Two kids start out their baseball season without much luck. Things feel extremely hopeless. Then, their teacher Mr. s advice about helping other teammates becomes priceless. Prepare for a shocking ending!
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P.E. Class
One day, two of the Montana Mountaineer's best little league players, JD & TJ, trapsed into Mr. R's fourth grade P.E. class at Billings Elementary. Their eyes were glued to the tops of their shoe laces.
Mr. R. asked them, "The sun is shining outside, and you both know that Wednesdays in June are for kickball. Why are you guys so sad?"
TJ replied, "This year's baseball season is hopeless. We are the only two players on the team that can even come close to hitting the ball. "
JD added, "Even worse, Mr. R., most of the boys on the team couldn't even catch the ball if I glued the ball to their hands."
Mr. R. put his hands on his own knees as he squatted down to talk to JD, "Are you exaggerating maybe just a little bit there, TJ?"
TJ continued, "Not really. It's bad. Like, really bad!" We lost our first game 18 to 2. Lucky for us, the umpires stopped the game because it started raining. Otherwise, we might have lost by over a hundred million runs "
Mr. R said, "You win some, you lose some. What about the second game of the year? "
JD said, " Worse. It didn't rain. So, we lost 32 to 2."
TJ and JD said, "It feels hopeless this year, we're 0 and 2. And, we have to play against the Clippers tomorrow night. They have the Big Ogre on their team too. Mr. R.! What can we do?"
Mr. R said, " Wow. I know Big Ogre from Health Class. Still, you two boys are great players. Find one kid that can't hit. Just be his friend. Then you can teach him how you guys do it. I bet he will listen to you a little more just for being his friend."
***
Lunch Time
TJ & JD noticed one of their teammates, Johnny, sitting alone in the cafeteria. TJ once noted that Johnny's bat hasn't ever even touched a ball.
JD suggested that the two of them join him for lunch.
Johnny talked to the boys a lot about his own life. He talked about what it's like to milk cows, and do all the other farm stuff at his house. He also discussed with them a lot about one thing in particular. He must have told them seven times in less than ten minutes about how much he loved to leap over the 6-foot-high fence in his barn when he finishes up his chores every day.
JD & TJ were surprised that Johnny had that much athletic ability to clear anything higher than a step.
Then, JD & TJ suddenly felt hopeful that they made a new friend. So, they invited him to come to practice early that night to give him some tips on how to hit the ball better.
Pre- Game Practice
Johnny, TJ, & JD, were on the practice field an hour before the game that night. They even arrived before their coach, Mr. Chuck.
JD gave Johnny a tip on how he got his first hit in little league baseball.
"Ya' see Jonnie A. We are only Little Leaguer's. So, if you can just get your bat on the ball, you've got a really good chance of getting on base. That's because about 83 out of 100 times the kids we play against either drop the ball or throw it over the fielder's head. So, just slide your hands all the way up to the end of this little black thing on your bat, and I am sure you will at least put the bat on the ball. At least you have a chance if you do that. "
After that, TJ & JD took turns throwing pitches to Johnny. Johnny peppered about a hundred pitches in a row right onto the field. The little dinks were far from home runs. But, he was clearly getting the idea that if he choked up on the bat that he could definitely have a better chance of getting a hit.
Game-Time
That night, in the last inning, Johnny faced the fastest throwing little leaguer in all of Montana. His friends called him the Big Ogre. The P.E. teacher, MR. R., once asked his parents to see his birth certificate since he didn't believe it was possible that any 10 year old boy could be growing peach fuzz on his upper lip.
Both teams had crossed home plate 16 times each.
Johnny worked the count to 3-2. TJ & JD yelled from the bench for him to choke up a little more.
The Big Ogre delivered a rocket-life fastball right down the middle of the plate.
Johnny drove all 87 pounds of his might into the ball. He only managed to dribble a grounder down the first base line. The Big Ogre scooped it up, and delivered a strike to his first baseman. But it was one step too slow.
Johnny was less than 180 feet away from home plate as the winning run.
The first baseman attempted a trick play. He yelled at Johnny, "Hey! Look over there at the monkey." He was trying to get Johnny A. to lift a foot of the bag and then slap him with a quick tag to take the game into extra innings.
Johnny A. shocked the first baseman, #32, however.
He fired back at him, "Hey #32, Look at your third baseman. He is holding a bag of candy bigger than the entire state of Montana."
When #32 got confused and looked over at his third baseman, Johnny took off faster than the time his older brother chased him three blocks for stealing a chocolate bar from him.
The 1st baseman realized he had been tricked. He got so angry that when he threw the ball his shortstop who was standing on second base, the ball rolled al the way to the left fielder.
Johnny charged around 2nd, then 3rd. Mr. Chuck was screaming for Johnny to stop at 3rd base.
Johnny ignored his coach, and went screeching for home. The catcher got the ball from the left fielder, while Johnny was still 50 feet from the catcher was waiting for Johnny with the ball in his hand.
Johnny didn't have the choice to stop. Therefore, he kept running.
When Johnny finally got near the catcher, TJ & JD yelled, "Leap Johnny, Leap!"
Then, he did it. He practically leaped into the clouds. He got right over the catcher.
The town of Billings was in shock.
Suddenly, the season was looking hopeful for TJ, JD, Johnny, and the rest of the Mountaineers. . It would have never happened if TJ & JD would not have helped Johnny.
