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Torrent Description
On October 1, 1932, during Game Three of the Chicago Cubs -- New York Yankees World Series, Babe Ruth belted a long home run to straightaway centerfield. According to legend, just before he hit, Babe pointed to the bleachers and boldly predicted he would slam the next pitch there.
Did he call the shot or didn't he? Witnesses never agreed. Like other baseball fans, Joe Stoshack wants to know the truth. But unlike other fans, Joe has the astonishing ability to travel through time and solve one of baseball's greatest puzzles.... Publisher: HarperCollins; Reprint edition (March 5, 2002) Language: English ISBN-10: 0380805049 ISBN-13: 978-0380805044 Editorial Reviews From Publishers Weekly A boy and his father zip back in time to discover whether Babe Ruth actually predicted his home run in Game Three of the 1932 World Series. "Gutman's account of Joey's strained relationship with his divorced father and his portrait of the intriguing, revered slugger against the backdrop of Depression-era New York are equally skillful," noted PW. Ages 8-12. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From School Library Journal Grade 4-7-Once again, 13-year-old Joe Stoshack time travels and meets baseball greats of the past. In this book, he takes his father along, as they attempt to discover whether Babe Ruth really "called his shot" in the 1932 World Series. The pecuniary possibilities of the adventure are not overlooked. His dad's main interest in going back in time is to make a killing in the sports-memorabilia market. A bag full of baseballs autographed by Babe Ruth would be worth a fortune in today's market, and Joe and his dad try to cash in. Their plans go awry, but they do manage to meet the slugger and experience his outsized personality. True to history, he remains an elusive figure here. At times, he is portrayed as rather lonely and maudlin and at other times he's a caricature-especially in a gross, exaggerated eating scene: "Babe Ruth hit big, and he missed big, and he lived big. And I can tell this from personal experience, he also puked big." The book does evoke the importance of a sports hero to an America mired in the depths of the Depression. And, as so frequently happens in baseball novels, the adventure proves to be the catalyst for a new understanding between father and son. This is an entertaining romp through a part of baseball history. Most Helpful Customer Reviews A Baseball Hit! A Kid's Review on May 8, 2003 Baseball fans here comes a new hit! It's called Babe and Me and it's got baseball, time-travel, and mystery all rolled into one. This novel is about a boy named Joe Stoshack and his Dad. They live in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1990s. This pair are big Babe Ruth fans, and like most other fans, they are DYING to know if he did call his famous home run on October 1, 1932. Unlike others, they have a secret. Joe can travel to any time on a baseball card by holding the card for 30 seconds! So they travel back to the Depression and watch the famous game. This novel has a moral too. Joe learns tht behind the glory, Babe's life isn't perfect like you'd think it would be. He has troubles like any average person. So if you like baseball, fantasy, or even history, read Babe and Me. It's a novel most baseball fans won't want to miss. Call It What You Will By M. Allen Greenbaum HALL OF FAMEVINE VOICE on September 28, 2002 In this third book of the time travel series, young Joe Stoshack touches Babe Ruth's 1932 baseball card, and journeys back to Wrigley Field in 1932. His goal is to see whether Ruth really did "call his shot," that is, point to the outfield stands just prior to hitting a home run there. Joe's angry, divorced, recently laid-off father sees the trip as a money-making opportunity (by betting on know outcomes, accruing 70 years of interest, and obtaining Ruth-autographed baseballs to sell when they return to the present). This well-written book will appeal to all baseball fans, especially its audience of kids around 7 to 12 years. Gutman obviously loves the game and its lore, and he vividly recreates 1932 Chicago. It's a very good history as well as sports book, as Gutman describes (aided by newspaper clippings and photos) such topics as segregation, the Depression, and the arrival of German Fascism. At times, Gutman is a little too sentimental, especially when describing the eventual (and predictable) family rapprochement, and there's a somewhat simplistic nod to the Holocaust. The main appeal is its depiction of early baseball and the larger-than-life character of the Babe. Although Gutman exaggerates some of Ruth's grandiosity (which the author points out in an afterward), most of the book is factual. Gutman's researched his subject with sources such as the Society for American Baseball Research and the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Baseball Center. There's also a terrific section featuring contemporaries' opinions on the called shot, and a 2-page summary of Ruth's batting and pitching stats. These are inspired ideas, that, again, show Gutman's skillful weaving of fiction and fact. This book offers much more than the usual sports fiction for kids. The family dynamics, the historical references, and the awesome presence of the Babe, Lou Gerhrig and other Hall of Famers are a winning combination. Shoeless Joe Jackson and Me By A Customer on November 3, 2003 Shoeless Joe Jackson and Me is a great book written by Dan Gutman. It is a story about a boy named Stosh who can travel back into time using baseball cards. He learns the story about the White Sox scandal with 9 players who got kicked out of baseball for throwing the World Series. He tries to go back into time to the 1920's and stop Shoeless Joe Jackson player for the Chicago White Sox, from throwing the World Series. This book has great detail and really shows how it was in the 1920's. This is a great time travel book, and I would recommend this book to any one that likes a good thrill. You might know some other books written by Dan Gutman, like Honus and Me, Jackie and Me, and Babe and Me . I hope you check out some of the other great books that Dan Gutman has written. 
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