Basepaths

In the timeless world of fiction it is "next year" for the Mason City Royals of Jerry Klinkowitz's award-winning Short Season and Other Stories. Who's back? Just three players: Billy Harmon, Dave Alpert, and the baby-fat slugger Mark Wiggins. But that's good, for in minor league baseball the best players are promoted while the failures are dropped. So except for Billy, Dave, and Mark, who expect just another half-season of fine-tuning before moving up, it's an open field for a new season of hopes and dreams - but for nightmares too. The team gets a new manager, Ken Boyenga (with a colorful major league past) just as its local ownership elects a new club president, Al Swenson (a man with two daughters and a business with the hopeful title of "Swenson & Son Electric"). Plus there's Mike Jacobs, a contract garbage hauler who's just joined the board of directors (and already thinks he owns the team). Added to the busload of rookies on this fresh season's team, this "new leadership" on and off the field lets readers enjoy the parallel spectacle of a sports business being constructed - and deconstructed - and finally utterly demolished right before their eyes all in the spirit of boisterous hilarity that has come to characterize minor league baseball at its most fun.