Patrick: Adventures in Early Little League

This historical fiction book about a boy named Patrick combines a young reader's thirst for a good adventure story with some actual events that occurred in the early days of Little League. While Patrick is a fictional character, and his adventures are fictional, they occur around actual historical places, with real people, and involve the first National Little League Tournament. The author has devised an interesting method of involving Patrick in these events.

Patrick is a ten-year-old living in in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the city where Little League began. He diligently throws baseballs at a target he chalked on a concrete wall to prepare for the coming Little League season. He has a strong arm and a good aim. His adventures put him in constant touch with grown-ups. He looks them in the eye when he talks to them. A famous ball player provides him some pitching tips, and he eagerly accepts the advice. His throwing not only comes in handy dealing with a bully, but also wins him the starting pitcher position in the regular Little League season. His pitching skills draw criticisms from the dads of the batters he continually strikes out. This leads to a meeting with the Little League Board. At the end of the regular season, the first National Little League Tournament, (later called the Little League World Series), is scheduled to start. As a successful pitcher in the regular season, Patrick fully expects to be picked for the team that will represent his league in the first Little League National Tournament. His regular season coach comes to his house with the news. The ups and downs in Patrick's life from then on are a roller coaster ride, the best of days and the worst of days. Whether up or down, Patrick approaches life with honesty, courage, team loyalty, and quick wits. Life for him is an unrelenting adventure.

David Metzger, a writer, lives in Virginia with his wife, Christine. His published works include articles written and lectures given while a practicing lawyer, a business book: "While the Nation Slept: The Struggles of Innovative Small Businesses in the U.S., and the Patrick Trilogy, a series of three historical fiction works for young readers: "Patrick: The Adventures of an Early American Boy," "Patrick: Adventures Along the Oregon Trail," and "Patrick: Adventures in Early Little League."