Just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz , talented college athlete Bobby spends his days with those he loves and stays close to home. But unlike Dorothy, when Bobby's "tornado" bushwhacks his world, it doesn't move him into a fantastical realm of color and delightful beasts; rather, he is propelled into a complicated past, where his dreams come true through a somewhat mystifying, somewhat terrifying wrinkle. Once a middling right fielder in his junior year, Bobby is mysteriously thrust from 2020 into 1975 Philadelphia Major League Baseball-literally moving from the on-deck circle to the batter's box during a game. Aside from jaw-dropping awe and wonderment, Bobby must deal with anxiety, uncertainty, and the complex emotions of dismay and astonishment. With no clue of how he landed where he thought he wanted to be his entire life, he becomes a pivotal player and hero on his team, and he now wonders if he can return home. To complicate matters, in this new world he finds some unsettling realities about America's game, including scandal, disloyalty, and jealousy. Over the course of the season, Bobby grows up quickly-he has to-when he realizes everyone wants a piece of his talent. He becomes a team leader, and urges the Quakers, a team with a 92-year history and no Series rings, to strive for a World Series run. Bobby develops deep friendships but misses his old life. As the season progresses and the Quakers actually win the NLCS, Bobby finds his memories of 2020 fading. He repeatedly brings the sold-out crowds to their feet not only by his batting skills and fielding expertise, but also by his ability to lead, to rouse a crowd, and to be a hero in the clubhouse. And then *POOF*. TIME isn't finished with Bobby yet. Baseball stories are part of our collective soul. And every now and again, if we're lucky, a book comes along to remind us that life renews every April. TIME Blinked is one of those books. And who among us hasn't wondered, what would it be like? What would it be like to face Vida Blue? Or stand at the plate at Yankee Stadium? Or be chewed out by Connie Mack, given a high five by Billy Martin, or hear Earl Weaver yell, "Ford's done; warm up!" TIME Blinked brings that "what if" to life. There was a time when even the most disastrous of days could be redeemed by nine innings and a hot dog. TIME Blinked brought me back to those days. To the days when "what if" seemed like a perfectly reasonable thought, and my dribbler up the first base line didn't end with a slow walk to the dugout, but cheers from the crowd as it brought home the winning run and the World Series. Daniel Ogawa, Documentary Producer - KQED/PBS George W. Young has written a fast-paced baseball thriller that grabs your attention like a high and tight fastball. And he knows the rhythm of the game, its subtleties, and its subterfuges, which makes TIME Blinked about baseball-but also so much more. Robert Brancatelli, author of The Gringo , Laura Fedora , and "The Brancatelli Blog" With TIME Blinked , George W. Young has fashioned an entertaining, fast paced, and singularly detailed love letter to baseball in the spirit of Bernard Malamud's The Natural and Ron Shelton's Bull Durham . Gino Caputi, Host / Fabulous Film & Friends A tip of my (baseball) cap to this skilled debut author, who brings his Triple-A game and creates a probable major league best seller. Between the subplots of scandal, time travel, mysterious death, and of course baseball, Young humorously ties emotion to devotion and recalls memories of a Black Sox-like scandal in a more modern day. Young demonstrates his knowledge of the game artfully and evokes the intense thrills of the game. Mike Morsch, author of The Vinyl Dialogues book series George W. Young started his professional life as a dancer in New York City in 1979, where he worked in summer stock and wayoff-Broadway in musical theater, and he performed in some of the earliest music videos with Diana Ross, The Pointer Sisters, and Louise Robey.He switched over to the other side of the camera in New York City in 1984, where he worked on national and international TV commercials for Fortune 500 companies. Directors on his credit sheet include Bob Giraldi, Joe Pytka, and Steve Steigman. He moved to California in 1988.George spent the next 30 years working on a variety of projects including feature films such as The Nightmare Before Christmas, Junior, Serendipity, and The Internship. He also produced three video games for George Lucas based on the Star Wars canon, Rebel Assault, Jedi Knight, and Force Commander.He worked with Larry Page at Google on several projects including the launch of Google+. He collaborated with Steve Jobs at Apple on many of the company's advertising campaigns, and the introduction of QuickTime as the standard for computer-based digital video. In 2017 he turned his attention to writing novels including DracuLAND, the story of a New York City real estate mogul who purchases