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"...Reminds us why sports matter and why sports writing has such great power to inspire...One hell of a good story, and Ballard has written one hell of a good book."--Jonathan Eig,Chicago Tribune"[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