Dad, Are You Pumped?

Book excerpt: Marc Appleman and his 12-year-old son Michael hit the highway on an awesome baseball road trip! Over two weeks, two countries, eight states, and 3,000 miles, the father-son team goes to eight games in six stadiums and visits the baseball, hockey and pro football halls of fame. On a trip filled with adventures, Michael catches balls in Montreal, Detroit and Cleveland. They have a blast sitting with the Bleacher Bums at Wrigley, and they become friends with some diehard Indians fans at Jacobs Field. A highlight of the trip is the induction ceremony of Marc's mentor and good friend, the late sportswriter Joe Falls, at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. But their trip is about a lot more than baseball. It is hot dogs, pizzas, laughs, talks, adventures, and misadventures-the stuff that memories are made of. Dad, Are You Pumped? is about three generations connected by baseball, and how a special game becomes intertwined with family, friendships, and a career.