Wow. Last night! And Clayton Kershaw, mentioned in yesterday’s FB post, his name now forever attached to a literary technique – at least in my little world – played a role. This passage is just before the batting cage scene in OF MUTTS AND MEN, a Chet and Bernie mystery narrated by Chet, a dog, yes, but NOT a talking one – which makes all the difference.

Mudville turned out to be a bar that was all about baseball! Why had I never been here before? Baseball was my favorite game, the ball itself being the most interesting of all balls, so fascinating when you get inside, which is why you hear humans talking about inside baseball, although I’ve seen a human actually chewing on a baseball only once or twice. The lacrosse ball is second, by the way, with mouth feel like no other. But back to Mudville, with its baseball photos and baseball bats all over the walls, plus old beat-up baseballs in plastic display cases – one glance told me those display cases would be no problemo! – plus flags and banners and even a real batting cage, although no one was in there taking hacks at the moment.