The Universal Baseball Association, Inc., J. Henry Waugh, Prop.

Oh, and Coover's UNIVERSAL BASEBALL ASSOCIATION, INC; J. HENRY WAUGH, PROP. If you've read it, you KNOW how trippy it is to flow through; one can almost feel himself being sucked into the void with Waugh as he struggles to remain in reality (but which one really?)

Five stars says it all :)


Stunning accomplishment   February 17, 2002
This is a book I first read tweny years ago, and still find a reason to re-read it again every few years. This tale about a man who blurs the lines between his dice baseball game and reality is moving and sad. Why no film has been made of this book is a mystery to me. It is a quick read, but one that will leave you thinking about the book once you are done. Poor Henry Waugh and his demons, or stars, from his viewpoint strikes me as a dark, sad man, yet content in his world, or the world he made for himself. Highly recommended.


srat-o-matic was never like this   August 31, 2001
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

Henry Waugh is a fifty-something accountant with no family, no friends & no future at work. All he
has going for him is that he is the creator & sole proprietor of the Universal Baseball Association.
Henry has invented a Stratomatic-type baseball game & taken it to the nth degree. He has rules for
virtually every possible occurrence & potential roll of the dice. He has populated the game with
players of his own creation. These players even participate in offseason activities, like pinball
tournaments, and get involved in Association politics when they retire. There are retired players
because Henry has played out over fifty UBA seasons. Henry hasn't simply created a game, he's
created a personal Universe.

The greatest player in Association history was Brock Rutherford and now his son, Damon Rutherford,
is taking the UBA by storm. Henry's enthusiasm for the Association has waned in recent years, but the
rise of Damon Rutherford has renewed his interest. Suddenly the game is fun again and Henry's life
seems full & interesting. When young Damon throws a perfect game, Henry is so caught up in the
excitement that he tampers with his own rules and allows Damon to start his next game on one day of
rest. And, of course, when the Creator tampers with his own rules, his creations will pay the price.

The first 150 or so pages of this book are absolutely fabulous. As disaster befalls the Association &
Henry's life crumbles around him he loses the ability to separate reality from fantasy and the book too
becomes confused, but it is still a terrific read.

GRADE: A-


one of my favourites   August 28, 2000
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

i read this book a number of years back & have to say among the few hundreds of books i've read in my lifetime this is one of my favorites. of course it harked back into my love of baseball & youth & how my friends & i used to create & manage imaginary leagues in our backyards w/ duct taped newspaper balls & wiffle bats. but i must say that more hit w/ this, at least from a creative level & entertainment i found it most fun & refreshing if that doesnt sound too corny. anyway, if you like baseball @ all, or just sports in general & also enjoy great writing & creativity i would highly recommend this...