Character Studies

Henry Wiggen, Roy Hobbs, J. Henry Waugh, Jack Keefe, and Joe Boyd.^* I can’t think of any more recognizable figures in baseball fiction. They are the iconic characters of the genre, just as Hercule Perot and Sherlock Holmes are identified with mysteries, and Holden Caufield and Captain Ahab stand out in general literature. I've decided to add a regular feature to the blog: discussions of characters that appear in baseball fiction, from the better-known protagonists to the supporting figures. The goal will be to shed some new light on the familiar faces-- those who hold the prominent role in their respective stories. And also provide insight into those come off the bench (to keep with the theme, here), but are just as important to the development and progression of the plot. I look forward to putting these together, particularly because I'll need to go back to books I haven't read in years and re-acquaint myself with their stories and characters.


^* Henry Wiggen (Bang the Drum Slowly, et.al.), Roy Hobbs (The Natural), J. Henry Waugh (The Universal Baseball Association), Jack Keefe (You Know Me Al), and Joe Boyd (The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant).