Bennie the Talking Baseball shares with the readers what it's like to be the ball at a big league game between two bitter rivals. A cute slightly humorous story filled with many facts about the "grand old game."
Bennie the Talking Baseball shares with the readers what it's like to be the ball at a big league game between two bitter rivals. A cute slightly humorous story filled with many facts about the "grand old game."
Hi, What's your name? Where are you from? I'm glad to meet you. Well, today is the big day. Are you excited? I bet you are. I know I sure am. I can't wait for the game to start. I guess I should introduce myself. I am the Rawlings Official Major League Baseball or ROMLB short, and I am the narrator of story. My friends call me Bennie.
Where am I from, you ask? I'll be happy to tell you. In the big inning. Oh, wait! I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm really excited about the game, you see. I meant to say, in the beginning. The beginning of me, that is to say. I'm only one of the 2.2 million Major League baseballs produced each year.
I am the All-American kid...I mean ball... for the All-American game. Well not exactly. We (my friends and I) are actually made in Costa Rica. However, the parts all come from America. My center is a small rubber ball with a cork center (my heart) which comes from Mississippi. Yarn, twine and string from Vermont. I start out as a small rubber ball. Then approximately one mile of string is spun very tightly around the rubber ball. This is done by machine to keep the string consistently tight.
Next, my shiny white cover is sewn around the string. My cover is made of leather from Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. The leather is tanned in Tennessee. My cover is sewn around me with 108 red stitches. This procedure can be done only by hand. It can't be done by machine. The human race can put a man on the moon, but cannot make a machine that can properly stitch a baseball. Go figure.
It takes approximately 20 minutes to make each baseball. It takes 10 minutes to wind the string and be stamped with the MLB logo. Then the stitching process takes about ten minutes. After that, it takes a few hours for the logo to dry depending on the weather. Costa Rica is in Central America, South of Mexico, where the weather is usually hot and humid at the Rawlings factory. So, let's do some simple math. If we multiply 2,200,000 balls by twenty minutes for each ball, we get 44,000,000. Divide by 60 to get hours and that equals 733,333 hours and 20 minutes. My brain is hurting from all this math. Can we please change the subject.
Now I'm ready to go! Well, not quite. Due to the drying time for some glues used to secure the string to my center, I must spend another week in Costa Rica. Then I'm put in a box that holds a dozen balls. That's twelve balls if you weren't able to figure out the last problem. Four balls wide by three balls deep (4x3), or is it three balls wide by four balls deep (3x4)? My brain is starting to hurt again. Wait! I don't have a brain, just a heart. Remember?
Now my box, along with lots of others will go the warehouse awaiting our trip to the Major League Baseball stadiums in the United States and Canada.
It’s root, root, root for the home team as rock ‘n roll and baseball join forces in this ebullient and effervescent story by ace author Stefan Mathis.
This charming story introduces us to a Rawlings Official Major League Baseball - ROMLB for short – and Bennie’s quest to wind up in a loving home. An “all-American kid,” Bennie is a talking baseball and one of 2.2 million major league baseballs produced every year. And he has plenty to say in this delightful read that brims with wit and warmth.
Among other things, Bennie walks readers through how and where major league baseballs are constructed and materials used. “The human race can put a man on the moon,” he observes, “but cannot make a machine that can properly stitch a baseball.” Who knew?
Bennie is eventually shipped to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. “The Trop” is home to the Tampa Bay Rays. Bennie explains two ways you can get an ROMLB. How to stay safe when catching a foul ball at a major league (or any other) stadium. The best place to sit to increase your chances of getting a foul ball. The difference between a minor league ball and a major league ball. Lots more!
By the way, did you know that every game-ready baseball in the MLB has been hand-rubbed with mud before each game? Do you know why? Or who “the General” is? You will after reading this delightful book! It also covers baseball basics and history in a vivid and vivacious manner. Like scoring. Hits and runs. Innings. The 7th inning stretch. Umpires. Section seating. A “relief ace.” Kerplunk! Pitcher’s duels. “Three times lucky.” The rays tank. And if you see what looks like a giant orange when you’re flying into or out of the Tampa Bay area, you’ll know why if you read this book.
There’s even a “cameo” by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. (“I love rock and roll, put another dime in the jukebox, baby…”) That “joined forces” thing. You’ll get that if you read the book.
For those of us who love baseball, A Ball’s Game hits a home run. The writing style is dynamic and lively. The story is structurally sound, with a distinct beginning, middle, and end. The tone is light, upbeat, and eminently engaging. It’s a clever blend of information and entertainment.
But you don’t have to be a baseball aficionado to enjoy this creative and catchy read. Anyone who appreciates a rich and whimsical story will want to buy some peanuts and crackerjack and not care if they ever get back from this old ball game!
Batter up!
My Rating: 4.5