The Man with Two Arms

In a style reminiscent of Mark Helprin, Lombardo layers a fabulous tale on top of our usual expectations and ends up with a yarn that infuses magic back onto the baseball field and extends it to the field of life. Released just as the real-world ambidextrous pitcher, Pat Venditte, started his climb to the majors, this story follows the birth and development of the perfectly symmetrical Danny Granville through his boyhood in Chicago into a hard throwing yet refreshingly good virtued big leaguer for the Cubs. While it sometimes borders on a paean to Chicago, it retains a universal appeal by expanding a love for the game into a palpable love for life. Granville's father works obsessively to develop his talented son into a perfectly balanced thrower and hitter. This even-handed nurturing leads to a remarkably poised and controlled ball player whose ambidexterity builds upon itself to amplify his already formidable talents. Any lover of the national pastime will relish the descriptions of Granville's throwing motion, the flow of his swing, and his understanding of the art of the game. Yet this tale is about more than baseball. As the playful title of the book alludes, "The Man with Two Arms" at first glance suggests a story of something superhuman, until read a second time when one realizes that it's merely describing a common human attribute through a lens that sees potential. Danny Granville's baseball balance may seem beyond our humble experience and grasp, but Lombardo suggests that achieving balance on and off the field leads to abilities that touch upon the mysteries of life. And it's in this realm that Lombardo deftly paints a portrait of the imperfect love that feeds us, guides us, fulfills us, rights our ship, and ultimately calls us beyond ourselves to the prescient acknowledgement of our role for others. It's a great book that continues to play itself out in extra innings in one's mind even days after completed. I wish I could share it with my baseball loving son, but unfortunately this is a book as mature in its language as it is in its thought, and so it remains a story confined to adults who have a love of the game.

The book arrived as soon after I ordered it as possible. I was really satisfied with the service and would use this seller, again!

In Chicago Henry Granville loves baseball to the point that of when no game is on or in town, he reads The Natural to his unborn child. His pregnant wife Lori thinks it is cute until May 15, 1984 when Danny is born. Henry begins a determined campaign to turn his offspring into a baseball player while overturning Lori's objections. Danny proves a phenomena as he can throw with both arms. Although childhood was hours of daily pitching ambidextrously, Danny signs with the Cubs who demonstrates a right handed skill equal to Seaver and a left handed ability compared with Koufax. Cub opponents especially on the road call him the Freak and his father a monster. As Danny falls in love with art instructor Brigit and finds another rare skill that of clairvoyance which will soon change his life in New York during a series with the Mets, he begins to doubt the Major Leagues is worth the cost to his family and himself. This is a super baseball story due to the strong characterizations as fans will believe Henry is a super switch-pitching "Freak" (no link to Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum except for both are great). The support cast, especially his family, Brigit, and his teammates and opponents augment the deep look at a young pitching phenomena who grew up with a baseball rather than a rattle. Harriet Klausner