Recounts the story of Mac "Suitcase" Sefton, a scout for the New York Yankees who discovers a left-handed pitcher named Jerry Yamada in a Japanese-American internment camp in the Arizona desert during World War II, his schemes to get Jerry released from the camp, and his taboo love for Jerry's sister Annie. "This wonderfully fresh and original novel by Jay Feldman is not only a unique addition to baseball fiction, but it ranges far beyond the diamond to raise vital questions of love and life in its sensitive portrayal of cultural conflict. You wont want to call a time-out once you begin this heart-grabbing story." Darryl Brock, author of If I Never Get Back, Havana Heat, and Two in the Field "My mother used to talk about how, when she was a kid during World War II, her Japanese American neighbors just disappeared one day, and she never realized until 20 years later what had happened to them. In this book, Jay Feldman makes the period come alive. He has written a great story that combines a solid knowledge of baseball with historical accuracy. Its fiction, but it could just as well be actual history." Dusty Baker, manager, Chicago Cubs "Jay Feldman beautifully engages and transports us with the untold stories of Americans keeping the American pastime alive within a detention camp. Suitcase Sefton and the American Dream captures the essence of culture, community, baseball, and civil liberties in a time of crisis." Kerry Yo Nakagawa, author of Through a Diamond: 100 Years of Japanese American Baseball The summer of 1942. A disenchanted baseball scout. A talented, young left-handed pitcher. World War II. Family honor. The Yankees. A beautiful girl. A Japanese American internment camp. During a distrustful time in American history, a hard-luck scout discovers a potential pitching great, but can t sign him to his rightful place in the major leagues because of the pitcher s Japanese heritage. Mac "Suitcase" Sefton has found his once-in-a-lifetime player, but Jerry Yamada is not free to determine his own future. With his parents and sister, Yamada is trapped behind barbed wire in the Arizona desert. As Sefton searches for ways to help his new friends, he takes measure of his life and dreams. Through culture clashes and difficult choices, Sefton and the Yamadas find their shared path toward the American dream. Jay Feldman is the author of the critically acclaimed book When the Mississippi Ran Backwards: Empire, Intrigue, Murder, and the New Madrid Earthquakes. He is a widely published freelance writer whose work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Smithsonian, Gourmet, The New York Times, and a broad variety of other national, regional, and local publications. He also has written for television and the stage. He is the author of Hitting: An Official Major League Baseball Book. Suitcase Sefton and the American Dream A Novel By Jay Feldman Triumph Books Copyright © 2006 Jay Feldman All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-57243-812-5 CHAPTER 1 GREAT TRAILING CLOUDS OF DUST BILLOWED UP BEHIND the two-tone green Packard coupe as it barrelled along, hell-bent, through the middle of nowhere. Paying closer attention to the radio than to his driving, Sefton fiddled with the dial in an ongoing battle to defeat the static that kept intruding on the broadcast. "Well, this is the old ballgame, riiiight here, friends," drawled the announcer with exaggerated import. Sefton listened intently, a bundle of nervous energy. "Bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, full-count on the batter, as the Bears try to slam the door on this Tucson rally and chalk up a win. You can just feeeel the tension." "You can say that again," agreed Sefton, commenting out loud to himself in the manner of a man who spends too much time alone. "Okay, Cartwright has the sign. He sets. The runners take their leads." "They'll be runnin' on the pitch," said Sefton. "With two out and the count full, they'll be off with the pitch," echoed the announcer. "That's what I just said," Sefton informed the radio. "Now Cartwright steps off the rubber." "Cartwright, you bum," said Sefton with amused disgust. "That's why you're still pitchin' in the bush leagues —'cause you got no guts." The radio crackled and whined. "Get in there and throw the damn ball, for Pete's sake." "Okay, he's back on the rubber. He sets, he winds, the runners go, here's the payoff pitch ... OWEEEOOOOWOWEEEEEE.... " "What the hell?" snapped Sefton, reaching for the dial. He muttered to himself as he twisted the knob this way and that in a desperate attempt to tune back in on the game. Suddenly, hebecame aware of something in his path — a jackrabbit had dashed out into the road some twenty-five yards ahead of the car. Braking as he swerved to avoid it, Sefton overcorrected and went into a skid. The back end fishtailed out, and the massive Packard went sliding down the dirt road sideways. Sefton wrestled with the wheel in a urgent struggle until he was finally able to get t