Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team

BROTHERS AT BAT: THE TRUE STORY OF AN AMAZING ALL-BROTHER BASEBALL TEAM tells the story of the Acerra brothers, who played on a baseball team together as children and young adults. The story begins in the 1920s; the boys progress from backyard games to high school team sports, and then to semi-professional ball in 1938, when the oldest nine brothers formed a touring team. Along the way, the brothers display exemplary teamwork and good sportsmanship. In 1939, the Acerras appear at the World's Fair in New York, where they're honored as New Jersey's biggest family. Later, Albert Acerra is hit in the face with a pitch during a game and loses an eye. All of Albert's brothers work with him slowly until he acclimates to playing with his eye patch. Then, in the '40s, baseball play is interrupted when six of the Acerra brothers join the military. After World War II, all of the brothers return home safely and go on to play baseball for several more years, this time with one of the oldest brothers coaching. The Acerras play their last game as a team in 1952. They're honored as the longest-running all-brother team by the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. An author's note at the end of the book explains how author Audrey Vernick met two of the brothers and learned about their lives.