Once upon a time, children were allowed to play outside and explore the world. Family dinners were the rule, not the exception. Rock and roll was new, exciting, and a little dangerous. This may sound like the setting of an old movie, but for author Anthony N. Botta it formed the background of his life as he grew up in a large Italian family in a New York City borough. In Stumps in the Outfield, he narrates his life story, beginning with his birth in 1952. He shares how, as a young boy he didn't understand the war or the social revolutions about to take place. All he knew was his love of baseball, music, and his family. Botta tells a story filled with first crushes, dreams, and bitter disappointments. From his memories of the nuns of his school to his early marriage and subsequent divorce, Botta offers a rich account of a time many wish they knew. Witty and sometimes heartbreaking, this memoir captures and celebrates the joy, drama, and trauma of a generation of change.