Stephen King’s Blockade Billy

by: RFR Casket Crew Denise

Stephen King’s done it again with short story Blockade Billy and  Morality. Even though these two stories are short, they still have all the elements that Stephen King brings to his work.

Blockade Billy is narrated by George Grantham, a third base coach for The Titians. William Blakey or Blockade Billy was a catcher for the Davenport Corn Huskers before he was called up to the majors when The Titians lost two catchers during spring training. Catchers should be built like fire plugs.

Blockade Billy is tall and slender although his thighs and butt are more muscular. To the third base coach,  he looks like broken ribs just waiting to happen. But the legend of Blockade Billy began on opening day.

You couldn’t say he called a good game because he didn’t call it. The Dew did that but the first pitch to Frank Milezone was a curve and the kid caught it just fine. Not only that, though, it was just a cunt outside and I never saw a catcher pull one back so fast, not even Yogi. Ump called strike one and it was off to the races.

Blockade Billy manages to win the opening game even though there was some controversy. And like the narrator relates about the opening game day, this story is off to the races. Blockade Billy is a great sport story but there’s an underlining theme – that’s what makes it a really good suspense story. I like how Stephen King presents this story – the author interviewing the narrator as if the story was nonfiction.

I bought the audio book of Blockade Billy so I also got an extra story, Morality. Since I didn’t flip through the print version of this book, I don’t if Morality is included. With that said, I’m not going to say much about it except to say…it’s an excellent griping and suspenseful story that compliments the first.

Next time I’ll be taking a look at issue 2 of American Vampire. This a comic book series written by Scott Synder and Stephen King. I can’t wait to find out what happens to Miss Pearl Jones and Skinner Sweet.