Man on Spikes Book

Mike Kutner (based loosely on a friend of the author) is a young man who has never wanted anything more than to play baseball at the Major League level. When a professional scout spots Kutner playing high-school ball, it appears that Kutner's dreams are destined to come true. But, after joining the professional ranks, Kutner finds that greedy owners care about money more than about winning, jaded managers, that politics dictates which players are promoted and that the all-consuming quest to reach the Big Leagues comes at a cost.

The novel has a unique narrative structure. Each chapter advances the story through the perspective of a supporting character, as reflected in the chapter titles (e.g., "The Manager," "The Mother," "The Reporter"). Kutner himself is less fleshed-out than these supporting characters; he is an empty vessel whose own feelings are only dimly considered. Thus, Asinof causes the reader to empathize with Kutner, pulled to and fro by the others in his life and viewed by his team as a mere asset.

There is a grimness to the story, which echoes (both literally and metaphorically) the famous poem Casey at the Bat. Asinof's novel is not one in which overcoming adversity, however great, leads to bliss. But, it is an honest look at life in professional baseball of yesteryear. Asinof, as a minor-leaguer himself, is well-equipped to tell the tale. And while many things have changed since 1955 (the original publication date), many things have not. It is interesting to read that even then, there was a tension between "toolsy" players who hit for power and those who were better at the subtle skills of stealing bases, hitting behind runners, and executing squeeze bunts. Now, as then, the path to the highest levels of baseball (or anything else) is difficult. Most who try do not succeed, and even those who may not question whether the kill was worth the hunt.

Marvin Miller, who, as Executive Director of the Major League Player's Association, was instrumental in increasing player salaries, contributed a foreword to Asinof's book. Miller views Asinof's novel as a revealing look at the abuse would-be players suffer at the hands of owners, but that narrow perspective undervalues the novel. Asinof's story is not just about the unfulfilled promises Kutner receives; it is also about the costs of searching for greatness. While the writing is occasionally old-fashioned and often tinged with sadness, it is a book that those who love the game will find engrossing.