The Happy Hurler

About the Book

THE HAPPY HURLER Joe Bronk is a relief pitcher for the Metro Birds, a major league baseball team playing in the Bronx, New York City. Not blessed with a 95 mile an hour fastball or a sharp curveball, Joe relies on trickery, His go-to pitch is the spitball, an illegal pitch that some umpires tolerate. In an era with a jacked-up baseballs and shortened fences, the fans side with pitchers. The latter subject their elbows and shoulders to stress Mother Nature never intended. Like many relief pitchers, Joe is an oddball – reading novels and writing in notebooks while waiting to be called on to quell a rally and save the game. Joe and his girlfriend, Mona, help rookie catcher, Lee Wakum, struggling with depression. Bronk’s Gambit is some trickery Joe pulls from time to time. The catcher calls for the spitter, Joe claps his glove on his left knee, runs his hand on his wet hair, surreptitiously dries his hand on his glove, and then throws a fastball – catching the hitter offbalance.

About the Author

The author grew up on Staten Island – attending CCNY, Johns Hopkins University, and NYU earning BS, MAT, and PhD degrees respectively. He taught physics and mathematics many years in the high school and junior college levels. As a teacher, he tried to make abstract principles concrete by connecting them to everyday life. Ideally, the student should come away with essential information and the ability to solve problems, think rationally, and act ethically. The author has written the following nonfiction books: Apples and Oranges, Mathematical Concepts , and A Brief Guide to Philosophy. His novels include: 1950s-1960s Fable, 1960s-1970s Fable, The Mariners Harbor Messiah, Blue Collar Folks, The Pulaski Prowler, Love in the Days of Covid-20, The Maiden Maverick, The Elm Park Time Travelers, Red Planet Settlers, and The Happy Hurler.