It’s Only a Game! is a sports memoir that will touch the hearts of anyone who has ever spent a portion of their childhood playing organized sports, or who has followed a favorite sports teams.

     What began as a short story about the author’s idolization of Pittsburgh Pirates’ Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski, and “Maz’s” fall from grace in the youngster’s heart, was expanded to include his childhood sports memories in general.

     You'll find the highs and lows of team participation; the proverbial thrill of victory and agony of defeat which shapes the character of young players; and the added bonus of the author's reviews of the Boston Red Sox’s World Series efforts from 2004 to 2018, including the history-making 2004 ALCS series against the Yankees. Boston fans will recall the devastating experience of the Boston Marathon bombings, and the way the Sox and the entire city coalesced around the “Boston Strong” theme. 

     A sports enthusiast will find Kidder’s memories and musings familiar, amusing, heartbreaking, even amazing and almost unbelievable at times: in the depth of his childhood experiences with baseball; his brush with football; and the self-effacement regarding his skills in sports in which he did not excel (pretty much everything besides baseball).