The Big Field

Darryl encompasses many common character types. From one angle, he is the archetypal superstar-in-the-making. People give him free things, like shoes and sunglasses, and he plays with nonchalance. The narrator notes, “Darryl never seemed to look tense or worried or anxious” (3). Darryl’s aloofness makes him an outsider—the team’s Other. All the Cardinals vote for Hutch to be their captain except for Darryl, and on their way to play the Dodgers, Darryl sleeps while the players “trash talk” one another.

Another character type is the antagonist. While the other players playfully tease Hutch about the media attention he gets after hitting the game-winning home run against the Yankees, Darryl’s mockery becomes toxic due to “the way he had kept leaning on Captain” (61). Aside from deriding his captain status, Darryl makes Hutch vulnerable to injury when he purposefully holds onto the ball during practice, causing the runner to crash into Hutch.

Despite his antagonistic characteristics, Darryl isn’t irredeemable. Mike Lupica makes him sympathetic by taking away his dad. He also gives Darryl feelings by building a connection between Darryl and Carl. Reverting to his antagonistic role, Darryl taunts Hutch, “You afraid your daddy likes me better than you?” (109). However, before game three, Darryl becomes more of a mentor; he teaches Hutch to appreciate his dad and tells him to be “more grateful” that he is a part of his life (222).

Like Hutch, Darryl doesn’t come from a wealthy family. His mom works “on her feet all day,” so she is often too tired to come to his games (222). Darryl never met his dad, and he doesn’t know much about him. Hutch asks if Darryl’s dad likes baseball, and Darryl replies, “Only to bet on it, according to my mom” (101). This implies that Darryl’s dad has a gambling problem and prioritizes money—or at least, the possibility of winning it—over his family. Darryl’s parental situation juxtaposes Hutch’s situation, and Darryl teaches Hutch to appreciate having a father who is present. Darryl connects with Carl, and Carl identifies as a “Florida redneck” (71). Darryl arguably carries a similar identity. His diction—words like “dang” and “ain’t”—suggests he and Carl occupy the same social class.

Carl is Hutch’s dad, and like Darryl, he fulfills the role of multiple character types. For much of the story, Hutch turns Carl into an antagonist. He wants to bond with his dad over baseball, but Carl stays away, and Hutch views this distance as an affront. Carl wasn’t always averse to experiencing baseball with Hutch. When Hutch was little, he taught him how to hold a bat, and he analyzed the televised games with him. Once Hutch turned eight, the relationship took on its adversarial element, with Hutch throwing balls against the pitchback by himself. The narrator explains, “There wasn’t a single night he did it when he didn’t keep waiting for the back door to open and his dad to come walking out, wanting to play” (28). Hutch wants his dad to be more involved with him and baseball, but baseball traumatized Carl.

Like Darryl, Carl was a superstar in the making—a “sure thing”—but he didn’t have a successful professional career. When he discovered he “wasn’t good enough,” he lost hope, and now he doesn’t want his son to make “the same mistake” by loving baseball so much that it can hurt him (122). Carl doesn’t want to hurt Hutch, but to protect him. Even if he can’t stop Hutch from “[w]anting it too much,” he can choose not to encourage his son’s love of baseball by keeping Hutch and the sport at arm’s length. This, in turn, protects Carl from reliving the painful experience of losing his dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. In other words, Carl’s detached attitude is a coping mechanism. He cares about Hutch. If he didn’t love him, he wouldn’t worry about the possibility of his son getting hurt, and he could bond with Hutch over baseball without reservation. Carl doesn’t love Darryl. Darryl isn’t his son, so practicing with him doesn’t come with any emotional consequences.

In the final chapters, however, Hutch and Carl form a subtle bond over baseball. Hutch secretly watches Carl in the batting cage, bringing Hutch catharsis. In game three from the stands, Carl plays the mentor role, signaling for Hutch to bunt for a hit. The hug in the end indicates that Hutch stops seeing Carl as an adversary and, heeding Darryl’s guidance, begins to appreciate his presence.

Carl is a working-class dad with two jobs: He caddies at the Emerald Dunes Golf Club and drives for Sun Coast limousines. Carl identifies as a “redneck.” He is unpretentious and upfront. According to his wife, Connie, “What he’s doing is good, honest work” (163). While Carl isn’t ashamed of his socioeconomic position, he wants to see Hutch do different things.

Cody is the sidekick. The narrator refers to him as “Hutch’s best friend in the world” before making them closer by describing them as “more like brothers than friends” (8-9). As his best friend, Cody is continually by Hutch’s side, even in difficult times. After Hutch hits the game-winning home run against the Yankees, Cody teases him about his laconic TV interview, and after Hutch makes the error in game one, Cody lightens the mood by asking the team to compare the error to tacky movies. While Hutch is mostly serious, Cody is often humorous and performative.

Despite his role as the comic relief, Cody can be more than the funny sidekick. He gets serious when Hutch considers not attending game one due to the suspension, and he makes Hutch realize that his game-one error was a part of baseball, telling Hutch, “Baseball happened tonight. And I promise, baseball will be better tomorrow” (189). Cody sees baseball as a symbol of life, but, unlike Hutch, he doesn’t see Darryl as someone he can like. Though Cody and Darryl come from the same socioeconomic class and say words like “ain’t,” Cody continually mocks Darryl and his superstar persona.

Connie Hutchinson is Hutch’s mom, and she is from Puerto Rico. Before coming to Florida and marrying Carl, her name was Consuela Valentin. Connie gives the story a multicultural element. She says “Spanglish” phrases like “iAy, bendito!” and cooks Hutch asopao before game one. While Carl is a source of tension, Connie provides support and solace. Hutch speaks to her about his problems with Carl, and Connie remains upbeat about the conflict, telling her son, “Honey, you and your dad are just going through a rough patch, is all” (159). Connie only yells at Hutch when he suggests he is ashamed of Carl’s working-class jobs. Connie works at a clothing store, and she doesn’t want her son to feel embarrassed by his parents.