Part 3: Swing Batter, Batter, Swing!
I hoped to have some input in that process.
As soon as it was legal forCoachto run formal practices, everything changed.

This was their last chance to play some hardball.
He finished his swing with a slight uppercut and began driving the ball to open spots in the outfield.
Other kids saw his improvement and were starting to pay attention.

The first preseason injury was to Mike.
I immediately ran over to see what happened…
He injured his hamstring, a common injury for guys with his kind of speed.

Mike’s injury was nothing out of the ordinary.
Hamstring injuries can nag an athlete for a while, and even after they heal, they can reoccur.
Mike would have to miss a few practices.

After Mike sat for a couple of days, you could seeCoachlosing his patience.
And that Mike was being treated daily by the trainer and was starting to do light stretches.
I was shocked, and so was Mike.
I met with him the next day and told him how disappointed and upset I was.
He took it well, better than I thought.
Coach’sdecision to cut Mike because of a pre-season injury said a lot about his loyalty to his players.
It was obvious that for whatever reason,Coachdidn’t want Mike on his baseball team.
Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental…