The Man with Two Arms-Billy Lombardo

The Man with Two Arms
Billy Lombardo
Overlook, Feb 4 2010, $24.95
ISBN 9781590203071

In Chicago Henry Granville loves baseball to the point that of when no game is on or in town, he reads The Natural to his unborn child. His pregnant wife Lori thinks it is cute until May 15, 1984 when Danny is born. Henry begins a determined campaign to turn his offspring into a baseball player while overturning Lori's objections. Danny proves a phenomena as he can throw with both arms.

Although childhood was hours of daily pitching ambidextrously, Danny signs with the Cubs who demonstrates a right handed skill equal to Seaver and a left handed ability compared with Koufax. Cub opponents especially on the road call him the Freak and his father a monster. As Danny falls in love with art instructor Brigit and finds another rare skill that of clairvoyance which will soon change his life in New York during a series with the Mets, he begins to doubt the Major Leagues is worth the cost to his family and himself.

This is a super baseball story due to the strong characterizations as fans will believe Henry is a super switch-pitching "Freak" (no link to Cy Young winner (with no link to Tim Lincecum except for are great). The support cast, especially his family, Brigit, and his teammates and opponents augment the deep look at a young pitching phenomena who grew up with a baseball rather than a rattle.

Harriet Klausner