For Love of the Game

Book excerpt: “Moving, beautiful . . . If Hemingway had written a baseball novel, he might have written For Love of the Game.”—Los Angeles Times Billy Chapel is a baseball legend, after seventeen season a sure Hall of Famer. He is a man who has retained the endearing qualities of youth, a man who has devoted his life to the game he loves and plays so well. But, because of his unsurpassed skill and innocent faith, he has been betrayed. It's the final game of the season, and Billy's got one last chance to prove who he is and what he can do, a chance to prove what really matters in this life. A taut, compelling story of one man's coming of age, For Love of the Game is Michael Shaara's final novel, the classic finish to a brilliantly distinguished literary career. Praise for For Love of the Game “A delightful and lyrical story about a great athlete's momentous last game . . . A fairy tale for adults about love and loneliness and finally growing up.”—USA Today “An endearing, timeless novel that can be enjoyed by both serious readers and baseball lovers for generations to come.”—The Orlando Sentinel