Synopsis "Called Out: A novel of base ball and America in 1908"
Donald G. Evans, Founding Director, Chicago Literary Hall of Fame: "Riveting historical fiction set during a seminal time....A precise and loving re-creation." As 1907 becomes 1908, National Base Ball League President Harry Pulliam suspects that the owner of the New York Giants has hired detectives to spy on him and his lover, Ted Russell, with the goal of blackmailing him. The pressure tests the strength of his relationship and his ability to administer his league duties. Lenore Caylor, Pulliam's new stenographer, falls in love with him and becomes his staunchest champion as he fights to preserve the honor of professional base ball and the National League. Near the end of the season, one of the most bizarre in base ball history, controversial, game-changing calls result in violent protests, riots, and death. The survival of the national pastime hangs in the balance, as do Pulliam's relationships with Ted and Lenore-and, indeed, his own life. Donald G. Evans, Founding Director, Chicago Literary Hall of Fame; author, Good Money After Bad; editor, Cubbie Blues: 100 Years of Waiting Till Next Year: "Sullivan pits baseball's noble ambassadors against the greedy and the intolerant. In his hands, baseball's intrigue is not only games won and lost, but also its ability to confront change and overcome hatred." Patrick Creevy, author, Ryan's Woods, Tyrus, and Lake Shore Drive: "With the multiplex references that its title suggests, Called Out connects in a human oneness the world of 1908 with that of our own time. And it does so, first page to last, with an ever-intense narrative drive." Jimmy Greenfield, author, 100 Things Cubs Fans Should Know & Do Before they Die: "Floyd is a great baseball fan and an even better writer. He constantly finds new ways to write that blend a vast knowledge, endless curiosity and sharp wit."
