The Funniest Man in Baseball

The True Story of

Max Patkin

Clarion Books
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
(pub. 4.3.2018)
40 pages

A True Tale with
A Cherry On Top   

A uthor:  Audrey Vernick
    and illustrator: Jennifer Bower

C haracters: Max Patkin

O verview from the jacket flap: 
     "Max Patkin was in the minor leagues when an injury sidelined him. He left his dreams behind and joined the navy, where eventually he was able to play ball again. And this time he got to pitch against superstar Joe DiMaggio! When Joe hit one out of the park, Max threw down his glove, left the pitcher's mound, and chased Joe around the bases, making faces and imitating his every move. The crowd loved it! A baseball clown was born.
     This inspiring and comical biography about a professional ballplayer turned legendary funnyman carries an important message: Dreams don't usually turn out exactly as you'd hoped... but moving in a new direction can sometimes bring happy surprises."

T antalizing taste: 
      "Did you hear the one about the pitcher who walked into a ballpark? He turned into a clown!

     No, seriously!
     TRUE STORY!
     The pitcher's name was Max Patkin and when he was growing up in Philadelphia, he slept with his baseball glove and cap under his pillow every night.
     He worked to become a high-kicking fastball pitcher, playing in sandlot games and then straight through high school and into the minor leagues.
     He was a funny guy, a goofy guy, always looking for a laugh, but serious about becoming a major-league player."

    

and something more:  Audrey Vernick's Author's Note explains: "He loved talking about the long afternoons and evenings at ballparks all over the country, the players he met, the publicity stunts he'd witnessed, the amazing firsts and lasts and never-agains. Some of the stories sounded unbelievable, even to Max, and he was there when they happened. That's why he'd often add 'true story' at the end. It was Max's version of 'happily ever after.'"