Cactus League – Baseball On The Road

from Paolo Castagnini

Backed by the brilliant style of Emily Nemens, from a careful knowledge of the mechanics of the game and from a multiplicity of narrative points of view, “Cactus
League” it is a story of obsessions and competitive spirit, a portrait of America through a journey into the microcosm – sometimes brutal, merciless, but always romantic and exhilarating – of professional baseball.

«A miniature universe, hilarious, moving and observed with love “ – (New York Times Books Review).

Jason Goodyear is the star of the Los Angeles Lions, a preseason retreat baseball team in the scorching Arizona desert. Handsome, famous, talented, Goodyear is the best left winger since Ted Williams, but now he is in the midst of a deep crisis. It is said that she is on the verge of divorce. But what is the worm that devours it? Does it have something to do with a passion for gambling, with the casino next to the new Scottsdale stadium? Coaches, fans, teammates, wives and girlfriends of players, as well as a couple of loan sharks ask for it. An old sports reporter who wants to tell his story, which is intertwined with that of Michael Taylor, a hitting coach clinging to his work with his teeth, would also like to know; Tamara Rowland, a resourceful woman seeking one last conquest; Herb Allison, legendary sports agent on sunset boulevard; and a plethora of other characters, committed to carving out a place in the sun in view of the new, upcoming season.