Calico Joe by John Grisham

In Calico Joe, the story revolves around a young boy, capital of Minnesota Tracey, the watchword of a professional baseball pitcher, and his awe over an upcoming rookie star and his relationship with his flummox. The unexampled switches back and forth between capital of Minnesotas young person in 1973 and his present in the early 2000s. In 1973 when Chicago Cubs player Jim Hickman injured his back, the Cubs call up Joe Castle, a for the outgrowth time baseman from the Cubs AA team, to play in the study(ip) leagues.At his first at bat, Castle summate a homerun and went on to hit 2 more homeruns and a perfect bunt to end the support with a win. Castles proscribedstanding first game draws the attention of every Ameri butt end, especially that of capital of Minnesota Tracey, becoming his new baseball grinder. Castle continues to amaze everyone when he hits homerun after homerun, steals base after base, and wins his team game, after game. In just a few games, Castle breaks more rookie records than rough(prenominal) other baseball player.A few of these records include the most consecutive hits at 15 straight hits, the most back-to-back stolen bases, and tying the record for most homeruns in a first game. By his third or fourth game, everyone in America was tuning into the Cubs game on their radios, watching replays of Joes amazing at-bats, and crowding around any store that had a radio or television in its window.Back at the Tracey familys house, all is non well for capital of Minnesota or the outride of the family. warren Tracey, Pauls perplex and pitcher for the new-made York Mets, has a declining cargoner as a major league baseball player, losing the Mets game after game and forcing them to sink lower and lower in the National League rankings.After each game warren loses, he goes erupt drinking all night, often non coming home until very early in the morning, too drunk to function. Whenever rabbit warren came home drunk, he would often yell at his wife and parry Paul. On rabbit warrens stumble days, he would go to watch Pauls little league games, only tom strike hard Paul and yell at everyone for everything they were doing wrong.On most occasions where his father accompanied his games, Paul would leave the game crying because his father had yelled at him or hit him after the game. As Calico Joe continued to grow in fame, he caught the center of rabbit warren Tracey, and Warren had now made a target out of Joe.It would only be a matter of time in front the Cubs would meet the Mets for a series game. In August, 1973, the Cubs met the Mets in Shea Stadium, New York for a game that would variegate the lives of both Warren and Joe. Paul attended the game with his mother off of free tickets that Warren had given them in reconciliation for hitting Paul. Warren was the jump pitcher for the Mets that day and does not he razzate to cause trouble on the mound. At Joes first at-bat against Warren, he swings at two and misses, gets deuce-ace balls called for him, and fouls off eight consecutive pitches before hitting an out of the park homerun.Warren Tracey saw this as an attack against him and would be looking for vengeance on his succeeding(prenominal) at-bat. At Joes next at-bat, Warren tramps two outside pitches, provided the third pitch is directly on course for Joes head, hitting him in the eye, cracking his skull, and breaking his jaw. Joe remained unconscious on the field for 30 minutes before the ambulance got there with Warren standing on the mound smiling. The entire hoidenish was take aback and enraged when they heard the news that Calico Joe had been hit by a career-ending domed stadiumball. When people got news of who hit the star rookie player, death threats poured into Pauls house telephone. For the next two games in the series against the Mets, Cubs players charged the mound, beating up Warren and other players on the Cubs team.Warren denied the fact that he had designedly hit Jo e and his career spiraled go acrossward. Warren never pitched the same again and was dropped from the Mets into their AAA team and eventually down to their AA team. After a month of universe in a coma, Joe finally woke up, unable to ever play another game of baseball. Joe had lost eighty percent of his vision in his right eye and sustained somewhat minor brain damage.A few months later, Joe has a stroke that leaves the left side of his body partially paralyzed, forcing him to retire for good. For years after the incident, Joe lives the purport of a cripple in his home town of Calico Rock, argon under the protection of his brothers. Thirty years go by and Paul is bad up with a wife and two kids. Warren Tracey left the family years before and has gone through 4 wives since then,marrying only for money and lust.In another tone-beginning at fame, Warren tries golfing, winning only one tournament in Florida. Tracey is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and