A Season on the Drink - by Pat Harris (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A broken team. A battle for dignity. A summer of softball that united them against the odds. Marty's fast-pitch softball team is far from typical. He and his unlikely teammates represent the Residence, a haven for chronic alcoholics--where forgotten men, written off by society, drown in their addictions. Yet they find something worth fighting for on a dusty Minnesota baseball diamond: their dignity"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Based on the remarkable true story of personal redemption and the power of community.

A broken team. A battle for dignity. A summer of softball that united them against the odds.

Marty's fast-pitch softball team is far from typical. He and his unlikely teammates represent the Residence, a haven for chronic alcoholics--where forgotten men, written off by society, drown in their addictions. Yet they find something worth fighting for on a dusty Minnesota baseball diamond: their dignity.

As the men square off in a rec league against polished corporate teams with everything going for them, Marty and his gang must battle their inner demons and society's prejudices on an extraordinary path to redemption. The teammates form a fragile bond as they discover that their magical season offers more than just wins and losses--it's a chance to reclaim their identities and find purpose in a world that has long forgotten them.

Based on a true story, A Season on the Drink chronicles the raw, unforgettable story of redemption. Pat Harris masterfully weaves together themes of addiction, friendship, and resilience in this gripping narrative that transcends traditional sports literature. Through intimate portraits of the residents, the story reveals the transformative power of community and the unexpected joy found in life's darkest corners.

Can the spirit of sports triumph over the crushing weight of addiction? As the season unfolds, these men discover that sometimes the greatest victories happen far from the scoreboard, in the quiet moments between pitches where hope takes root and friendship blooms.

Review Quotes

"A Season on the Drink is a story of challenge, hope, and coming together as a team to do something extraordinary that can transform--even for a moment... It's a story of redemption, dignity, and purpose."

--Dave Winfield, National Baseball Hall of Fame

"Harris' book is a tribute to the community around local sports. He writes about an ordinary place filled with extraordinary people full of dignity and lives full of meaning. It's a sobering story of sports, friendship and stands as a restorative first-rate read."

--Jack Hannahan, former Major League Baseball player

"The best baseball stories are deeply rooted in a love for the game while also casting an unflinching eye at the world beyond the foul poles. Count A Season on the Drink among those stories. Pat Harris masterfully blends wry humor with an honest, moving portrayal of addiction to create a memorable cast of characters who keep readers rooting for them even after the last pitch is thrown."

--Jack Heffron, author of The Local Boys

"Harris's debut is a remarkable novel whose subject is, on its surface, a softball team made up of chronic alcoholics. Immersion in its storytelling, however, reveals greater depths, focusing on a handful of characters from the team and the Saint Anthony Residence."

--Julia Kastner, "Maximum Shelf," Shelf Awareness

"A Season on the Drink is a powerful and compassionate portrait of the men living at the St. Anthony Residence--fittingly named for the patron saint of lost things. While Harris offers an honest account of all they have lost--stability, relationships, health, and purpose--he also reveals what remains: moments of connection, resilience, and the hope of being seen. At its heart, this is a story about our need to belong, even in the most overlooked and forgotten places."

--Pat Plonski, Executive Director, Books for Africa

"Finding your place in the world isn't always a fastball down the middle. A Season on the Drink captures the hopes and struggles we all face--on the field and off. Full of heart, humor, and hard truths, this one connects. I call 'em like I see 'em: it's a hit."

--Tim Tschida, legendary MLB umpire

"The joy of this wonderful book is the hunt. We search for ourselves in each of the characters. Adapt, examine, identify, discard. Like a great painting, A Season on the Drink is immersive in the best sense."

--Mike Veeck, Minor League Baseball team owner

"First pitch and you're in. A Season on the Drink is an original cocktail of true characters, orderly chaos, broken dreams, and a shaky team of outcasts desperate for redemption. Its free-swinging narrative neatly weaves through a lineup of complicated lives that intersect through personal pain and shared inspiration. It's a winner!"

--Dave Whitaker, author of Cabrini-Green in Words & Pictures

About the Author

Pat Harris is a former elected official on the Saint Paul (Minnesota) City Council, a consultant in the public financial industry for over two decades, and a lifelong community activist and leader. He has served on numerous nonprofit boards, and he has been honored with multiple awards, including two Emmy Awards for a project he spearheaded that generated over one billion media impressions. He has a B.A. in English from Marquette University and an M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota.