Alan Jeffers, Catcher, Third base, Diabetic: Alan Jeffers, #1

By T.J. Brewer

Join Alan Jeffers and friends as they try to make it to the world champoinship with his baseball team, The Dodgers!

• Language: English
• Publisher: T.J. Brewer
• Release date: Mar 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9781386544401

Book preview

Table of Contents

Chapter One . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Opening Game -Dodgers vs. Cubs

Chapter Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Memory and Evening Rehearsal

Chapter Three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A Scary Night

Chapter Four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Game Two -Dodgers vs. Red Sox

Chapter Five . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Saturday Rehearsal

Chapter Six . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Game Three -Dodgers vs. Yankees

Chapter Seven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Celebration

Chapter Eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lori’s News

Chapter Nine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Game Four -Dodgers vs. Giants

Chapter Ten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . At the Hospital

Chapter Eleven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Going Home

Chapter Twelve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  A New Family Member

Chapter Thirteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back to School

Chapter Fourteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Game Nine -Dodgers vs. Giants 

Game Ten -Dodgers vs. Mariners

Chapter Fifteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Playoff Game One -Dodgers vs. Yankees

Chapter Sixteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Playoff Game Two -Dodgers vs. Yankees

Chapter Seventeen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Final Playoff Game -Dodgers vs. Yankees

Chapter Eighteen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lori’s News

Chapter One

Opening Game – Dodgers vs. Cubs

It was a glorious spring day in April. It was such a fantastic spring day that it made you forget that winter had ever happened. And since this particular spring day occurred in Dallas County, in North Central Texas, the winter hadn’t been all that cold anyway. But the peace and serenity that usually went along with such a beautiful day was shattered by the raucous yells of ten-year-old boys and the crack of a bat on a ball.

It was the first game of the season for the Dodgers, a Richton Recreational Sports (RRS) sponsored team made up of 5th grade boys from Green Hills Elementary School, located in Richton, a suburb of Dallas, Texas. The game was in the bottom of the second inning against the Richton Elementary Cubs.

C’mon, Alan, Dimitri yelled, Knock the cover off the ball! 

Coach Saunders hollered, You can do it, Alan.

Bring me in, Alan! Bring me in! said Brian, perched on second base. There was no score and two out. Alan knew that if he could get a hit, Brian would probably score, and the Dodgers would take the lead 1 – 0. The first pitch was low, ball one.

Good eye, Brev said, Good eye!

Way to watch, Alan, said the coach. The other players in the dugout were yelling encouragement, too. The next toss looked good, so Alan swung hard. He connected solidly, but pulled the ball foul a long way down the right field line.

Okay, Okay, straighten it out now, Rafael yelled. Since Alan batted left handed, most of the pitchers weren’t comfortable throwing to someone on the ‘wrong’ side of the plate. But this pitcher was a little leery of Alan after that long foul, and threw the next one a little 

bit slower, but right over the center of the plate. Alan’s eyes lit up as he saw the pitch, and swung with all his might. But he was too anxious, swung too soon, and missed it altogether. He backed out of the batter’s box, angry at himself.

The coach said, No sweat. Alan. You’ll hit the next one.

This one, Paul yelled, This one’s yours. The next pitch wasn’t his, though, because it was too wide. The count was now 2 – 2, two strikes and two balls. The sneaky Cubs pitcher threw the next one side- arm. Alan jumped back to keep from being hit.

Strike three, said the umpire.

No, it nearly hit me. That wasn’t a strike! yelled Alan.

Mr. Stubbs, the home plate umpire said kindly, It caught the corner, though. Coach Saunders hurried out of the dugout to keep Alan from arguing any further.

Here, Alan, give me your bat and helmet. Here’s your glove. Get on out to your position, he said. Alan gave him his helmet and bat, then took his glove and trotted over to third base. As Brian was throwing warm-up tosses to Adam, playing catcher, Alan took a couple of rollers from Paul, over at first base, and fired them back at him. Smack! went the sound of Alan’s throws as they hit the first baseman’s mitt.

Brian walked the first Cubs batter; but got the next one to pop up to second base. Jaime, Alan’s best friend, made the catch and hurled the ball over to first base, where Paul waited for it. The Cubs runner was caught off base. Double play!

Way to go there, Jaime. Great play! yelled Oscar from his shortstop position.

Atta boy, Jaime, yelled Coach Saunders from the first base dugout. There were other yells coming from the outfield, praising Jaime.

Adam stood out in front of home plate and yelled, Two outs now, two down. He held up his forefinger and pinkie so that everyone could see that there were two outs. Alan used to think they were doing the Hook ‘em Horns! salute from the University of Texas, but this sign was used throughout baseball, not just in Texas. The next batter punched a very high fly ball to center field. The Cubs were yelling and clapping furiously. But Dimitri, the Dodgers’ fleet center fielder, raced back and caught the ball. The Cubs’ cheers quickly died.

Yay! Great catch there, Dimitri, yelled Brev from right field. I thought it was a goner. The Dodgers ran in from the field happily.

However, neither team could get any offense going for the next two innings. So after four complete innings, it was still a scoreless tie. The Cubs went three up and three down in the top of the fifth. Alan led off the Dodger half of the inning.

Okay, Alan, this time, this time! came the sound of a female voice in the stands. He looked around and saw Lori Hastings sitting with her two friends, Brittany and Amber. She smiled and waved at Alan, and he waved back.

Batter up, yelled the umpire. Alan quickly stepped into the batter’s box. He really wanted to get a good hit to show off for Lori, because he thought that she was the prettiest and nicest girl in the whole fifth grade. He faced the pitcher, who