his health is deteriorating very cursorily. Paul goes to visit him in his Florida home, not because he is concerned with his health, but because he has one brave request before his father dies. Paul asks Warren to travel with him to Calico Rock, Arkansas to run into amends with Joe and shake hands and apologize.After several days of yelling, arguing, and threatening blackmail, Warren warms up to the image and goes with Paul to visit Joe. When they arrive in Calico Rock, they are greeted by Joes friend Clarence Rook who takes them to the field Joe looks after.Warren finally has the chance to apologize to Joe, and surprisingly is sincere and means it. Joe ultimately forgives Warren for ending his undimmed career and they shake hands and take pictures afterwards. A couple years after that, Warren finally succumbs to the pancreatic cancer and dies at the age of 76.A midget funeral is held but very few people show up. To Pauls surprise, in the middle of the ministers sermon, Joe and his two brothers walk in a nd sit next to Joe. After all that Warren had done to Joe, Joe still goes to his funeral to pay his respects. After the funeral the Castle brothers talk with Paul and want him to publish the story rough the truth behind Warren beaning Joe and the story of their reconciliation in Calico Rock, Arkansas.Important CharactersPaul TraceyAt parts in the story, Paul Tracey is an 11 year old boy and son of Warren Tracey. Like his father, Paul has a passion for baseball and is a fairly skilled player in his communitys little league. As a boy, Paul is physically abused every time he does something wrong in any of his games, getting beat the moment they get home. Paul is also verbally abused by his father, sometimes even getting cussed out on the field. At other parts in the story, Paul Tracey is a middle-aged man in his 40s. With a father dying from pancreatic cancer, Paul feels forced to go visit him consequently, influencing his father to do work amends with the man whose career his fathe r ended.Warren TraceyAt parts in the story, Warren Tracey is a 34 year old voyageman for the New York Mets. Warren Tracey plays off the old rules of baseball and plays a mean-spirited game of baseball whenever he does play. As a regular drunk, Warren abuses alcohol, his wife, and his son, Paul Tracey. In one pitch, Warren ends the assure career of a record breaking rookie by hitting him in the head, knocking him into a coma. Soon afterwards, Warren loses his ability to pitch and finds himself out of the game with no job. He eventually does reconcile with Joe after being blackmailed by his son and being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Warren dies at the end of the novel at 76 years old.Joe CastleJoe Castle was a rookie baseball player for the Cubs AA team before he saw an opportunity to become a star when the Cubs first baseman injured his back. Joe became a baseball legend when he broke a record in his first game in the major leagues and went on to break several more. At the hei ght of his rookie career, his career was suddenly ended when he took a pitch to the head. Joe went into a coma for a month before waking up with partial vision and permanent brain damage. After his stay in the hospital Joe retreated to his hometown of Calico Rock, Arkansas where he was the groundskeeper for the field the town had built and named after him. Joe agreed to meet with the man who ended his career and forgave him for everything he had done and even attended the mans funeral.Hero/HeroineJoe Castle, nicknamed Calico Joe is the hero of this novel. Joe Castle wowed the crowd in each of his appearances on the field and won the hearts of most Americans. In his journey to fame, Joe never let the fame get to him and although he did get cocky at times, he never seemed overly arrogant or overly proud to anyone but Warren Tracey. When Joes career was ended shortly by Warren Traceys bean ball to the head, he did not blame anything on him or call Warren out in any way.Joe was always s incere about everything after the incident and looked at his life with only positive thoughts. When Warren finally comes to apologize, Joe accepts his apology and forgives him without any hesitation. When Warren dies of pancreaticcancer, Joe treats him as an old friend and travels all the way to Florida to attend the funeral. In the novel, Joe truly is a hero to the American people, Paul, and eventually, Warren Tracey.Main ConflictIn Calico Joe, there the main conflict is a man vs. man type of conflict between Paul Tracey and his dad, Warren. In Warrens eyes, Paul was always a failure and could never do anything right. Warren would scream at him during Pauls little league games, criticize his every move, and beat him for what he did wrong when they got home. In Warrens later years the role reverses and Paul blackmails Warren into doing what he wants and refuses to accept Warren as his father. Paul and Warren