A surprising and moving novel of fathers and sons, forgiveness and redemption, set in the world of Major League Baseball… Whatever happened to Calico Joe? It began quietly enough with a pulled hamstring. The first baseman for the Cubs AAA affiliate in Wichita went down as he rounded third and headed for home. The next day, Jim Hickman, the first baseman for the Cubs, injured his back. The team suddenly needed someone to play first, so they reached down to their AA club in Midland, Texas, and called up a twenty-one-year-old named Joe Castle. He was the hottest player in AA and creating a buzz. In the summer of 1973 Joe Castle was the boy wonder of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Arkansas dazzled Cub fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of a hard-partying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher. On the day that Warren Tracey finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever… In John Grisham’s new novel the baseball is thrilling, but it’s what happens off the field that makes CALICO JOE a classic.
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"I'm not much of a baseball fan so I really didn't think I would like this audiobook. But my insistent husband wanted to listen to it on a recent trip so I graciously obliged him. I was surprised to find myself completely drawn into a very well-written story. I really did not know that John wrote stories like this so this book was a pleasant surprise. By the way, hubby liked it too :)"
— Sandy44 (5 out of 5 stars)
“An enjoyable, heartwarming read that’s not just for baseball fans.”
— USA Today“Grisham knocks it out of the park.”
— Washington Post" I'm not a baseball fan, but Grisham is such a skilled writer that this story held my interest. Very different from his usual legal fare, but that's ok sometimes. Its a quick read. A fictional story interspersed with real events and people. I do recommend even though I only gave it 3 stars. I prefer the legal novels. "
— Linda, 2/8/2014" I love the fact that this book required nothing of me except a passing interest in baseball. Such a simple gentle read. For literary quality, maybe a two, but for filling a need it would get a four, hence the 3 averaged. "
— Amy, 1/27/2014" a great story of forgiveness "
— Julie, 1/27/2014" The Narrator was excellent. John Grisham tells a very good baseball story....too good for me in that the abuse was hard to listen to. "
— Carrie, 1/23/2014" This general storyline was pretty cool, but it needed to be more elaborate. It was pretty short and felt like it could have gone into more detail. "
— Lisa, 1/22/2014" i didn't understand much of this book as it's all BASEBALL LINGO. it's an interesting PLOT (if you can find it, mostly towards the end, really) but...nothing i'd recommend. too many STATS. "
— Clara, 1/18/2014" If you can skim over the baseball statistics, the story is really good. "
— QueenAmidala, 1/12/2014" Baseball story told by John Grisham.....what more can you ask? Loved it! "
— Mary, 12/25/2013" My least favorite Grisham book. I found the dialogue clunky, the plot contrived and scarcely believable. "
— Rhonda, 12/10/2013" Quick read and a must for baseball fans...I finished it in a day. "
— Adam, 11/29/2013" A good story, although too much baseball statistical information for a light read. "
— Barrie, 11/28/2013" Great baseball book - "
— Carol, 11/11/2013" I kept waiting for something to happen. "
— Roxanne, 11/7/2013" Nobody can write a story like John Grisham. The same techniques he uses for legal themes work perfectly for baseball story. Really brought on the waterworks by the end. You don't have to be a baseball lover to love this one. "
— AnnieBebop, 9/11/2013" Cubs, Baseball, history, troubled father son relationships. Need I say more? "
— Milan, 5/28/2013" I prefer Grisham's law novels but this one was alright. "
— Sara, 5/7/2013" I have long become bored with John Grisham's legal books. But his sports book are fantastic and a must read for any sports fan. Calico Joe is no different and does not disappoint. Great book, and I highly recommend. "
— Sheri, 5/5/2013" Great book for baseball lovers. "
— Karen, 5/3/2013" Liked the format the story was told, from different points in time. "
— Debbi, 4/27/2013" Good Baseball Story "
— Sam, 2/12/2013" An exploration of forgiveness -- as understood by a record-breaking baseball rookie and a neglected son, both impacted forever by a journeyman pitcher. "
— Nancy, 1/14/2013" An interesting story, quick read. I don't know much about baseball but it was written well enough that I could get excited about what was going on. By the end of the story I was sad that Joe Castle and Paul Tracey were works of fiction and not real people. "
— Janille, 12/30/2012" entertaining. enjoyed the baseball game details "
— Ivonne, 10/26/2012" Excellent and I don't like baseball "
— Joggingt, 8/8/2012" Decent story but way too depressing for me. Not my cup of tea at all. "
— Emily T., 7/22/2012" This was a nice change of pace for Grisham, not his usual suspenseful legal writing. Just a wonderfully touching story of redemption set in the world of professional baseball. An impressive surprise from Mr. Grisham! "
— Marcus S., 7/9/2012" A wonderfully refreshing novel from a writer that's of course more well-known for his legal thrillers. Pardon the pun but this book was a real home run! "
— Jenny W., 6/3/2012" I'm a big Grisham fan as well as a baseball fanatic so I really thought I'd like this book. Unfortunately I was wrong. It was way too formulaic and predictable for my taste and the story just was not that interesting to me. "
— Andy D., 5/17/2012" A good story if you can stay with it through the boring baseball stats and such. Luckily I was patient enough to stick around until the narrator got to the real meat of the story, which is a rather good one. "
— j.d. taylor, 4/25/2012John Grisham is the author of more than thirty-five novels, one work of nonfiction, a collection of stories, and seven novels for young readers. Thirty-three of his crime thrillers have made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list
Erik Singer’s theatrical credits include the title role in The Hostage (off Broadway), A Life in the Theatre, Greetings!, and national tours of Othello and The Taming of the Shrew. He has also appeared on All My Children and As the World Turns, and was the voice of Vincent van Gogh in the A&E Biography about Van Gogh and Gauguin. His audiobook narration has twice won him the AudioFile Earphones Award.