The Pitcher by William Hazelgrove

Ricky Hernandez is a young Mexican boy who has a dream of becoming a major league pitcher. But first he needs to make the high school team. He is able to deliver a fast ball, but he has no control. Ricky's mom, Maria, is a very strong minded woman, and does her best to coach Ricky and help him make the team. She is struggling with health issues - she has Lupus. She has no health insurance and is going without medical treatment. Ricky and his mom are struggling financially. He has a loser for a father, who only comes around when he needs money. He sometimes physically abuses his mom, and Ricky has lost all respect for him.

Maria wants to see her son's dream come true. She approaches a retired major league pitcher to coach her son. Jack Langford pitched in the World Series in 1978 and won the Series. But, the pitcher doesn't want to coach Ricky. All he does is watch TV and drink beer, wallowing in self pity and drowning in his sorrows. He lives in a garage and passes out from drinking so much. What happened to Jack Langford, the pitcher? Where did all the greatness go? The pitcher finally, but reluctantly, agrees to help Ricky and prepare him to try out for the team. He tells Ricky he has talent, but no drive. And the story unfolds ---

This is a simple story, but a story with a lot of depth that leaves you with a warm feeling. Ricky is an endearing character who will capture your heart. The Pitcher is a relaxed read that unfolds into a predictable, but happy ending. My rating is 4 stars.

The release date for this book is September 1, 2013.

I received an Early Reviewers Copy from Library Thing and Koehler Books in exchange for an honest review of this book.