Homer: The Small-Town Baseball Odyssey
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An amazing story of how high school athletes established a winning tradition and performed with grace and class despite the small-town politics that nearly led to the removal of a dedicated and admired coach. Homer: The Small-Town Baseball Odyssey starts in the fall of 2003, with a talented group of baseball players on the verge of great achievements on the diamond.
Off the field, their coach, Scott Salow, embarks on a campaign to save his job, as the local teachers union opposes a decision for Salow to retain the coaching position and serve as a middle-school principal. The ensuing political struggle threatens to derail the team.
Along the way, this town of 1,800 people breathlessly follow their young heroes on the diamond as they chase down state championships and a national record for consecutive victories amid turmoil off the field.
EXCERPT
The Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) ran the following excerpt from “Homer: The Small-Town Baseball Odyssey” in April 2023 after Orchard Lake St. Mary’s bested Homer’s state record of 75 straight victories. Read Excerpt
BOOK REVIEWS
“Jeff has never been convicted of anything, but I think we can convict him of writing a pretty darn good book. He does an excellent job of describing this amazing three-year run for these amazing players and their amazing coach. But he goes far beyond writing about just a high-school baseball team. He transports you into the middle of this quaint little town where everyone knows your name and everything else you ever did in your life.”
— Mick McCabe, Detroit Free Press
“Remember the Homer High baseball team, that talented batch of ballplayers from Southwest Michigan that earlier this decade won a national-record 75 consecutive games? Well, now the program really has gone big-time, thanks to this week’s release of “Homer: The Small-Town Baseball Odyssey,” a 224-page book chronicling the days before, during and after the historic run of victories. It’s a story of perseverance — on and away from the diamond — glory and, in just one lonely instance, disappointment. It’s fascinating stuff by a top-notch journalist.”
— Tony Paul, Detroit News
