Jack Keefe Stories
Jack Keefe is a gifted young pitcher for the Chicago White Sox and, by his own account, the smartest man in baseball. Ring Lardner tells his story entirely through the letters Jack writes home to his friend Al in Indiana, and every one of them gives away more than the writer intends. First published in 1916 as You Know Me Al, the stories track a boastful, tightfisted, easily fooled rookie through contract squabbles, romances, and roster moves around the 1913 season. The barely literate spelling is part of the joke, but the real comedy comes from Jack’s endless talent for excusing himself. It stands among the finest baseball books ever written. This free PDF and EPUB edition collects the letters in full.
About the Author
Ring Lardner (1885-1933) was an American sportswriter, humorist, and short-story writer celebrated for his sharp ear for everyday speech. Beginning as a baseball reporter, he became one of the country’s most admired satirists, influencing writers from Hemingway to Fitzgerald with his deadpan vernacular comedy.
See all books by Ring Lardner →
