Havana Heat
Encyclopedia
Havana Heat is a novel published in 2000 by Darryl Brock. It is a fictionalized story about a real historical figure, Dummy Taylor
, a deaf baseball player who played professional baseball in the years 1900-1908.
. Short of players, McGraw eventually agrees to take him on a post-season exhibition trip to play baseball in Cuba, where the political atmosphere is tense in the aftermath of the Spanish American War. During the games in Cuba Taylor is introduced to a promising Cuban prospect who is deaf also. Taylor encounters moral dilemmas as he balances his desire to return to the big leagues against difficult issues involving racism, discrimination, disability, fading dreams and the sports philosophy of winning at any cost.
. All of the major league players mentioned in the novel are all based on real ballplayers on the Giants at that time. Dummy played for the New York Giants
from 1900 to 1908. There is no information that indicates that he played in Cuba at any time. Dummy did go on to coach at his alma mater, The Kansas School for the Deaf and two other school and was a major inspiration to all those around him.
in 2000 for the "most important baseball book" published that year. This award is given out by the Elysian Fields Quarterly
, a literary baseball journal.
Dummy Taylor
Luther Haden "Dummy" Taylor was a deaf-mute American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1900 to 1908...
, a deaf baseball player who played professional baseball in the years 1900-1908.
Plot summary
In 1911 Taylor, a former big-league pitcher, has been sent down to the minor leagues at age 37 due to problems with his pitching arm. He longs for a second chance and he approaches his former manager, John McGraw, about re-joining the New York GiantsSan Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Short of players, McGraw eventually agrees to take him on a post-season exhibition trip to play baseball in Cuba, where the political atmosphere is tense in the aftermath of the Spanish American War. During the games in Cuba Taylor is introduced to a promising Cuban prospect who is deaf also. Taylor encounters moral dilemmas as he balances his desire to return to the big leagues against difficult issues involving racism, discrimination, disability, fading dreams and the sports philosophy of winning at any cost.
Characters
- Luther "Dummy" Taylor - A 37 year-old deaf-mute pitcher
- Della Taylor - Luther's wife
- Sim Taylor - Luther's brother
- John McGraw - Giants manager
- Turkey Mike Donlin - outfielder and old friend of Luther
- Luis - 19 year-old deaf pitcher
- Nico - Luis' rival
- Elias Serros - Luis' grandfather/rebel
- Father Cipriano - ran the School of the Deaf
Relationship to Baseball
The book is based on a real deaf pitcher, Dummy TaylorDummy Taylor
Luther Haden "Dummy" Taylor was a deaf-mute American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1900 to 1908...
. All of the major league players mentioned in the novel are all based on real ballplayers on the Giants at that time. Dummy played for the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
from 1900 to 1908. There is no information that indicates that he played in Cuba at any time. Dummy did go on to coach at his alma mater, The Kansas School for the Deaf and two other school and was a major inspiration to all those around him.
Reception
Havana Heat won the Dave Moore AwardDave Moore Award
The baseball journal Elysian Fields Quarterly began awarding the Dave Moore Award in 1999. The honor is given to the “most important” baseball book of the year...
in 2000 for the "most important baseball book" published that year. This award is given out by the Elysian Fields Quarterly
Elysian Fields Quarterly
Elysian Fields Quarterly is a literary baseball journal of "writing on baseball from the fan's perspective", published in St. Paul MN. It features articles on baseball history and lore....
, a literary baseball journal.
Further reading
- Brock, Darryl, Havana Heat: A Novel, Bison Books (2000/ 2011), ISBN 978-0803235892 (paperback); ISBN 978-1892129239 (hardback)
- Wendel, Tim, Castro's Curveball, Ballantine (1999), ISBN 978-0803259577; another book about baseball and Cuba.
- Price, Sabra L. Pitching Around Fidel, (2000), ISBN 978-0060196608