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| Book Review — Special to ClubMemoir.org |
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At first glance, this book may
look like just another baseball story. However, baseball is merely
the vehicle for the author to take on racism, inner city violence, poverty,
addiction, and the power of faith to heal all of these. With the help
of Gregg Lewis, a freelance writer, Bob Muzikowski's first book delivers
a powerful message of hope as well as a call to all of us to be part of the
solution.
The dangerous lives of inner city kids intersect with Muzikowski's when he
decides to found the Near North Little League of Chicago using an empty lot
in the Cabrini-Green housing projects. The author wastes no time in
establishing just how rough these kids’ lives are. He opens with the
shooting death of Mike, a Little League player who could turn backflips like
the St. Louis Cardinals shortstop, Ozzie Smith. The incident, along
with a later shooting death of another Little Leaguer, causes Coach Bob to
reflect on why he got involved in the first place.
Answering this question requires quite a bit of background information.
The narrative waxes autobiographical as Muzikowski gets into his Irish and
Polish heritage and New Jersey childhood. At times, the author seems
to get a little carried away with his own memories, such as his paper route,
the time a kid drowned in Newark Bay, and the trials of Catholic school.
While these anecdotes paint a vivid picture of the author’s childhood, they
seem irrelevant to the main story. Some memories, such as attending
Martin Luther King’s "I Have a Dream" speech, reveal the origins of adult
Bob's attitudes toward racism and other issues that have later significance.
Muzikowski grows up to be almost two different people. On the one hand, he’s
a rugby playing, entrepreneurial, Ivy League graduate. He also ends
up as an alcoholic coke addict whom prostitutes know by name. Thanks
to a minister he meets during a rugby game and an old friend who brings him
to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, all that is in the past. Slowly,
Muzikowski straightens out, gets married, and finds a solid faith that transforms
him from a rampaging hedonist into a tireless philanthropist.
About halfway through the book, the author returns to the Little League story.
The League’s fascinating story describes all the people involved and how
it changed lives and places for the better. While Muzikowski's life
experiences are remarkable and interesting, it’s hard to say whether such
an in-depth telling of them enhances the main story or sidetrack from it.
It feels as if there are really two stories in this book.
Nonetheless, Safe at Home has appeal for everyone from politicians
to coaches, sports enthusiasts to people of faith, recovering addicts to
jaded urbanites. It’s proof of the power of one person as well as a
testimony to the village it takes to raise a child. This amazing story will
make you smile, maybe cry, but definitely will leave you wondering what more
you can do to be a better neighbor.
— Viveka E. Neveln
ClubMemoir.org Book Review Editor
This book review is the property of its
author and ClubMemoir.org.
It may not be reproduced without the prior consent of ClubMemoir.org
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Safe at Home by Bob Muzikowski (with Gregg
Lewis)