Good Enough to Dream
by Roger Kahn
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Roger Kahn's first major league hit was a grand slam: The Boys of Summer, his runaway bestseller that immortalized the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers. Now Kahn does the same for players whose moment in the sun has not yet arrived. Good Enough to Dream is the story of his year as owner of the Class A, very minor league Utica Blue Sox. Most of the Blue Sox will never make it to the majors, but they all share the dream that links the small child in the sandlot with the bonus baby who has just smacked show more one out of the stadium. It's a dream Kahn learned from his father and, in the course of a season, passes on to his daughter--hours of practice for a moment of poetry; a hard living but a touch of legend. Good Enough to Dream presents baseball unadorned, a game still sweet enough to lure grown men to leagues where first-class transportation is an old school bus and the infield is likely to be the consistency of thick soup. It is a funny and poignant story of one season and one special team that will make us hesitate before we ever call anything "bush league" again. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Roger Kahn takes the reader into the heart of small-town America in the days when baseball was still considered “America’s pastime.” He provides a glimpse into the workings of a minor league baseball team, the Utica Blue Sox, in upstate New York, which was in the “A” league and had no parent team. Kahn relates his experience as the owner-general manager, and the many challenges of working on the ownership side of a struggling team. He also delves into the lives of several players and the reception the team receives from residents of Utica. Themes include dreams, goals, community, resilience, and perseverance.
Kahn discusses baseball as a symbol of hope and opportunity, while not ignoring the obvious fact that most minor show more leaguers never make it to the major leagues, and it was even more difficult for anyone on an independent minor league team. Kahn is a great storyteller. His writing is a blend of anecdotes and astute observations. Published in 1985, it is a bit of a period piece, as there have been many changes to the way teams are run since this book was written. It is nostalgic, humorous, and a pleasure to read. I can see why this book is considered a classic of sports literature. show less
Kahn discusses baseball as a symbol of hope and opportunity, while not ignoring the obvious fact that most minor show more leaguers never make it to the major leagues, and it was even more difficult for anyone on an independent minor league team. Kahn is a great storyteller. His writing is a blend of anecdotes and astute observations. Published in 1985, it is a bit of a period piece, as there have been many changes to the way teams are run since this book was written. It is nostalgic, humorous, and a pleasure to read. I can see why this book is considered a classic of sports literature. show less
A Solid Triple: Roger Kahn's lyrical narrative is not a page turner. Rather it slowly sucks you into the story with wonderful analogies, good charachter description and a flat out good sports story to tell.
It is the story of a baseball dreamer who decides to explore the sport first had running a bankrupt team in habited by an interesting roster of charachters. Whats great is that the author seems to know going in, that the business, money, and personell side of baseball will be a rough ride that might tarnish his school boy image of the sport. But he takes the plunge anyway _ almost as if saying I love this sport so much I want to see it all _ good bad and funny.
It has a happy ending too.
It is the story of a baseball dreamer who decides to explore the sport first had running a bankrupt team in habited by an interesting roster of charachters. Whats great is that the author seems to know going in, that the business, money, and personell side of baseball will be a rough ride that might tarnish his school boy image of the sport. But he takes the plunge anyway _ almost as if saying I love this sport so much I want to see it all _ good bad and funny.
It has a happy ending too.
A good book about a season in the minor league of baseball, where glory is fleeting and hardship is great.
OK. It was good & readable. I just didn't like Kahn all that much.
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Author Information
28+ Works 3,040 Members
Roger Kahn is a visiting lecturer on creative writing at the State University of New York at New Paltz.
Awards and Honors
Awards
Classifications
- Genres
- Sports and Leisure, Nonfiction, General Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir
- DDC/MDS
- 796.357 — Arts & recreation Recreation, sports, and performing arts Athletic and outdoor sports and games Ball sports Ball and stick sports Baseball
- LCC
- GV865 .K24 .A34 — Geography, Anthropology and Recreation Recreation. Leisure Recreation. Leisure Sports Ball games: Baseball, football, golf, etc.
- BISAC
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- 178
- Popularity
- 183,080
- Reviews
- 5
- Rating
- (4.15)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 4
- ASINs
- 5
