Manuel plays baseball in the minor leagues. One day, he discovers a baseball bat that guarantees home runs for anyone who uses it in an official Major League Baseball game. Frank Richantall is the principal owner of the Tampa Rays. He also owns the Tampa Tribune. When the businessman hears about Manuel and his magical bat, he finds the story amusing. He sees it as an excellent publicity opportunity for both the team and the newspaper. Not only does the newspaper pay Manuel a few dollars to attend Rays games at Tropicana Field dressed in the team's uniform, but its sports section also publishes a daily feature asking: "WILL MANUEL PLAY TONIGHT?" Joe Black, the Rays' manager, is far from pleased with all the commotion surrounding Manuel. Why? Because every game sells out to capacity, and throughout the stadium the crowd chants Manuel's name like patients in an asylum, demanding that he play. Joe Black is not the kind of man who believes in fairy tales or superstition. He refuses to go down in history as the fool who sent an inexperienced kid to face one of baseball's elite pitchers, only to watch him swing helplessly three times with his so-called magical bat. Now we come to Game 7 of a best-of-seven series. The prize: the World Series Championship. The Tampa Rays are facing the Philadelphia Phillies. The Rays are batting. They trail 7-4 in the bottom of the ninth inning. The bases are loaded. There are two outs. Joe Black is about to watch his dream of winning the World Series disappear if LE VOODOO, the Phillies' star relief pitcher, retires the next batter. On the other hand, a home run would score four runs and give the Rays an unforgettable victory. The crowd is going wild. They demand that Joe send Manuel to the plate with his magical bat. And Joe realizes that satisfying the crowd may be the only way he gets out of Tropicana Field alive... Well... if you want to know how it ends, you'll have to read the book.
