The Art of Fielding
| Company type | Novel |
|---|---|
| Industry | Literature |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Chad Harbach |
| Products | Book |
The Art of Fielding is a 2011 novel authored by American writer Chad Harbach. The story follows Henry Skrimshander, a shortstop, and his collegiate baseball journey with the fictional Westish College Harpooners. The book was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and appeared on multiple year-end best book compilations.
Plot
At 17 years old, Henry Skrimshander plays Legion baseball in Lankton, South Dakota. Despite his modest size, he demonstrates exceptional defensive skills as a shortstop. After competing against a Chicago team, Mike Schwartz, a student at Westish College, recruits Henry to enhance the college’s baseball squad. By his junior year, Henry attracts considerable interest from Major League Baseball scouts.
Westish College is a small liberal arts institution located in northeastern Wisconsin along Lake Michigan. The school has embraced its association with author Herman Melville, including renaming its athletic teams the Harpooners. Guert Affenlight, an alumnus and former Harvard professor, returns to serve as the college president. During Henry’s junior year, Guert’s estranged daughter Pella relocates from San Francisco to live with him.
The narrative focuses on Westish’s most successful baseball season as Henry approaches the NCAA record for consecutive error-free games at shortstop. However, a misplayed ball results in an injury to Owen Dunne, Henry’s roommate and right fielder, which undermines Henry’s confidence and causes his defensive performance to deteriorate—a decline reminiscent of real-life MLB players such as Steve Blass and Rick Ankiel.
Beyond the baseball field, the novel delves into significant relationships: the romantic involvement between Mike Schwartz and Pella Affenlight; the bond between Owen Dunne and Guert Affenlight; and the mentor-mentee connection between Schwartz and Henry as they navigate their aspirations linked to baseball success.
Reception
The novel received extensive attention upon release, with Harbach dedicating a decade to its creation and securing an advance exceeding $650,000 following a competitive auction for publication rights.
Commercially, the book succeeded by making The New York Times bestseller list and being recognized among the paper’s top ten books of 2011. Amazon.com honored it as Best Book for September 2011 and subsequently Best Book of the Year. Critics have favorably likened it to classics such as Bernard Malamud’s The Natural and W.P. Kinsella’s Shoeless Joe, though some reviewers remarked on its relatively light narrative depth.
Accolades
The Art of Fielding was a finalist for the 2012 Guardian First Book Award but ultimately lost to Kevin Powers' Yellow Birds.
Adaptations
In August 2011, HBO initiated discussions to adapt the novel into a television series, with Scott Rudin attached as executive producer and Harbach serving as consulting producer.
By May 2017, IMG alongside Mandalay Sports Media revealed plans for a film adaptation directed by Craig Johnson with a screenplay by Tripper Clancy.
Controversy
In September 2017, author Charles C. Green filed a lawsuit against Chad Harbach, accusing him of extensive plagiarism due to notable parallels between The Art of Fielding and Green's prior screenplay titled Bucky's 9th. The case was dismissed in July 2018; however, Green expressed intentions to pursue an appeal.