“This book will touch the veins of your heart.” –Bengie Molina, World Series Champion and author of New York Times Bestseller Molina In the mid-1990s, a band of baseball-loving boys from the small town of Chester, Illinois, on the banks of the Mississippi River, pursue their dreams of state and national championships. Their fathers, guards in the local penitentiary that houses some of the worst criminals in US history, are their coaches. One dream comes true—the other doesn’t. This is the story of the dreams and of the town that made them possible. Filled with unforgettable anecdotes from perhaps the last (nearly) innocent age in America, The Sons of Chester recalls a childhood that in some sense is the twentieth century’s version of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. "For every kid who ever picked up a bat and dreamed of hitting a home run, este libro te tocará las venas de tu corazón." -Bengie Molina, World Series Champion and author of New York Times Bestseller Molina "In The Sons of Chester , Ohlau and Gingrich tap into the poetry of small-town America with their memoir of a high school baseball team's quest for a state championship. Layering the narrative with stories of the community--fathers and mothers, criminals and celebrities--the authors transform a fine sports story into a touching work of art." -Brian Kaufman, author of The Fat Lady's Low, Sad Song-- Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2018 "The Sons of Chester is a passport back to childhood for anyone who ever slugged it out in some dusty sandlot or pasture converted into a baseball field. This warmhearted memoir reminds us how those experiences in the classroom and on the playing field is an era of our life that for many of us is the most memorable time of our lives." -AuthorsReading.com "One of the most entertaining baseball books ever ." -AmericanWritingAwards.com " The Sons of Chester is soft, amusing, and bittersweet, with a great narrative and inspirational storytelling. Ohlau and Gingrich have hit a moonshot out of the park!" -Vernell Moehrs, Midwest Baseball Legend, and National Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Famer The Sons of Chester: A Tale of Small Town Boys, Baseball, and Very Big Dreams  is Craig Ohlau and Kevin L. Gingrich's 7-time national award-winning debut publication.  The Sons of Chester  has been an Amazon Bestseller (Kindle and Paperback) in the categories of Baseball History and Baseball Biographies, named 2019 Maxy Awards Runner-Up for "Non-Fiction Book of the Year," "Best Biography of 2019" in the 2019 PenCraft Awards, a Finalist for the 2020 Eric Hoffer Book Awards "da Vinci Eye," a Finalist in the "Outstanding Biography" and "Outstanding Memoir" categories in the 2020 IAN Book of the Year Awards, the "Young Adult" category Winner in the 2021 American Writing Awards, 2021 American Writing Awards "Non-Fiction Book of the Year," and accepted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Library and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Craig Ohlau ("Bobber") was born and raised in Chester, Illinois, the setting for the book. In 1995, he and his longtime group of friends won the Khoury League National Championship, and Craig went on to star in baseball at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville and earn tryouts with several Major League teams. Today, Craig is a writer, coach, teacher and, most importantly, husband and father.