Baseball is a central symbol in The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. Its importance is clear from the novel’s structure, with each chapter is named after an inning, beginning at the Pregame and ending with the Postgame. Trisha’s nine days in the woods constitute the “game” portion of the book, mirroring the nine innings of a baseball game. Basing the chapter titles on innings allows the reader to track how far along Trisha is in her journey, and the game becomes a symbol for her fight to survive by reconciling the forces of luck and skill.

The presence of baseball in the novel goes beyond its structure. Trisha is a fanatical baseball fan, loyal to the Red Sox and to pitcher Tom Gordon. Her father is also a Red Sox fan, and their shared allegiance keeps them connected during her parents’ contentious divorce. After Trisha gets lost in the woods, baseball becomes a beacon of hope, something to believe in when she feels abandoned by God and everyone else. Trisha’s best escape from her surroundings is listening to the Red Sox’s countrywide tour on her Walkman. She fully immerses herself in the games to the point where she feels that her life is connected to the outcome of Tom Gordon’s pitches.