Michael P. Spradlin's blog

Not much on first glance, it’s true. Baseball hadn’t even turn professional when Daniel Boone made that famous run. But then you might think: Well, Michael, there is a lot of running in both Baseball and in Daniel Boone’s story. And then you might follow that up with, Hey, Michael, don’t you have beautifully-illustrated books on each subject?

And you’d be right on both counts. There is indeed a lot of running in both the sport of baseball and also in Daniel Boone’s dramatic 160 mile run (in only four days!) in 1778.

And yes, Daniel Boone’s Great Escape and Baseball From A to Z both have fabulous illustrations. I have been extraordinarily lucky in getting matched up with incredibly talented illustrators for all my picture books. For inning #4, running today January 20 through February 2, to celebrate that good fortune, I want to give away a great read (if I do say so myself) – The Youngest Templar – for calling out great illustrations. Click through any of my picture book pages: either Daniel Boone, Baseball From A to Z, my soon-to-be-released book about The Pony Express, or any of my backlist: The Legend of Blue Jacket, Texas Rangers: Legendary Lawmen, and my “grown-up” picture book: It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Zombies! (which admittedly might be too much for the wee ones), and in a comment below, tell me which illustration you like the best, or even just a lot. If you have the book in hand and you want to call out an illustration on a page not on the site, even better! Become a fan on Facebook and you can be doubly entered (make sure to pop back and tell me you became a fan).

I don’t think any sport conjures up more pleasant memories than baseball. Whether you played it as a kid, watch it as an adult or take your kids to t-ball games, baseball is an indelible part of our culture. I can remember as a young boy falling asleep to the dulcet tones of Hall-Of-Fame Announcer Ernie Harwell, as he would broadcast Detroit Tigers games from all over the country. In fact, one year my father bought a clock radio with a timer on it that shut the radio off after I had long fallen asleep. He was tired of paying for batteries for my transistor radio.

I have just today posted a couple of the awesome illustrations from my upcoming picture book Baseball From A to Z. One of my favorite parts of these illustrations is the kid in the lower left corner of the B (for Ballpark) page. That kid was me (maybe still is).

What is one of your favorite memories of baseball as a kid (or grown-up kid)? Give me a quick telling in a comment and enter yourself to win a copy of The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail to a randomly selected commenter. Or share this post on Facebook or Myspace and you can be doubly entered (make sure to pop back and tell me you posted to Fbk or MSp).

Happy New Year!

Or in the case of this Second Inning of my Baseball From A to Z contest, riding like the wind, as in Off Like the Wind, The First Ride of the Pony Express, my next picture book about the beginnings of transcontinental mail delivery — it’s brand new on this site and due in stores in February (I’m just sayin’). Baseball’s lore is rich and fun, and I have loved researching it since I was a kid. But it wasn’t only baseball that captured my fascination — from an early age the idea of riding as hard and as fast across dangerous territory made The Pony Express magical to me.

Tell me below in a comment if you have ever read up on The Pony Express before and if so, what tidbit made you say, “Cool!” If this is your first exposure to it, try my book page on this site for a little intro. I will give away a signed copy of The Youngest Templar, Keeper of the Grail to a randomly selected commenter. Or share this post on Facebook or Myspace and you can be doubly entered (make sure to pop back and tell me you posted to Fbk or MSp).

And oh, yeah, Happy Holidays!