I really liked this story. It is a quick read. I am a sports fan, but not particularly a baseball fan. It is more a story of forgiveness and making amends than anything else. It is told by the son of a pro baseball player who was mean spirited and caused devastating consequences to lives and careers, particularly the famous rookie for the Chicago Cubs, "Calico Joe". The son tries to convince his father to own up to his actions before his impending death.

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A really enjoyable baseball yarn about a young rookie phenom, Calico Joe Castle, whose career with the Chicago Cubs in 1973 was cut short by an unfortunate event. The story is told from the perspective of a young fan of Joe's whose father, Warren Tracey, was the pitcher for the New York Mets who threw the intentional beanball that ended Joe's career. The story is much more than a baseball story, delving into the family life of the Traceys, the abuses of the father, Warren, and how they led to a life full of misgivings for him. It also tells the story of Joe Castle and his amazing short rookie season, as well as the story of him and his brothers as they try for careers in baseball. It is evident that Grisham is a fan of baseball and I would highly recommend this one to any baseball or sports fan.

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Hard to believe this is his book. Boring would be the best way to describe the book. I think he first wrote this to be a short story, but it was a little too long, so he expanded it to make a 200 page book to honor a publisher contract. Despite what I told my sister in law, she still wanted the book. I guess Grisham fans are loyal, but this is a book worth skipping.

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I picked this book up primarily because of its baseball theme and while I was kept interested and enjoyed the time shifts; the ending was ultimately predictable. It is very short and probably should have been a short story instead. For nostalgia it is interesting; if you are looking for something gripping and unexpected, this is not it.

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This was a most interesting book from Grisham...different than his usual thrilling legal tomes. But extremely enjoyable...especially if you're into baseball, even if you're not, it's excellent. A quick read.

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A very quick, enjoyable read, especially to a baseball fan. Highly recommended.

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I loved this book. Brought back memories of my childhood and love of baseball. My hero was Tony C of the Red Sox who got beaned in the eye. This book gives a great side of a baseball fan, human nature, and redeemtion. As the man in this story I too have not watched basedball for 20 years. One pitch can ruin many lives.

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Review Written by Bernie Weisz, Historian Pembroke Pines, Florida, U.S.A. September 30, 2012 Contact: BernWei1@aol.com Title of Review: The Code of Baseball, A Ruined Childhood & A Trip Down Memory Lane!
Anyone that became a teenager in the early 1970's will immediately take to John Grisham's "Calico Joe." Especially one that grew up in New York and liked baseball. I know, I was one of them. Grisham's book revolves around a washed up, aging picture for the New York Mets named Paul Tracy and his mercurial, volatile relationship with his son Paul. Added in is a rookie phenom for the Cubs named Joe Castle. Castle, dubbed "Calico Joe," sets major league records in his 1973 rookie debut for consecutive games safely hit. Paul Castle fell in love with Calico Joe, even keeping a scrapbook of his accolades unbeknownst to his father. Grisham portrays Warren as a philanderer, a beanball artist, a drunkard and an abusive husband and father. Shades of the Tony Conigliaro incident are introduced when the Cubs come into town to play the Mets with the National League East pennant on the line. With Paul and his disgruntled mother in the stands at Shea Stadium, the two watch as Castle goes up against his father after successfully pounding Warren for a hit his first time up.

The "code of baseball" is introduced, at least Warren's conception of it. If a batsman shows up the pitcher in any way the previous at bat, or is a cocky rookie, the next at bat will surely be a beanball. However, Warren was a cruel, mean "headhunter," and demanded Paul be like him in playing Little League. Without any remorse, the senior Tracy will throw at anyone's head as revenge, rarely missing. In Castle's second at bat, the lives of both the Castle and Tracy are forever changed. The ironies involved and the unpredictable twists of fate make this novel truly amazing. The names thrown out, e.g. Tom Seaver, Bobby Murcer, Ron Santo, Ferguson Jenkins, etc., bring back such vivid memories of a reader's lost youthhood that it is impossible to not love and embrace this fantastically written novel. Even more realistic are the memories Grisham introduces, such as his descriptions of the Long Island Railroad being ridden, Willets Point in Flushing and both old Shea and Yankee Stadium, Wrigley Field, etc., with fitting descriptions of the temperaments of the fans of each. Grisham fast forwards forty years later and cleverly plays out a scenario involving Warren, dying of cancer, a caustic Paul and a forever enfeebled Joe Castle.

The realism is strikingly apparent, regardless of Grisham's introduction of a fictional protagonist. In fact, the author cleverly let former Cub infielder Don Kessinger proof read and correct "Calico Joe" for realism. Kessinger's interjections make this story so absorbing, captivating and realistic that anyone reading this cannot but be spellbound by "Calico Joe." Memories flash of Carl Mays, Ray Chapman and Tony C. Mays was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1929. Despite impressive career statistics, he is primarily remembered for throwing a beanball on August 16, 1920, that struck and killed Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians, making Chapman the only Major League player to die as a direct result of an injury sustained on the field. Similarly, Tony Conigliaro nicknamed "Tony C" played for the Boston Red Sox during their "Impossible Dream" season of 1967. He was hit in the face by a pitch from Jack Fisher, causing a severe eye injury and derailing his career. Though he would make a dramatic comeback from the injury, his career was not the same afterwards. Whether you like baseball or not, "Calico Joe" has something for any reader, guaranteeing a satisfying read!

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A wonderful, touching, emotional novel, and no courtroom drama or lawyers as main characters. I loved it!

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Very quick read and wonderful story! Both fictional and real character names are a part of this book. This story is about baseball, but not just for baseball fans. It tells a warm story of personal pain and forgiveness. Well worth the time to read it.

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