Summary

In Chapter 1 of The Art of Fielding, Mike Schwartz, student at Westish College in Wisconsin, has just finished a summer game with his American Legion team. Though the game itself was unremarkable, Schwartz makes an important discovery afterwards; his attention is drawn to a small, unassuming shortstop from South Dakota. This shortstop spends a few minutes after the game fielding balls hit by his coach, and moves with grace and instinct that immediately impress Mike. Mesmerized and determined not to lose such an example of natural talent, Mike decides the approach the shortstop.

Chapter 2 shifts to the perspective of the shortstop himself, Henry Skrimshander. Growing up, Henry had developed a passion for baseball. He was a devotee of legendary shortstop Aparicio Rodriguez and of Rodriguez's book The Art of Fielding, and honed his own skills to a remarkable degree. (Henry's baseball mitt is...