The last time the Cubs won the World Series
Teddy Roosevelt was president. So much losing has brought their fans togetherness that winning can’t touch. So it is with Benny Katzman and Riley McGowan and others who drown their sorrows at Salvatore’s, a favorite haunt in the shadow of Wrigley Field, among them Gabriel, the handicapped son of a Chicago crime lord; Liz, a stunning waitress who wants to act but seems very short on talent; and John Dennis, tycoon turned dishwasher.
When lawyer Benny signs minor leaguers Isaac Chance and Will Hardy, he knows they will end up where his other clients have – broke and back home. By October, with Riley’s health, his son Richie’s prospects and Gabriel’s security all in jeopardy, so much hangs in the balance. Benny proves the truest of friends and Richie and Gabriel the most surprising of sons.
The ending both on and off the field will restore faith in the power of losers to win, of good guys to come out on top and of triumph to warm the soul.
What people are saying about
The Other Side of Losing
“There are always a bunch of baseball books released right at the start of every season, and among the cream of this year’s crop is The Other Side of Losing. . . Meticulously researched in a fashion anyone familiar with the North Side of the Windy City is apt to appreciate, this struggle of the underdog against the odds unfolds on the streets and inside several working-class establishments located right in the shadow of Wrigley. In an earthy style rather reminiscent of Chicago native son David Mamet, the gifted author introduces us to a colorful cast of motley characters right out of a Damon Runyon yarn.”
“I just finished The Other Side of Losingand thoroughly enjoyed it! The characters were finely drawn and the plots were compelling and juggled nicely. Brav possesses a genuine flair for descriptive and narrative writing—and a genuine joy of using language. . . . I LOVED the ending and couldn’t put the book down during the last 80 pages. . .Don’t be dissuaded by the somber blue cover; THE OTHER SIDE OF LOSING is filled to the brim with the joys and struggles of life.”