Lefty O' The Training Camp

Snowbound train cars and a troubled ballclub frame this tense baseball novel, where a hard-eyed debate over corruption, honesty, and the soul of the game quickly becomes personal. When quiet young pitcher Tom Locke, known as Lefty, finally speaks up against two cynical critics, he exposes himself as a proud defender of organized baseball and a man unwilling to let slander go unanswered. His confrontation with the hostile Nelson Savage leaves him shaken, but it also sets in motion a deeper crisis. Summoned by manager Jack Kennedy to a farm in Deering, Lefty learns that star first baseman Spider Grant is gravely ill and that the Blue Stockings must rebuild before the season begins. As Kennedy searches for a first baseman and reliable pitching, Lefty champions the inexperienced Gene Temple. Yet the real threat may be Savage himself: the same blustering minor leaguer from the train, now hiding behind a different name and showing signs of an uncanny ability to make pitches seem invisible. With reporter Jack Stillman drawn into the mystery, the club turns from ordinary scouting to a psychological battle over temper, talent, and the possibility of something far stranger than a bad arm. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.