46 pages • 1 hour read
Mike LupicaThe Batboy
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2009A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Baseball as a Form of Intoxication
The term “intoxication” typically refers to the effects of alcohol or other drugs. In The Batboy, intoxication signals The Omnipresent Influence of Baseball, as the sport consumes Brian. However, the presence of baseball in Brian’s life is positive rather than negative, and he gains a meaningful relationship with Hank and becomes closer to his mother. Baseball also gives him structure and motivation, and he excels in school due to his metaphorical intoxication. As Brian writes to Schenkel, “[E]very paper I wrote and every test I aced, I was working my way toward Comerica” (22). Lupica reconfigures the connotations of “intoxication” in a positive way; under the influence of baseball, Brian excels.
At the same time, the symbolism becomes literal and takes on a negative tone, especially when Lupica addresses the issues surrounding the steroid era. Arguably, the sport of baseball itself became intoxicated with the surfeit of home runs, which engaged fans and excited a higher degree of attention. Intoxicated by the excitement, the baseball authorities ignored the issue of steroids until the problem became urgent enough to warrant a Congressional investigation.
Section 135
This section of the stands comes to hold great significance for Brian, who associates it with all his most positive memories of his absent father, Cole. Confronted with the fact that his father no longer wants to be a part of his life, Brian must relinquish his hopes for what Cole could be so that he can accept what Cole truly is: an inadequate and indifferent father figure. As Brian slowly comes to this realization, his perspective on section 135 shifts accordingly.
As long as Brian avoids dealing with the loss of his father by keeping a version of Cole alive in his memory, he views section 135 with fondness as he remembers sitting there with his father. For example, when he revisits the seats during his first sleepover at the park, Brian doesn’t “feel alone at all” (87). However, this sense of comfort is misleading. Rather than confronting his father’s flaws, Brian constructs a different, rosier version of Cole in his mind and compounds his loss by fooling himself into believing that he lost a supportive, caring father. However, when Cole returns, Brian’s illusion shatters, and he accepts that Cole will never change. As Brian’s melancholy diminishes, Hank, a suitable father figure, can now enter his life.
Hard Work
The motif of hard work supports the three central themes. To keep The Omnipresent Influence of Baseball positive, Brian must work hard at his goals. He must excel in school, perform multiple duties as a batboy, and play a pivotal role on his Little League team. Likewise, Hank must also work hard to counter his hitting slump and regain his reputation as a highly successful player.
This mindset also extends to Brian’s determination to befriend Hank. By not giving up on forming a relationship with Hank, Brian helps both himself and his favorite baseball hero. Just as Hank helps Brian perfect his swing, Brian also helps Hank regain his previous skill at the game. The emphasis on hard work also extends to the theme of Overcoming Miscommunication and Forging New Connections. In the story, speaking, listening, and understanding require mindfulness and persistence, and Brian uses his knowledge of baseball and his willpower to overcome Hank’s ornery side and establish a stable line of communication with him. After Hank hits his 500th home run, he tells Brian, “You showed me how to love baseball again. And reminded me why I loved it in the first place” (218).
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By Mike Lupica
