The Big Field

Mike Lupica started writing about sports for The New York Daily News in 1977. While he covers many sports—from football to figure skating—Lupica admits, “My three favorite sports are baseball, baseball, and baseball” (Lupica, Mike. Shooting From the Lip: Essays, Columns, Quips, and Gripes in the Grand Tradition of Dyspeptic Sports Writing. Bonus Books, 1988. p. 41). Lupica’s adoration of baseball manifests in Hutch. The narrator says, “[N]obody [Hutch] knew followed baseball the way he did” (15). Lupica uses Hutch to teach readers about the history of baseball. The reader learns about past legends like Joe DiMaggio, Bob Gibson, and recent icons like Derek Jeter—the Yankees’ Hall of Fame shortstop. As a New York–based columnist, Lupica focuses on the Yankees, so Lupica and Hutch are fans of the franchise that has won more World Series tournaments (27) than any other Major League team.

Lupica’s other baseball novels for young readers are similar to The Big Field. In Heat (2006), the protagonist’s father plays a key role. After Michael’s dad dies, people begin to question his age—they don’t think a 12-year-old can throw as hard as Michael can. Through teamwork, Michael gets a birth certificate and the chance to handle The Hopes and Pressures of Young Athletes. While Hutch and Darryl help lead their team to Roger Dean Stadium, Michael leads his Little League team to Yankee Stadium. As in The Big Field, the Yankees have a presence.

Father figures are also important in The Batboy (2010). Brian, the main character who becomes the batboy for the Detroit Tigers, doesn’t see his dad because his parents divorced, and his dad coaches baseball in Japan. Brain’s favorite player on the Tigers, Hank Bishop, becomes a father figure/friend instead. As with Carl and Hutch––and Hutch and Darryl––Brian and Hank’s relationship has ups and downs.