One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season
"One Shot at Foreveris tender, fun, bittersweet, with a great narrative that just motors. It also features the funkiest coach not just in the history of baseball but the history of sport--an unforgettable character in a beautiful and unforgettable book."--Buzz Bissinger, author ofFather's DayandFriday Night Lights"One Shot at Foreveris powerful, inspirational and--in an era where sports are too often marred by scandal--as pure and true as a warm spring breeze. This isn't merely a book about baseball. It's a book about heart."--Jeff Pearlman,New York Timesbestselling author ofThe Bad Guys Won"Once upon a time, stories likeOne Shot at Foreverwere called fairy tales. It is a charming work and so well told by Chris Ballard that it gives sportswriting a good name."--Frank Deford, author ofOver Time: My Life As A Sportswriter"[A]  nonfiction gem about an underdog team that made good. This is the kind of baseball book that has long arms: YA readers, avid baseball fans, sports readers, and narrative nonfiction readers who like to be firmly set in a particular time and place should all find it joyful."--Library Journal"Chris  Ballard brings a big heart and a winning style to tell a memorable story of small-town Illinois. The boys of Macon renew our understanding of why baseball matters--and sometimes, why it matters too much."--Cait Murphy, author ofCrazy '08"One Shot at Foreveris tender, fun, bittersweet, with a great narrative that just motors. It also features the funkiest coach not just in the history of baseball but the history of sport-an unforgettable character in a beautiful and unforgettable book."—Buzz Bissinger, author ofFather's DayandFriday Night Lights"There's a reason Chris Ballard has emerged as one of America's top sports writers.One Shot at Foreveris powerful, inspirational and-in an era where sports are too often marred by scandal-as pure and true as a warm spring breeze. This isn't merely a book about baseball. It's a book about heart."—Jeff Pearlman,New York Timesbestselling author ofBoys Will Be BoysandThe Bad Guys Won"This book is so well told by Chris Ballard that it gives sportswriting a good name."—Frank Deford, author ofOver Time: My Life as a Sportswriter"Chris Ballard brings a big heart and a winning style to tell a memorable story of small-town Illinois. The boys of Macon renew our understanding of why baseball matters--and sometimes, why it matters too much."—Cait Murphy, author ofCrazy '08"[A] nonfiction gem about an underdog team that made good. This is the kind of baseball book that has long arms: YA readers, avid baseball fans, sports readers, and narrative nonfiction readers who like to be firmly set in a particular time and place should all find it joyful."—Library Journal"Chris Ballard finds the heart in the heartland, in this inspirational tale of a small-school ball club that reaches for glory."—Edward Achorn, author ofFifty-nine in '84"This story has obvious parallels to the classic basketball film Hoosiers and in Ballard's capable hands evokes similar themes of inspiration, camaraderie and the pressure of the once-in-a-lifetime moments associated with prep athletics . Ballard effortlessly captures the conflict between Eisenhower era beliefs and the changing cultural landscape in Vietnam-era America . [He] holds the story of the team together with his conversational prose and boosts the story's poignancy with a touching conclusion that demonstrates the importance of high school sports and hometown heroes."—Publishers Weekly