did not have a very healthy father-son relationship and during parts of bot h their lives, they were miserable.SettingCalico Joe takes place in both 1973 during some parts of the novel, and the early 2000s during other parts. It is set in America, bouncing around different parts of the eastern half of the country, including Shea Stadium in New York, Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, Calico Rock, Arkansas, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Florida.Significant QuotesNeither my sister nor my mother precious to be bothered by the news either. The big decision was whether to go to Warrens funeral, not how quickly we could arrive to his bedside. But I knew I needed to see him again. We still had some unfinished business before he died. Paul Tracey This quote both sets up some foreshadowing to what is going to happen to Warren and it shows how weak the relationship between Warren and the rest of his family truly is.Warren didnt come to my college graduation or my wedding. But when I heard about his cancer I went to see him one last time. Paul Tracey Even though Warren wanted nothing to do with Paul after his career had ended, Paul still made attempts to have his father be a part of his life, but this will be his last attempt.In Joes second at bat my father beaned him. I can still hear the sound of the ball hitting his helmet today. Joe collapsed in a heap and he didnt get up. Then I saw my fathersmile. Paul Tracey This shows that it was no happening that Warren Tracey hit Joe in the head when he stepped up to the plate the second time. Warren sick, twisted rules of baseball taught him to bean the batter for hitting a homerun and showing up the pitcher.Over the following months it became obvious that the incident had had an effect on Warren Tracey. He performed terribly and was quickly pitching himself out of the rotation. He was a toxic influence and was hated in every ballpark. Paul Tracey The guilt of intentionally hitting Joe to knock him down and take him out of baseball was getting to Warren and causing him to play bad, however, Warren c ontinued to lie even after he had been dropped from the major leagues.It was the first time in years that he seemed to care about my family. He told me that he had just tried to call my sister as well. I knew that he was finally starting to face death Paul TraceyWarren only tries to get his family back when he knows that he is going to die soon. Nonetheless, Warren does shit attempts to make amends with his family and Joe before he passes.Just before the service started I was shocked to see the three Castle brothers walk in and sit in the last pew. Paul Tracey This shows that Joe had truly forgiven Warren for ending his career and now saw him as a close friend.ForeshadowingThe very beginning of the novel discusses Warren Traceys diagnosis of having pancreatic cancer, so, we are forced to foreshadow that this will cause complications later in the novel. Also in the beginning, Paul says that his dad would throw a pitch that would change the history of baseball forever. This leaves many different possibilities as to where the story crimp could go and we are forced to foreshadow and think of where it mogul go.Novels ConclusionI was very surprised at the novels ending. First of all, I did not think that Paul was going to be able to deviate both his father and the Castle brothers into having Warren visit Joe in Calico Rock to apologize and ask forgiveness. The Castle brothers thought it was a great idea and once Warren knew he was going to die soon, he wanted to make amends. I was alsosurprised when Warren said that he wanted Paul to publish the truth about him beaning Joe Castle. All of his life, Warren denied that he had intentionally hit Joe in the head, but then wants everyone to know. Lastly, I was very shocked that Joe and his two brothers traveled all the way to Florida for Warren Traceys funeral after knowing Warren for only a short amount of time.Meet a CharacterIf I could meet any one character in the book, I would want to meet Joe Castle. I used to p lay baseball for seven years and I know the game really well. I have met a couple Angels baseball players before, but I think it would be really cool to meet a rookie record breaker. Everyone in America loved Joe Castle, not only because of his extreme talent in baseball, but also for his natural charm and personality. If I did meet him, I would probably congratulate him on everything that he had done in baseball and feel bad for the accident he had been in.Reaction to the NovelI normally never like reading novels however, I really enjoyed reading this novel. I thought it had a very clear story line that was easy to follow and was very well written. It also helped that I was familiar with baseball, the major theme/topic of the novel. Reading this novel has definitely given me some thought into reading some of his other novels in the future.