FanPost

A Farewell To Right Arms

A Farewell to Right Arms is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Trey Hillman, first published in 2009.

The novel is told through the point of view of a big league manager, an American who wishes he was in fact Japanese citizen, and who might as well be an ambulance driver, given the number of arm injuries to his pitching staff.

The title is taken from a poem by 16th century English dramatist George Peele, and is also a clever bit of word play to "set the record straight" on his overuse of Gil Meche, Brian Bannister, and probably Kyle Davies.

The novel is said to have been begun in Surprise, Arizona and then completed at the home of friends of Hillman's boss, Mr. Dayton Moore, in Mission Hills Kansas.

Plot summary

The novel is divided into five books. In the first book, Mr. Hillman describes Spring Training, and whatnot. Here Trey gives us an overview of his emphasis on "fundamentals", and playing the game the "right way."

The second book shows the growth of Trey and Dayton's relationship as they spend time together on road trips over the summer, griping about how Americans should do more push-ups, eat healthier food (excepting a certain Billy Butler) and generally would be better off if they quit their whining.

The third, fourth, and fifth books take the reader through a four month stretch of the worst baseball anybody should have to endure, capturing the low lights, mostly. Books three, four and five will likely be the least understood portion of Hillman's tale partly because, as a prose stylist, Hillman is no LaRussa. Morever, his description of the last 133 games seems pretty repetitive.

Then the book is, mercifully, over.

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