Howie Traveler, manager of the Cleveland Indians, and his Cuban-American star player, Jay Alcazar, have little interaction off the field until Traveler witnesses an encounter between Alcazar and a woman that ends in a rape charge.
“In men like Traveler and Alcazar we find the beating heart and struggling soul of baseball...”—Jeff MacGregor, Sports Illustrated; author of Sunday Money
Howie Traveler never made it as a player—his one major league hit and .091 batting average attest to that. He was cursed with that worst of professional maladies, the ill fortune of almost. Now after years of struggling up the coaching ladder, Howie’s finally been given his shot: as manager of the Cleveland Indians. But America’s pastime has changed. Whether Howie can spot a small flaw in a batter’s swing won’t matter if he can’t manage his superstar outfielder Jay Alcazar, a slugger with enormous talent (and an ego to match). No crisis on the field fazes Jay and no woman off the field ever rejects him. But one night at the hotel Howie sees something at Jay’s door he wishes he hadn’t...and it leaves Howie with an impossible choice. From six-time National Sportswriter of the Year and NPR commentator Frank Deford comes a richly detailed, page-turning tale that takes you deep into America’s game. From the dugouts to the tabloid scandals, from the lights of the field to the glare of the media, The Entitled is the great novel of baseball’s modern era.
“The Entitled is a baseball masterpiece, like The Natural and Field of Dreams; the difference is the plot and the characters depict the true inside world of baseball. Frank Deford writes like he played in the majors for ten years. If you have a passion for baseball, this is a must read.”—Mike Schmidt, Baseball Hall of Fame
“Frank Deford is not just an immensely talented sportswriter, he’s an immensely talented American writer. The Entitled is his wise and pleasurable portrait of a Willy Loman-like baseball manager finally getting his chance in the Bigs late in his career.”—David Halberstam
“Engrossing...Readers are exposed to a richly textured understanding of baseball and, no less, of estrangement, ambition, mendacity and the search for one’s destiny—notwithstanding the cost in human or financial terms.”—Library Journal
“I loved The Entitled and could not put it down. It was a great read from start to finish with characters that reminded me of the many people I’ve known and played with—pure baseball.”––Lou Piniella, Manager, Chicago Cubs
“ The Entitled contains all of the keen insider knowledge one expects of America’s premier sports journalist. It also displays Frank Deford’s gifts for dialogue and intricate plotting and his poignant grasp of character. It proves once again that Deford can play at the highest level in any league.”—Michael Mewshaw, author of Year of the Gun
“Deford scores another hit with this novel of athletes behaving badly...tackles timely and provocative issues without flinching.”—Publishers Weekly
