Bruce Von Stiers

I used to be a big baseball fan. My favorite team was the Kansas City Royals. In the last few years the Royals have slipped a lot and my interest waned. Therefore, when a mystery featuring a baseball team came my way, I was determined to not let my apathy towards the game get in the way. I found that I really enjoyed the book. The title of this baseball mystery is Strike Three You’re Dead. It was written by R.D. Rosen. The book was originally published in hardback by Walker & Company back in 1984. At that time it was dubbed as “one of the ‘100 Favorite Mysteries of the Century.’ ” Now the publisher has re-released this novel in softcover.

Providence, Rhode Island was hunkering for an expansion baseball team. They finally got in the form of the Providence Jewels. The team picked up some brand new players and others that have been shopped by their teams. Harvey Blissberg fell into this latter category. He had played Center Field for the Red Sox for five years. A mishap in the Sox front office left Harvey unprotected in the Draft, and he got picked up by the Jewels. This is definitely not the place where Harvey wanted to play ball at. But he is making the best of it.

Harvey has a girlfriend named Mickey Slavin who is a sportscaster for a local Providence television station. He also has a roommate on the road by the name of Rudy Furth. Rudy is a relief pitcher, going into games for tired or screwing up pitchers. After a game one night, Harvey finds Rudy in the whirlpool in the team’s locker room. It seems that somebody had killed Rudy and stuffed him into the whirlpool. Who could have done such a thing? And what was the deal about the three one thousand dollar bills that were found with Rudy’s body?

Harvey doesn’t quite know what to think. Rudy seemed like an all right guy and not crooked in the least. The money found by his body is extremely suspicious. Then there are some typewriters in Rudy’s apartment. Where did they come from? Was Rudy dealing in stolen goods? This seems a possibility due a mobster type of guy who’s always hanging around the ball park trying to sell thing that had fell of the back of a truck.

Harvey feels that the police, specifically the lead detective in charge Linderman, aren’t doing enough to find Rudy’s killer. He starts his own investigation. This takes him into things that he would have not gotten into. Some of his teammates think that the Professor (Harvey’s nickname) has gone around the bend. The cop, Linderman, would rather not have Harvey poking his nose into things. Harvey’s girlfriend would rather he leave it alone and be safe.

When Harvey start poking around he runs afoul of the mob guy hanging around the team. The team manager’s wife takes an unhealthy interest in Harvey. And everyone around him would rather he just let the cops handle it.

The book throws some curve balls at you. Just when you think that you’ve got it figured out, Rosen throws a slider in there. As this book was originally published in 1984, some of the things referenced are a little dated. But that doesn’t detract from the story at all.

Strike Three You’re Dead is good little mystery. You get to enjoy some of the elements of baseball while trying to figure out who done it along with Harvey. I found that even thought I don’t care for baseball much anymore this was still an enjoyable book to read.

You can find Strike Three You’re Dead at book retailers. In case you can’t find it, check with the Walker & Company web site on how to order a copy. Their web site is www.walkerbooks.com. You can also call toll free at 800 289 – 2553.