Double Switch by T. T. Monday is the second book in the series featuring
San Jose Bull Dogs Relief Pitcher, Johnny Adcock. He is well aware that he is
far closer to the end of his career than the start as he moonlights as a non-paid
private investigator to his fellow players. He’s helped more than one player
out of a jam and keeps details to himself. That fact and a few other things
means he has a bit of a reputation around Major League Baseball (MLB) among the
players and the ownership.
Tiff Tate also has a reputation
around MLB. She is what is known as a “stylist.” When having a certain look can
make a player rich by celebrity endorsements, she designs a persona to fit the
player on the field and off. She gets paid well. Very well in fact as she is
reputed to earn mid six figures for each makeover she can well afford her
private jet and other luxuries. She also can suddenly resurrect a
struggling player’s career with a few tweaks. More than any other sport,
superstition rules baseball and when her player makeover magic works it adds to
her allure and mystique.
But, the stylist to the players has a
problem she can’t solve on her own. It’s June and the Colorado Rockies rookie
outfielder, Yonel Ruiz, is tearing-up the league. He can do it all from being on
a record pace homer wise and driving in runs to throwing out base runners on
the paths. He is also a media sensation because of his perilous journey out of
Cuba.
What the public does not know is
that Ruiz is being blackmailed by the Venezuelans who smuggled him out of Cuba.
Tate has been told by Ruiz that his family is being held hostage in Havana. They
want him to set up a deal where his salary of 50 million dollars paid over six
years goes into an account the kidnappers’ control. He will be given an
allowance so he can keep up appearances. Should he fail to agree to do this in
the next two weeks. They will start killing his family including his daughter,
wife, parents, siblings, etc.
Ruiz’s only contact is with staff of
the Colorado Rockies and Tiff Tate, his stylist. The kidnappers won’t allow him
to meet with others and most likely have operators in the area watching him.
So, with the Bay Dogs soon headed to Denver to play the Rockies, Tate wants
Adcock to try and find out who these Venezuelans are. Once he identifies them
then Tate will try to work directly with them to resolve the problem. If MLB
gets involved they will do what is best for the sport and not the player. She
will resort to involving MLB if she has to, but intended to give Adcock a week
to work the case.
While Adcock is well aware that he
can’t do much, he agrees to do what he can. Ruiz isn’t the only one being
threatened as Adcock quickly finds out. It is a far reaching mess that
could have a huge impact on baseball in the future. It does not help that those
at the upper reaches of MLB very much want Adcock to get out of the private
investigator business and that is way before the bodies start dropping.
Double Switch builds on the events of The Setup Man in a strong way.
Adcock is a year closer to the end of pitching in the majors and he very well knows
it. A future beyond baseball is on his mind, but he isn’t about for one second
to give up on what he loves which is playing baseball.
In addition to the complicated mystery,
T. T. Monday brings readers well familiar with baseball or not at all right along
for a ride through the clubhouses and the underworld of how Latin American
players make it into the show. He has a rare gift of making baseball accessible
to the novice as well as the experienced fan as part of the overall mystery. As he did with the first book, T. T. Monday
shines a light into the less glamorous aspects of a sport he clearly loves.
Double Switch could be read as a stand-alone, but it really should be
read after one reads The Setup Man. The sacrifices of
family continue to play a role in Adcock’s life as do other elements carried
over from the first book. Double Switch is a good read and an
excellent sequel.
Material supplied by the good folks
of the Plano Public Library System.
Kaye George first reviewed The
Setup Man as part of her ongoing “Monday With Kaye” segments back
on in March 2015. Because of her review I hunted down the book at my local
library and reviewed
it a month later. It is because of Kaye George’s review that I made the time to
read this series so you know now who to blame.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
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