversation.
         Terry also recalls his conversations with his wife, as with bittersweetness he remembers their first date, their first argument, and the rose garden they planted together in the back yard. He thinks about his father and the talks they had playing catch after dinner. He knows that his dad not only taught him baseball but also taught him right from wrong and what it meant to have honor. He passes that wisdom on to Noah as he shares with him his love of the game. He calls those values, “The Baseball Code.”
          Like a Field of Dreams (Shoeless Joe) and The Sandlot, The Baseball Code is a story about the love of baseball; about the smell of a well-oiled glove; about the feel of the handle of the bat as you turn it in your hands; about running across an expanse of green grass on a hot summer afternoon, gazing up at the spinning red seams of a white baseball as it cuts its arc against a bright blue sky, timing your strides and the reach of your arm so perfectly that the ball drops into your mitt like a plum ripe from a tree.
         Terry teaches Noah the fundamentals of the game: Always hustle, watch the ball into your glove, get to the bag early for the double play. Together, they build a field to practice on with their friends. They weather the ups and downs of the Summer League season—the disappointment of bad calls and unfair decisions, humorous incidents of coaches who can’t play the game, and the exhilaration of making the winning play.
         The Baseball Code is a story about the relationships that give life meaning and the beauty of the things that connect us. It is about the gardens that we plant and watch grow, the fields that we build and play on, and the gifts that we give and the sacrifices we make as together we share the pain and joy of living.

Comments from Readers

        “Gary Watts shares his innate ability in The Baseball Code to weave together poetic writing, nostalgia, and universal truths in a tale about ethical decision-making. This brilliant account of a caring older gentleman and his young protégé is a poignant example of the power of teaching by example rather than regulation. The Baseball Code is heartwarming, comical, and deeply meaningful. The author draws on his sharp childhood memories and many years behind the lectern in college classes teaching religion, philosophy, and ethics. The novel is an inspiring must-read for baseball aficionados, baby boomers, and those who cherish moral living. Buy it, promote it, and love it!” — Thompson Brandt, author of A Measure of Grace.