By Mike Capps & Chuck Hartenstein
When Trace Malloy and Blaine Witherspoon collide on a desolate West Texas highway, their fender bender sets the tone for escalating clashes that will determine the future of the town of Conquistador.
Malloy, a ranch manager and lifelong cowboy, knows that his occupation-and his community-are dying. He wants new-millennium opportunities for his son, even though he himself failed to summon the courage to leave familiar touchstones behind.
Witherspoon, an ambitious, Lexus-driving techie, offers a solution. He moves to Conquistador to build and run a state-of-the-art semiconductor plant that will bring prestige and high-paying technology jobs to revive the town-and advance his own career.
What neither man anticipates is the power the "Big Empty" will wield over their plans. The flat, endless expanse of dusty plain is as much a character in the conflict as are the locals struggling to subsist in this timeworn backwater and the high-tech transplants hell-bent on conquering it. While Malloy grapples with the flaws of his ancestors and his growing ambivalence toward the chip plant, Witherspoon falls prey to construction snafus, corporate backstabbing, and financial fraud. As they each confront personal fears, they find themselves united in the search for their own version of purpose in a uniquely untamable Texas landscape.
Mike Capps has been the play-by-play voice of the AAA Round Rock Express for 21 seasons. He's worked for the Texas Rangers, the Houston Astros and ESPN Radio. He worked in radio and television news for 22 years at ABC, CNN and stations in Dallas and Houston, covering the first Gulf War, the Branch Davidian siege and 16 Space Shuttle missions, including the Challenger disaster. Capps is also the co-author with Red Murff of The Scout: Searching for the Best in Baseball.
Chuck Hartenstein pitched for 15 years as a reliever for the Chicago Cubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the St. Louis Cardinals, the Boston Red Sox and the Toronto Blue Jays. He later worked as a pitching coach and scout in both the minor and major leagues and was voted into the University of Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in 2004.
"When I finished reading this, I just left it on my reading table because I will be reading it again very soon. For any baseball fan, and especially those who love Minor League baseball, this is riveting reading. Multiple short stories about famous and some ordinary people who never, never give up. A true chronicle of baseball players who showed up every day to give total effort. Very inspirational reading."
- Sheriff Joe (Verified Purchase)
"As an avid reader, this will go down as one of my top books of the year. If you are a baseball fan, or even if you are not, you will enjoy this inspirational and well written book."
- Randy Patterson (Verified Purchase)
"This book perfectly depicts the life in the minor leagues"
- Pam (Verified Purchase)
Copyright © 2023 Stoney Creek Publishing Group - All Rights Reserved.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.