Admiration Quotes in The Art of Fielding

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

"Now that he'd seen that kind of talent up close, he couldn't let it walk away." (1.12)

Mike Schwartz is nasty to Henry until he sees a talent in him that he's never seen before. Once he sees that, Mike can't let it go, making him both a good coach and kind of a parasite.

Quote #2

"So you're the guy Schwartz keeps talking about. […] The baseball messiah." (4.21)

Mike also seems to have a gift for hyperbole. If he's going to admire someone or something, he's going to make sure it's absolutely the best and worthy of his attention.

Quote #3

Putting Henry at shortstop—it was like taking a painting that had been shoved in a closet and hanging it in the ideal spot. You instantly forgot what the room had looked like before. (5.87)

Henry isn't just a good baseball player; it seems that watching Henry is like viewing a classic work of art. Maybe that "baseball messiah" jazz wasn't hyperbole after all.