It's the summer of 1949, between junior high and senior high, and Sonny Madeski's big thing in life is baseball. Not for love of the game but for love of himself. He's after fame and glory. His batting average as an eighth grader was .753, so he needs a new challenge. His worst enemy, Tommy "the felon" Fallon, is delighted to supply that challenge. He dares Sonny to abandon his current team, the Loyal Angels, and go up to the Cardinals in the high school league. Sonny suspects that Tommy is up to no good, but it's a dare that no glory hound could refuse. How will Sonny react, though, after striking out six times in a row because the pitchers are all 17 and the ball is so fast he can't even see it? He'll give up, of course, and return to the Loyal Angels in shame and humiliation, just as Tommy knew he would.No he won't, not this boy.Instead, he'll reinvent himself as "the brat." That's what everybody will call him, and for good reason. He'll be truly obnoxious, even to his parents, his uncle, his religious advisor, his best friend, his girlfriend, and his teammates. But he'll also be getting on base and scoring, thanks to his foot speed, his bratty antics at the plate, and his capering on the base paths, all of which annoy and befuddle the opposing players. In other words, he'll set aside his dreams of heroism and home runs, and lower himself to "small ball" or "tiny ball," or just "brat ball." Is it possible to attain glory and fame without swinging the bat? Well, if you're Sonny "the brat" Madeski, it just might be.
