Lately I've been studying heavy tomes on abstruse subjects like physics and neuroscience. To give myself a break I'm now reading a series of fun books by George Plimpton. They're an amuse-bouche, light refreshment to stimulate my mental palate.
These books were popular in the 1960s and '70s. George Plimpton, a literary gentleman, wondered what it would be like to play sports with professional athletes. At the time George was an out-of-shape amateur who hadn't done anything physical since college -- and was mediocre even then. What interested George were the visceral experiences of meeting pros on their turf, facing reality instead of fantasy.
In Yankee Stadium George pitched to baseball greats Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and a dozen others ("Out Of My League"). On the gridiron, George quarterbacked for the Detroit Lions ("Paper Lion"). He even climbed into a boxing ring and went a few rounds with a champion fighter. And he was a hockey goalie for the Boston Bruins ("Open Net"). These feats were initially published as articles in Sports Illustrated and later turned into bestselling books. "Paper Lion" was turned into a movie starring Alan Alda.
Every sports fan has Walter Mitty fantasies of being on the playing field in heated battle. "It's the bottom of the ninth inning and..." George faced those situations up close and his observations about them are very amusing.
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