Just then, the screen door creaked loudly. Blake and his mom both turned toward the porch.
“Son, Coach Sweatt is on the phone for you!” Dad hollered.
Blake raced inside, almost knocking his dad over in his hurry. “Hey, Coach!” he said, picking up the phone.
“Good evening, Blake. How are you doing?” asked Coach Sweatt.
Blake’s nerves were starting to get the best of him. What if he’s calling to say I didn’t make the team? he worried. But he tried to play it cool. “I’m OK,” he replied.
“Good. Listen, I have to say, I was really impressed with the way you carried yourself during tryouts,” Coach Sweatt continued. “It’s rare to see a kid with zero league experience hold his own with all-stars and city leaguers.”
“Thanks!” Blake exclaimed. Coach’s praise had to be a good sign, right? “I had a blast.”
“I’m going to cut to the chase,” Coach said. “You made the team. You’ve got the hustle and heart I like to see in my players. Welcome to the Mega-Middies.”
“I made the team?” Blake practically shouted.
He wanted to scream with joy, but he didn’t want to embarrass himself on the phone.
“I mean, thanks, Coach!” Blake said. “Thanks for giving me a chance!”
“No problem, Blake,” said Coach Sweatt. “Our first official practice will be tomorrow evening at the Mega-Plex. We’ll practice three days a week. Games are on the weekends, and our first game is in two weeks. We’ll have a twenty-game season, and if we win at least ten games, we qualify for the state tournament.”
“That sounds awesome, Coach!” Blake said. He smiled as he took in all the details. “What position am I playing?”
He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but Blake couldn’t help but wonder, Do I have a chance to start?
Coach Sweatt paused. “You’ll be backing up Kyle at second base to start,” he said. “You definitely have skills, but they’re still raw. You need time to practice. We’ll get you in the game when we can, but don’t expect to play too much.”
Blake’s heart sank. He knew it had been a long shot, but he was still disappointed not to be a starter. Still, he reminded himself, I did make the team. I wasn’t even sure that was possible.
Blake picked himself up and replied, “OK, Coach, that works for me. Thanks again for giving me a shot.”
“See you tomorrow at seven o’clock. Be ready to play!” Coach Sweatt said before hanging up the phone.
Blake ran back outside, almost tearing the screen door off its hinges. “I made the team! I made the team!” he shouted. “I can’t believe it! I’m going to be on the Mega-Middies!”
* * *
The next day, the players who’d made the team gathered back at the Mega-Plex. The assistant coaches handed out jerseys and game schedules to all the Mega-Middies.
Coach Sweatt picked up his clipboard. “OK, you should all know your own positions, but here’s our lineup: Ramon, Phillip, and Michael, you’re pitching. Jermaine will start in left field, Victor will start in center field, and Billy will be in right field.”
Coach continued down the list. “Our starting infield has Corey at third, Austin at shortstop, Kyle at second, Tracy at first, and Jason catching,” he announced. “And our bench will consist of Blake, Mario, Kelly, and Randall.”
Blake let out a disappointed sigh. He knew he wasn’t a starter, but hearing he was on the bench still stung a little.
Seeming to sense his friend’s disappointment, Austin turned to Blake. “Hey, I didn’t start my first two years on the Mega-Middies,” he said. “This is my first year starting, so don’t beat yourself up. You’re still a part of this team.”
Blake nodded. Austin had a point. “Thanks, man,” he said. “You’re right. I might not be a starter, but I’ll make the best of it when I get the chance.”
CHAPTER 6
A TRAGIC TURN
During their season opener against the Koss City Stallions, Blake cheered on his teammates from the dugout. At the bottom of the sixth inning, they were holding on to a 1–0 lead.
With one out and a runner on first, the Jefferson Mega-Middies waited for Ramon to deliver the pitch to the Stallions player at the plate. Ramon wound up and threw a monster fastball.
CRACK! The ball sped toward the right side of second base. Kyle stretched to grab the ground ball as the Stallions player on first took off running.
Austin sped to second base. He held up his glove for Kyle to throw him the ball.
But Kyle seemed to want to do it all on his own. He rushed to beat the runner to second base, getting his foot on the base seconds before the opposing player. Then he turned to make the throw to first, hoping to turn it into a double play.
But even from the bench, Blake could see that Kyle’s foot had hit second base at a weird angle. As he made the throw to first, Kyle cried out in pain.
“OUT!” the umpire bellowed as the first baseman caught the ball. “That’s the ballgame!”
The Mega-Middies coaches hurried over to Kyle, who was on the ground, clutching his cleat. Blake and the rest of the players trailed after them.
“My foot! I can’t put any weight on it! It hurts, it hurts!” Kyle shouted, pounding his fist in the dirt.
“It’s OK,” Coach Harris, Kyle’s dad, said. “We’ll get you to the emergency room.”
