The Batboy

“Because his head was full of the numbers of baseball, all the numbers that not only held the sport together, but connected one season to another, one era to another.”

Lupica creates a panoramic view of baseball history in this passage, emphasizing the philosophical meaning of the myriad numbers that crowd Brian’s thoughts. The passage also indicates The Omnipresent Influence of Baseball in Brian’s life and foreshadows the boy’s issues with Overcoming Miscommunication and Forging New Connections since the steroid era makes it harder for fans to objectively compare baseball’s different periods.

“[E]very paper I wrote and every test I aced, I was working my way toward Comerica.”

As this passage indicates, The Omnipresent Influence of Baseball often has a positive effect on Brian’s life, as he uses his interest in baseball to spur himself on to greater academic heights. In this context, Brian uses the prospect of becoming the Tigers’ batboy to motivate himself to excel in school.

“Boy, that’s a big load off. I don’t think Dillon could get through the heart of the order without you watching.”

The casual tone of this quote indicates the comfortable camaraderie as Brian and Kenny watch Sunday Night Baseball together at Kenny’s house. Additionally, Brian times his departure so that he can be home in time to watch the Tigers’ best starter, Ben Dillon, who acts as pitcher at the top of the sixth inning. As Kenny jokes about the impact of baseball, he makes fun of Brian’s superstitious belief that his viewership will have an influence on Dillon’s performance.