The Batboy

What kind of father is Cole, and why does he have trouble communicating with Brian? What does Brian think of Cole, and how do Brian’s views change when Cole briefly returns from Japan?

Why does the novel equate baseball with intoxication? How does the sport consume Brian’s life? Create an argument that characterizes this force as a positive or a negative element in the protagonist’s life.

Focus on Liz’s various roles in the novel. How does she accept change and confront the issue of Overcoming Miscommunication and Forging New Connections? When does Liz rebuff the omnipresence influence of baseball, and why does she finally yield to its power?

Compare the events of The Batboy to the film Rookie of the Year (1993), in which a 12-year-old boy named Henry Rowengartner becomes a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs and tries to form a relationship with his hero, Chet Steadman. How is Henry like Brian, and how is Chet like Hank? What do Henry’s mom and Brian’s mom have in common?

Discuss the issue of steroids in baseball. Why does the steroid era bother Brian, and how do steroids negatively impact the history of the sport? How have cheating and transgression manifested throughout baseball’s history?

Examine Willie Vazquez’s role as comic relief within the narrative. How do his moments of dialogue lighten the overall tone? Use at least three examples from the text in your discussion.

What are more negative aspects of Brian’s complete surrender to the game of baseball? Does his single-minded focus make him a flat character, or does he exhibit key changes throughout the novel? Support your analysis with examples from the text.

Research the history of the batboy and place Brian within this lineage. What has changed about the role of batboys, and what has stayed the same?