Whimsical story of Gideon Clarke who, inherits from his father the need to prove the existence of the Iowa Baseball Confederacy and a game their allstars played against the Chicago Cubs in 1908.  Problem is no one other than Gideon or his deceased father seem to be aware of the game having ever taken place.

Following in the sentimental mode of Shoeless Joe, author Kinsella spins another magical yarn centred on baseball and the lives of people who get caught up in the various mysteries surrounding it.  Here though, I believe Kinsella didn't create the same romantic elements of both the game of baseball nor the ups and downs of the lives of his characters as he did in Shoeless Joe, and therefore would view this as an enjoyable, yet weaker sister story.