I thoroughly enjoyed reading EMPTY SEATS by Wanda Fischer. The book is about three hometown high-school baseball heroes from different states, Jimmy, Bobby, and Bud, who find that life will not be as easy as they thought after being drafted by the Montreal Expos in the 1970s. They are pitchers who joined others playing for a Single-A ball club in Jamestown, New York. They were all starters back home, but here, they found others better qualified and joined others with the same aspirations as them. The road to the big leagues was going to be way more difficult than they imagined.

The story continued through their first season and then followed them individually through the off-season. The characters are well-developed and likable. Each goes his own way and encounters life-altering events. Their decisions will pave the way for their future.

I thought the story was compelling and entertaining, pulling me in from the very first page. There are twists and turns within this story of male bonding and friendship.

I thought the story was well-written but would have liked to see Jimmy's story continue to see where his path finally led him. I'd highly recommend EMPTY SEATS for readers 12 and up. ( )

Book blurb: They were all stars in their hometowns. Then they were drafted to play minor league ball, thinking it would be an easy ride to playing in the big time. Little did they know that they'd be vying for a spot with every other talented kid who aspired to play professional baseball. Young, inexperienced, immature, and without the support of their families and friends, they're often faced with split-second decisions. Not always on the baseball diamond.

My review: This is the story of three young men, Jimmy, Bud and Bobby, playing minor league baseball, and their ups and downs during that time. One thing I enjoyed about the book is the feature of short chapters, a la James Patterson. This resulted in a quicker read, making it easier to pick it right back up when I found it necessary to put it down. That being said, Empty Seats was indeed a page-turner. The stories were well told, and intersected nicely. There was a lot of back story to Jimmy, but it was Bobby who really got to me. He grew on me, just in time to break my heart.

Another factor that I have to appreciate about the book is that it is sports fiction, something that I would not have ordinarily chosen to read. This is something that I enjoy about reviewing, the ability to step out of the proverbial box. But, I had forgotten how much I love baseball! How exciting it was to read this book! Sometimes it made me feel like I was right there. If you are now or ever have been, a baseball fan, then this book will no doubt resonate with you. If you like a good story with characters that you will be drawn to, then this book will be for you too. Wanda Adams Fischer writes a terrific debut novel, one that I was completely invested in. ( )

This was a dip into a new genre for me, and considering I'm not an avid sports fan, I was happily surprised.

Taking place in the 1970's, this is a book about several 'boys' entering the AA league. They come with high hopes and from very different pasts, but all dream of success and a life of baseball. But the dream isn't what they expected. Troubles and unexpected situations not only throw tough curve balls at them but might be more than some can handle.

Baseball drips from every page, and it is good that way. This book takes a look at the players, letting the characters take center light and draw the reader in. Each character has their very own reason for being there and each one carries their very own problems and pasts. I was amazed at the diversity in these pages, and it's this depth which makes it a good read.

While the sport comes to life in all of its excitement, frustration, pain and detailed moments, it's the human aspect which makes this tale shine. The emotions come across real and the decisions are understandable. Friendships form, inspiring ones. And others drift away. It's more than a sports read; it's a read about trails in life. ( )

A Fan’s View of the Pressure Cooker that Is Professional Baseball

With so many excellent books on baseball written by veteran players and coaches, you might wonder why you’d read one by a spectator? And admittedly, sometimes the thoughts or words of the fictional characters in Empty Seats sound a bit more like the hyperbole of a fan than the analysis of a player, e.g., “Bobby sends a fireball his way, and slugger-boy doesn’t even see it until it’s landed in Russ’s mitt and the umpire calls it.” But the story’s not about baseball strategy or history; it’s about broader themes in life. One, for example, is the sense of belonging provided by sports. When the team wanted to visit an injured player and the hospital was limiting visitors to family members, one coach summed it up well, saying, “Can’t chew see that we come from the same mother? Mother beisbol!”

But the themes pivotal in the story are those magnified by the pressure cooker that is professional sports. How do you handle the mental stress of going from being the best in your hometown to just another kid trying to make the big leagues? Where do you find the drive to maintain the demands of training – in yourself? In the expectations and needs of others? What is your Plan B, if baseball doesn’t work out? It is among these themes that Empty Seats makes its twists and turns, some surprising but all feeling real.

For my tastes, the ‘redemption’ scenes were a bit too syrupy and some of the seedier aspects of the game came across as bland. For example, what appeared a serious addiction from the perspective of one player’s behavior was based on his craving for a few beers. The story could have been edgier with ease. The characters tended toward stereotypes, especially in the secondary figures. And finally, the repetition of certain events was an issue, particularly toward the end of the book. There were too many instances where the reader was part of a scene and then later, heard one or more characters describe it to one or two others.

Overall, you don’t have to be a fan of baseball to enjoy Empty Seats. Its messages apply anywhere a person pushes him- or her- self beyond the norm. ( )

The ending of Empty Seats by Wanda Adams Fischer is so different from the beginning, it almost reads like a separate book. The novel starts out as a story about baseball. Here's a quote from Jimmy Bailey's first chance to pitch for the Jamestown Falcons, a single A team in the Montreal Expos system. He's a relief pitcher, showing his coaches what he's got in a scrimmage with Geneva, another single A team.

Russ calls for a fastball. I lean down, coddle the ball, rock back on the pitching rubber, pull my left foot up in a perpendicular motion, bring my right arm back, and fire.

There's careful detail in this writing and, when Jimmy's team is fighting to win, the book gets very exciting. You don't have to be a baseball fan to feel it.

Then the season ends and the three main characters head back to their families. These are Bobby, Bud, and Jimmy, all pitchers trying to work their way up from single A. Here the book changes to a story of young men dealing with the problems life hands them in their own ways, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Baseball has very little to do with this part of the novel, although they still encounter fans from their high school days, still have to deal with their own dreams, and still keep in touch with each other. Here's a quote from this section. This one is also from Jimmy.

Yes, Bud, you are my friend.
You're the real deal.
The peacemaker.
The leader.
My friend.

The description of what it was like to be a young, minor-league baseball player in the early seventies was my favorite aspect of this novel. I had a little trouble transitioning to the tone of the second part, but both sections were well written and exciting.

Steve Lindahl – author of Motherless Soul, White Horse Regressions, Hopatcong Vision Quest, and Under a Warped Cross. ( )