4. Blockade Billy
Publication Date: 2010
Collected In: - William "Blockade Billy" Blakely is the greatest baseball player to have ever graced the game - except that nobody remembers him because every trace of his career has been erased from the history books. Told from the perspective of George "Granny" Grantham - the third base coach of fictional baseball team the New Jersey Titans -
Blockade Billy takes form as an oral history set over many years. The story begins in 1957, as George recalls the first game in which Billy is brought onto the field as a last resort and manages to blow everybody away with his skill. Of course, this is King, so Billy is harnessing a dark secret that will ultimately be his undoing.
Blockade Billy is Stephen King's only major contribution to the relatively scarce field of sports fiction. King's own love of baseball is easily noticed over the span of his works, however, and he's written a couple of non-fiction books on the subject, too. King's American fans had often wondered if he'd get around to writing something centered on baseball, and he wrote this novella in just 2 weeks as a kind of response. And it's a good little story - not exactly his best work - that manages to blend baseball and King's trademark macabre in a way that feels authentic.
Would it make a good feature film? Yes. The oral history aspect makes it ripe for an on-screen adaptation, and certain elements of the plot could be expanded to flesh the story out further. The revelation of Billy's secret would also prove satisfying as a big screen twist. It might also be the first in a new genre mash-up: the sports horror film.
Publication Date: 2010 Collected In: - William "Blockade Billy" Blakely is the greatest baseball player to have ever graced the game - except that nobody remembers him because every trace of his career has been erased from the history books. Told from the perspective of George "Granny" Grantham - the third base coach of fictional baseball team the New Jersey Titans - Blockade Billy takes form as an oral history set over many years. The story begins in 1957, as George recalls the first game in which Billy is brought onto the field as a last resort and manages to blow everybody away with his skill. Of course, this is King, so Billy is harnessing a dark secret that will ultimately be his undoing. Blockade Billy is Stephen King's only major contribution to the relatively scarce field of sports fiction. King's own love of baseball is easily noticed over the span of his works, however, and he's written a couple of non-fiction books on the subject, too. King's American fans had often wondered if he'd get around to writing something centered on baseball, and he wrote this novella in just 2 weeks as a kind of response. And it's a good little story - not exactly his best work - that manages to blend baseball and King's trademark macabre in a way that feels authentic. Would it make a good feature film? Yes. The oral history aspect makes it ripe for an on-screen adaptation, and certain elements of the plot could be expanded to flesh the story out further. The revelation of Billy's secret would also prove satisfying as a big screen twist. It might also be the first in a new genre mash-up: the sports horror film.