Tour dates are as follows with additional appearances to be added.

• Sunday Apr. 29, Monona––Home Talent League Opening Day, Marshall at Monona, 1:00 p.m.
• Thursday May 3, Fort Atkinson––It’s Just a Game Release Party, Fat Boyz, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday May 6, Verona––Home Talent League Western Section Opening Day, Wiota at Verona, 1:00 p.m.
• Friday May 11, Crivitz––Book Talk, Crivitz Public Library, 10:00 a.m.
• Friday May 11, Crivitz––It’s Just a Game Release Party, Dan and Tim’s Riverside, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday May 13, Lake Mills––Mother’s Day, Orfordville at Lake Mills, 1:00 p.m.
• Saturday May 19, Stoughton––Syttende Mai Festival, Utica at Stoughton, 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday May 19, Richland Center––Home Opener, Middleton at Richland Center, 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday May 20, Beloit––Home Opener, Evansville at Orfordville at Town of Beloit Youth Complex, 1:00 p.m.
• Saturday June 16, Cottage Grove––Cottage Grove Fireman’s Festival, DeForest at Cottage Grove, 2:00 p.m.
• Sunday June 17, Blanchardville––Father’s Day Chicken Barbecue, 1:00 p.m.
• Wednesday July 4, Waterloo––Independence Day Festival, 2:00 p.m.
• Sunday July 22, Ashton––Ashton Fan Appreciation, Old-Timers Game, Middleton at Ashton, 2:00 p.m.

It’s a fascinating tale of small town America and the big personalities that can be found there, the lengths people go to so they can do the things they love, and most of all, of baseball.

-Ryan Topp, Disciples of Uecker

It’s Just a Game is a worthwhile look into the world of Wisconsin adult amateur baseball that fans of the game and people interested in Wisconsin culture should enjoy.

-Nicole Bourgoin, Brew Crew Ball

It’s Just a Game in the media:

Beaver Dam Daily Citizen

Bill Michaels Sports

Brew Crew Ball

Disciples of Uecker

At 10:00 a.m. Carriveau will visit the Crivitz Public Library for a book talk followed by a book signing.

The public is welcome. Refreshments will be served.

Then at 12:30 p.m., the author will visit Crivitz High School to speak to the language arts classes of Ms. Traci Plucker and Ms. Dana Pragne about his book and a career in journalism.

Donations of It’s Just a Game will be made to both the public and high school libraries.

The day will conclude with the release party of It’s Just a Game at Dan and Tim’s Riverside from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Tap beer will be provided for patrons of age.

To win the book, all you have to do is guess the combined number of hits the Brewers and Cincinnati Reds will total this evening on Tuesday May 8 at Miller Park. Send your guesses to berniescrew@gmail.com by 7:00 p.m. Central time.

And to read more about It’s Just a Game at Disciples of Uecker, please click here.

Bill Michaels Sports airs on a network of six stations across Wisconsin on 1250 AM in Milwaukee, 570 AM in Marinette, 1440 AM in Green Bay, 1390 AM in Wausau, 1330 AM in Sheboygan and 92.3 FM in Marshfield.

Listen to the podcasted version of the interview here. Carriveau’s interview occurs roughly 21 minutes into the show…

With today being the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby, ESPN’s Grantland has re-visited the work of Thompson in his visionary article on the legendary horse race, “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved,” recommended reading for any fan that likes to see how sports transcends culture.

While Thompson’s “gonzo” journalism style isn’t for everyone, his imagery and writing that appeals to the five senses is second to none.

Elsewhere in the media, It’s Just a Game has been reviewed the Milwaukee Brewers blog Brew Crew Ball.

And Carriveau recently joined the Bernie’s Crew podcast on ESPN’s Sweetspot Network website Disciples of Uecker to talk about It’s Just a Game and Brewers baseball. Listen below…

The first will be held on Thursday May 3 at Fat Boyz in Fort Atkinson from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The next will be held on Friday May 11 at Riverside in Crivitz, again from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Author Brian Carriveau will be on hand signing copies of It’s Just Game.

Books will be available for purchase.

Come on out. Everyone is invited, and best of all, tap beer will be on the house!

The game will feature Monona hosting Marshall beginning at 1 p.m.

Copies of It’s Just a Game will be available for purchase.

Monona will be the first stop on the It’s Just a Game tour, which will be stopping at ballparks of the Home Talent League throughout the 2012 season.

The advance copies of It’s Just a Game are in, and that means they’ll be hitting bookshelves soon.

The official release date is May 1. Starting on that date It’s Just a Game will appear in bookstores and online outlets such as Amazon, but of course, It’s Just a Game is available here at BrianCarriveau.com right now.

For those that pre-ordered the book, it will be sent out in the next week or two. Thank you for your patronage. Stay tuned for release party dates and media appearances.

Jim Gantner with author Brian Carriveau

Former Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Jim Gantner, a veteran of 17 years in Major League Baseball, will be contributing the Foreword for It’s Just a Game.

Gantner is a native of Eden, Wisconsin and played adult amateur baseball for Long Lake of the Rock River League and Oakfield of the Tri-County League before ever logging an inning in professional baseball.

It’s experiences such as these that makes Gantner’s insight invaluable to a book examining the world of town-team baseball through the lens of Southern Wisconsin’s Home Talent League.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to Gantner at the tavern he owns in Eden, Scud’s Buds, where he talked about the declining interest in adult amateur baseball due in part to the popularity in the faster and easier game of slow-pitch softball.

The former Brewers infielder encouraged baseball players, especially those in high school and college who are still developing their talent, to play as much baseball as possible including the local town team.

“Play all you can,” said Gantner. “The more you can play, the better you’re going to get. You’ve got a disadvantage around here because of the weather. Playing down South or out West, they’re playing pretty much year round. Guys around here should play on every hard ball team they can play for. Get on a team and play, just play.”

The public release date of It’s Just a Game is on May 1 when it will be available in bookstores nationwide and online retail outlets such as Amazon.  The book can be pre-ordered through this website.