Have Bat, Will Travel: My Year in French Baseball

How good could you become? If you gave up your job and pursued your passion with a single-minded resolve, what is your absolute ceiling? Could you go pro?Based on his successful blog of the same name, Evan Meagher answers that question in HAVE BAT, WILL TRAVEL. In a charming ‘everyman’ story reminiscent of George Plimpton’s participatory journalism, he quits his finance job in a quixotic effort to determine if he can get paid to play professional baseball anywhere in the world.HAVE BAT, WILL TRAVEL is the true story of a man chasing a dream. What starts as a carefree conversation over a beer in college turns into an all-consuming obsession that brings Evan to Bois-Guillaume, a small town in Normandy, France. A fish out of water, Evan faces political intrigue, cultural misunderstandings, and a bullseye on his back as an expensive American import. On the verge of outgrowing a childhood pastime, Evan creates a humorous narrative that is, at its heart, about fighting Father Time to a draw.Praise for Have Bat, Will Travel I, Bill Lee Bless you No Have Bat Will Travel But The Game The Defence (sic) Controls The Ball Hence The Glove. 27 Outs-Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Boston Red Sox pitching legend and author of Have Glove Will Travel and The Wrong StuffA hilarious account of playing baseball in France and a thoughtful, meditation on the hold that America's national pastime can have on someone. Rich in detail. Well done, Evan.-Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa and The Samurai Way of Baseball: The Impact of Ichiro and the New Wave from Japan Have Bat, Will Travel is an entertaining and well-written book. Evan Meagher does such a wonderful job telling his personal story, while also showing the unique culture of French baseball. But, in truth, the book does so much more than that: It reflects the human commonality of chasing a dream. For any person who loves baseball, it's a gem.-Josh Chetwynd, author of Baseball in Europe: A Country by Country History and writer for USA Today, US News & World Report, MLB.com, and the Wall Street JournalGeorge Plimpton would have loved this book. It is the ultimate amateur's adventure. I haven't come across many fun things lately, not in 2020, but this book is the genuine article. It is hilarious, touching, wise, literate, and spirited. I've read many books and manuscripts during the pandemic – this is the best one, hands down. Evan Meagher's voice is a part of the charm. It would be hard not to like this guy. He has A. J. Liebling's eye for the absurd and for the drama and dignity of transcendent, heartfelt effort. There is turmoil and heartbreak here, but there is also pure joy. Baseball isn't life, but it comes pretty damn close. -Jack Heinz, author of Six Spies in Saranac and Rebellion, Love, Betrayal Read more