"Frank Deford is not just an immensely talented sportswriter, he's an immensely talented American writer. The Entitled is his wise and pleasurable portrait of a Willy Loman-like baseball manager finally getting his chance in the Bigs late in his career."
-David Halberstam, Pulitzer Prize-winning Author
Award-winning sports writer Frank Deford has covered every angle in athletics during his 50 year career. In today’s Free Friday’s selection, The Entitled, Deford turns his considerable talents to a fictional tale that mirrors the fascinating complexities of modern day Major League Baseball.
Howie Traveler never made it as a player—his one major league hit and .091 batting average attest to that. He was cursed with that worst of professional maladies, the ill fortune of ‘almost.’
Now after years of struggling up the coaching ladder, Howie's finally been given his shot: as manager of the Cleveland Indians. But America's pastime has changed. Whether Howie can spot a small flaw in a batter's swing won't matter if he can't manage his superstar outfielder Jay Alcazar, a slugger with enormous talent (and an ego to match).
No crisis on the field fazes Jay and no woman off the field ever rejects him. But one night at the hotel Howie sees something at Jay's door he wishes he hadn't...and it leaves Howie with an impossible choice.
Deford’s richly detailed, page-turning tale takes you deep into America's game. From the dugouts to the tabloid scandals, from the lights of the field to the glare of the media, The Entitled is the great novel of baseball's modern era.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what Frank recommends:
The book I would suggest is THE BEAUTY AND THE SORROW: An Intimate History of the First World War, by Peter Englund.
As the centennial of The Great War approaches, as we learn all the more about what a stupid and useless conflict it was –– especially since all it accomplished was to give us the Second World War –– this book shows more vividly than any other I've read the horrible true nature of those futile years of carnage. Englund gives us a variety show of hell.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Frank Deford” to download his impressive output of sports stories—both true and imagined.
Though I am not familar with this week's selection, I love baseball and I love to read, so I'm definitely willing to give it a try. After all, you can't beat the price! Thanks Jeremy and B&N for widening my reading horizons! 
Thanks once again to Spec and Butterflly13 for the additonal lists, and I'm also looking forward to seeing what JfroJeff may have for us this week!
