Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive

Free Bonus for Subscribing:

Gary’s Handy Dandy World Series Reference Guide

Get new posts by email

Book Review: 

Field of Schemes

by

J.B. Manheim

reviewed by

Gary Livacari

I recently finished Field of Schemes, the latest historical novel by author J.B. Manheim, Professor Emeritus at George Washington University. This is the sixth addition to his ongoing series, The Dead Ball Files, two others of which I have reviewed.

The author is to be commended for penning an interesting tale that effortlessly blends fact with fiction, along with ample doses of baseball history, American history, and politics. He demonstrates a remarkable ability to intertwine numerous threads into a coherent narrative covering different historical eras; and somehow, in the author’s skilled hands, they all tie together by the story’s surprising conclusion.

The novel begins with an interesting overview of American politics as it existed in the pivotal year of 1909, including many of the devious political machinations common to the era. Speaker of the House Joseph Cannon, one of the most powerful Speakers in American history, uses the first annual bipartisan Congressional ballgame as a vehicle to enhance the passage of his favored legislation involving tariff reform.

As usual, Manheim has done thorough research, and he uncovers the underlying sinister motivations behind the decision to stage the game. This is the origin of the same game that still exists today and in 2017 saw the near-fatal shooting of Republican Congressman, Steve Scalise. A gaudy 14-pound silver trophy cup, commissioned by baseball impresario, Albert Spaulding, and presented to the Speaker at the post-game banquet, provides a continuum to the story as it makes numerous appearances throughout the novel. Historical figures such as President William Howard Taft, National League President Harry Pulliam, future National League President John Tener, and even Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) make appearances.

Manheim also does a convincing job of developing the theme that – although times and names may change – politics is still politics, and there are always many striking constants from one political era to the next. Not surprisingly, the political corruption that we experience today was just as prevalent one-hundred-plus years ago. Much of the political dialogue seemed as though it could have just as easily been uttered in our current political landscape. 

Following this introductory passage, the story evolves into more recent settings and centers upon protagonist Adam Wallace, who the author describes as “an award-winning writer and a now-established baseball sleuth living in Cooperstown.” Adam is hired by the Commissioner of Baseball and tasked with uncovering the effect legalized gambling has on the modern game. He starts on this quest innocently enough, but soon his journey leads him directly into the world of the dark web – the “underbelly” of internet gambling – and the world he encounters is not pretty.

As Manheim so vividly states in the Introduction, gambling, in his opinion, has become pervasive in baseball. As existed at the time of the 1919 Black Sox scandal, the scene is ripe for corruption:

“Imagine the potential for mischief, then, when, a century after the Black Sox embarrassed the game, Major League Baseball, already in control of the manufacture of baseballs, reached an official accommodation with professional sports gamblers – this time in the form of corporations, specialized media, and online gambling sites – that not only legitimized multiple ways of betting on the game and their outcomes, but went so far as to bring gambling kiosks into the ballparks themselves…”

The author then rhetorically asks: “What could go wrong?” The theme of his novel provides an answer to his own question: When you combine the basic human element of greed with billions of available dollars, millions of willing gamblers, and add to the mix universal access to the worldwide web, rampant corruption should not come as a surprise. The novel can be viewed as the author’s demonstration of a feasible pathway from which all this corruption could come to fruition.

Adam’s journey takes many unexpected twists, as the author introduces us to such settings as Kyrgyzstan: a remote, landlocked country in Central Asia, home of Starfighter Cyber Group, whose members include some of the most ruthless Russian hackers; and Turrialba, Costa Rica: the Central American country where major league baseballs are mass produced. We’re introduced to the intricacies involved in the fabrication of these baseballs – a concept that will play a critical role in the plot’s concluding storyline.

We learn of such arcane groups as the Watchers: mysterious overseers and overlords of the gaming world, always on alert for players demonstrating an unexplained “edge”; the Gamekeepers: protectors of baseball’s deepest secrets kept hidden in a secret archive, with names like Lot Lizard, First Fan, and Legal Eagle; and a predatory online gambler using the handle, “Michael_The_Archangel,” who catches the attention of the Watchers with an uncanny ability to pick baseball over/under winners. Motivated by sheer greed, Michael’s blatant disregard for online gambling-world decorum (if such a thing exists), sets in motion the investigation leading to the novel’s surprising conclusion.

Field of Schemes is well-written and well-edited. The involved storyline will hold the reader’s attention from the first page to the last while providing an education into the nefarious world of the dark web, the existence of which only a few of us are even aware. As in his previous books, Jerry Manheim’s attention to detail, his extensive research into the subject matter, and his talent for character and plot development make this a book well worth reading. As it did for me, it may merit a second reading to enhance the enjoyment of many of the book’s intertwining themes and subplots. Field of Schemes is a book that will have special appeal to students of baseball and American history, but it should be read by anyone who enjoys a suspenseful thriller in a historical setting. It’s a book I heartily recommend. 

Gary Livacari 

We’d love to hear what you think about this or any other related baseball history topic…please leave comments below.

Subscribe to Baseball History Comes Alive. FREE BONUS for subscribing: Gary’s Handy Dandy World Series Reference Guide.  https://wp.me/P7a04E-2he