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 enlarge | Author: Frank Nappi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $6.88
You Save: $18.07 (72%)
New (35) Used (12) from $6.88
Avg. Customer Rating:  22 reviews
Sales Rank: 343248
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 1.2
ISBN: 0312381093
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780312381097
ASIN: 0312381093
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Courtesy of Teens Read Too August 6, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
When his car breaks down in during a routine scouting trip, Milwaukee Brewer's coach Arthur Murphy never expected to stumble upon an autistic, seventeen-year-old pitching phoneme. Nor could "Murph" have imagined that introducing young Mickey Tussler to the world of minor league baseball would spur his losing team into a heated race for the playoffs against the Brewer's number one rival, the Spokane Rangers.
Despite his team's drive to glory, Mickey remains an outsider; a fragile soul, locked inside a world that most people can't even recognize, let alone understand. What price will Mickey have to pay in order to become a legend?
THE LEGEND OF MICKEY TUSSLER is an intense, complex, nuanced study of the post-WWII minor league microcosm. Frank Nappi does an excellent job delving inside his characters' heads, whether he's detailing Murphy's desolation, star pitcher George "Lefty" Rogers' arrogant bravado, catcher Raymond "Boxcar" Danvers' stoic endurance, or the unspeakable affliction and difficulty an autistic youth like Mickey must have faced.
A steadily paced, first-rate work of fiction, whether you're a baseball lover or not -- this is a novel you can't pass up.
Reviewed by: Cat
 This is NOT a Baseball Book July 27, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
If you are like me, and picked this book up thinking that it is a baseball novel, be warned that it is NOT; this is a soap opera/chick flick.
As to the story, it has much too many plot lines going. Either the author is planning to write a sequel, or he had a very poor editor. I won't give away the ending, but its not what you expect. The writing tends to be much too uneven; at times there is so much detail - such as the the game action, that as a reader I was skipping ahead just get on with the plot of the story. While other parts of the story, lack any creditability because they're skipped - such as how Mickey goes from throwing apples into a barrel - and then next we find him in uniform on the bench of a game ready to make his first minor league appearance. How did the players react to Mickey the "Retard" getting a try-out? How did the manager convice the owner to sign Mickey to a contract?
The details regarding the baseball team durning is era really disappointed me. In 1948 there were only 16 major league teams, the AAA minors were high quality leagues, they had many players who could have been playing in the majors if there were more teams. If this story had been set in 1944, when most of the baseball players were off to war - and baseball teams were trying anyone (see Pete Gray the one-armed outfielder, etc.) I would have found the story more plausable.
The fictional story of a person with autism before autism was recognized July 10, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Autism wasn't always known as Autism, or even diagnosed. Some people were just seen as slow. "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" is the fictional story of one of these people with autism before autism was recognized. In this tale, Arthur Murphy discovers Mickey Tussler, a ball player who might just save the Milwaukee Brewers from their abysmal record. Mickey, however, doesn't seem to be all there, and faces adversity from both his teammates and the fans in the stands. A touching story of finding one's dream even when the cards dealt to one are poor, "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" is highly recommended for community library literary fiction collections.
 A winning home run July 2, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Reviewed by Rachael Stein (age 15) for Reader Views (7/08)
Arthur Murphy is the coach and scout for the minor league Milwaukee Brewers. He used to be a baseball star before a collision with another player injured him and ruined his promising career. But he's also a good and caring man, which is why, when he meets odd Mickey Tussler, a hulking seventeen-year-old farm boy with an ability to throw very accurately, he is determined to help both of them by recruiting Mickey to pitch for the Brewers. Mickey has an arm like no one has seen, and his early successes on the field help him win over the hearts of his teammates and fans. But jealousy from an opposing team and even a disgruntled teammate stack the odds against Mickey, especially when Murph and Pee Wee, one of Mickey's closer teammates, aren't there to protect him. Mickey's situation is even more difficult because he suffers from autism, although this was before it had a name. The world of minor league baseball is a tough one, and Mickey and his team, the Brewers, are definite underdogs.
There is a colorful cast of characters presented in "The Legend of Mickey Tussler," which I found overwhelming at times. There were so many players and teams to remember that I often got confused, especially towards the beginning of the novel. However, as the story progressed, I got used to the most important characters. In a strange way, I felt I really got to know these characters even though I felt there wasn't much characterization. Most of the characters, especially Molly, Murph, and Mickey, were extremely likeable even through their faults, and I found myself sympathizing with them. I really would've loved for Mickey's character to have been more developed, because the story was mainly about him, but I found his characterization disappointingly lacking. Nevertheless, I found Mickey's character so admirable because he was able to survive and prevail against all the odds. Nappi does a good job of showing each character's flaws as well as positive attributes; it made the characters seem more human, which made the story all the more realistic.
Plot-wise, I had a few issues. Sometimes, I felt that there was just too much going on at once and so many subplots that they were rather hard to keep track of. And I also found the ending a little disappointing, but only because I would've liked the story to continue. And though I was disappointed, I did feel that the story ended with a perfect blend of sadness and hope. It's through the last few pages of the novel that you can really feel the book yelling to you to not give up.
The plot in "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" was never too action-packed except during the ballgames. I found that even with my limited baseball education, I was able to understand much of the terminology used in this novel. Since "The Legend of Mickey Tussler" focuses so much on baseball though, readers who aren't interested in this team sport may have a hard time maintaining their interest in the story. Even though I am not a devoted baseball fan, though, I really liked how baseball was so well-incorporated into this story.
It's kind of hard to explain what exactly in this novel made me like it so much. Despite some of the issues I had with the book, I truly enjoyed reading "The Legend of Mickey Tussler," by Frank Nappi, and thought it was well-written. I recommend this novel for the male audience or for any baseball fans. Mickey Tussler's difficult journey is sure to win over the hearts of many readers, as it did mine.
Touch 'em all! June 14, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
In a sea of baseball novels, this book is not just a home run, it's a Grand Slam!
As a father of two handicapped sons playing in the Little League Challenger Baseball program, The Legend of Mickey Tussler connected with me in ways you can't possibly imagine. However, any ardent follower of America's Pastime will find this book to be an engaging, pleasurable read.
Author Frank Nappi has such wonderful command of the English vocabulary and utilizes his lexis like a venerable college professor.
Although this book is written as a novel, it is entirely possible that this scenario could one day play itself out. And I'd like to believe that in today's handicapped-sensitive society, Mickey Tussler might enjoy a happier ending.
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