Who is Tom Gordon, and what does he have to do with the story "the girl who loved Tom Gordon"

Tom Gordon is Trisha's hero and heartthrob. He is player number 36 on the professional baseball team, the Boston Red Sox. Trisha loves to watch Tom play, to cloak himself with calm confidence before delivering the final pitch. After each game he saves, Tom points his index finger to the sky, as if thanking the heavens above. It is this gesture which provides Trisha with hope during her darkest hours. Tom's apparent belief in God provides her much more comfort than her father's weak belief in some vague life force. Although Tom Gordon never appears in the book, Trisha hallucinates him into being, and he becomes her guardian and adviser in the woods. In her dreams at night, Tom tells Trisha two important truths which she clings to: that the secret to closing is showing your opponent you're better, and that the nature of God is to come on strong when the game nears the end. Both these beliefs help Trisha overcome her darkest fears, and ultimately help her survive her strenuous journey.