David Oliphant

The Ballplayer, a Novel Based on a True Story David Oliphant

This story takes place in the 1950's, when baseball was at its best. Dave Roth, grew up in a tough neighborhood in the South Bronx. He was a religious Jew and a warlord of a local gang. During a rumble with a rival gang from Spanish Harlem, Irena Rosario, his girlfriend, accidentally gets shot and killed on her way to church. Dave is considered guilty until proven innocent, and spends time in jail until his parents bail him out. He goes on to finish high school. The New York Yankees become aware of Dave's athletic talents which leads to the Yankees signing him to a Minor League contract. He is assigned to the Class "D" Olean Yankees in upstate New York. He has an incredibly good season and is brought up to the Major Leagues to pitch a pivotal game against the Boston Red Sox. In the meantime, the GM has a vendetta against Dave and was against the owner's decision to bring him up in the first place. He gets the dirt on Dave's past from a third party that may cause his career to be over before it begins. Does he clear his name in make the start?