“They walked over slowly and sadly, and then they saw Derek Jeter and perked up with their jaws opened.”
Chapter 1: Starting Baseball
Someone yelling “Home run!” outside his window woke him up at 6:30 in the morning. People were playing stickball, same thing as baseball.
“Lucas,” called his mom.
“What?” Lucas ran down the stairs thinking of what his mom was going to say.
“We are going shopping at Target soon,” his mom said. So Lucas had some breakfast, and off to Target they were.
When they were there, Lucas wanted a wiffle ball bat and a wiffle ball.
“Where are you going to play, since we live in the city?” asked his mom.
“Please,” said Lucas.
“Fine,” said his mother, “but that’s all you are getting.”
“You are the best mom ever!”
“I know.”
So right when they got home, around 10:00 a.m., Lucas started playing wiffle ball in the street with a couple of friends.
He did pretty well for his first time. Even though he had never played baseball before, he always knew he would like it. He went 2-4 with one double and one triple. He also got two strikeouts. He played stickball or wiffle ball almost every day now. He was always the first batter.
Then, his mom put him on a team. Lucas was really excited! He was 9 and he was playing with 12-year-olds. He was on the Brooklyn Stingers. His first game was on Saturday. They had practice on Thursday and Coach Garret told him he was batting first. When the game began at 7:00, the lights were shining, and he was surrounded by people with their eyes peeled on him. Lucas was batting and in front of 1,000 people. Lucas, stepping up to the plate with goosebumps, was as scared as if a monster was creeping up on him and almost killed him. Lucas got in his batting stance and took the first pitch. It was almost 80 mph!
The next pitch Lucas swung and CRACK Lucas hit a double down the line. Everyone was cheering for him. His coach was screaming, “That a boy, Lucas, that a boy, Lucas.” Lucas was pumped up. The next batter hit a single and Lucas was so fast he beat the throw home and they were already winning 1-zip.
Lucas got a strikeout next, but then, his third time at bat he hit a grand slam! He hit the ball 250 feet! Everybody in the stands had their jaws open.
They won the game 6-1 and Lucas was the MVP. Lucas was very happy about his first game.
Chapter 2: Getting Older and Better
Lucas’s birthday was in a week and he was turning 10! His birthday party was in two days and Lucas was really excited. They were going to play video games at Lucas’s party, but they switched it to playing baseball because Lucas started playing baseball.
Lucas had another baseball game tomorrow and he was ready for anything. But when he was in bed, he had a bad dream that he would get hit and break his leg, and when he woke up after that, he couldn’t sleep. When he was at his game, he hit 1-5 because he was scared he would get hit by a pitch.
After the game, Coach asked him, “What happened today?”
“I was just scared I’d get hit. My body was just scared.”
Coach answered, “If you get hit, it won’t hurt.” That made Lucas feel less scared.
His birthday party was later that day and Lucas was so excited. It started at 3:00 and ended at 7:00. They were going to have a five-foot-high cake! Lucas was looking at the time every minute, and he wanted his friends to come this second.
Lucas invited nine people so they could play a five on five matchup. When all his friends came, they were having fun playing a baseball game, and then Lucas’s dad yelled, “Someone is here for you.”
They walked over slowly and sadly, and then they saw Derek Jeter and perked up with their jaws opened.
“Hi guys,” Derek said. They were all too amazed to talk. Lucas finally said, “Can you play baseball with us?”
“Sure,” answered Derek.
Lucas’s team got Derek and the other team got two players from their team.
Lucas’s team creamed his friend’s team 21-4. Lucas went 10-10 and after the game they dunked one gallon of gatorade on Lucas and even got season tickets for the Yankees.
Chapter 3: Baseball Baseball Baseball
Lucas played baseball all day in the summer and went to Yankees games almost every day. When school started, he couldn’t go to as many games. His mom said two times during the week and two times during the weekend.
Lucas had a game the next day and hit 4-5. He got one triple, two singles, and a grand slam!
He had the best average on the team and he had the most homers on the team. His average was 555 and he had two homers! Then the next day he went to a baseball game and the Yankees lost. The good part was that he was right field and he was in the first row.
In his mind, he was saying that this was the going to be the best week of his life. The next day, he was just hanging out and played video games, played stickball, slept late.
But when he played stickball, he was running and slipped, and it looked like he was dead but wasn’t. One second, he was playing stickball the next he was in the hospital. In the hospital, he was thinking about what he said last night. He said in his mind that it was the best week of his life, but he took that back. Now he was in a cast for six weeks.
He was thinking of how boring it’ll be sitting around all day doing boring stuff, then BINGO he could go to the Yankees game. In his mind, he was actually excited to go to Yankees games every day.
He was even more excited because Yankees were doing well this season. They were in first place with a 61-49 record. The Yankees were playing the Indians and the Indians were bad this year so the Yankees did have a good chance of winning so Lucas was super duper excited! They went to the game and the Yankees won 5-2. The next day, Alex Rodriguez was up and he hit the ball right to Lucas. He stuck his mitt out and felt something plop in his mitt.
He looked in his mitt, and it was a nice shiny ball. Lucas had caught a ball, his dad cheering, “My kid caught a ball, my kid caught a ball.”
He was on the jumbo screen. Lucas was so happy he was crying.
After the game Alex Rodriguez came up to him and said, “Want to hang out in the dugout together?”
“Sure.”
That’s how their relationship started. His mom and Alex got in touch, and Alex started babysitting Lucas about once a week.
Chapter 4: Boring School Starting
Lucas’s school was starting in three days. Lucas was not that excited because he was going into 4th grade and all they do is work, work, and more work. The worst part is that Lucas got Mrs. Harvin, who is the worst teacher ever.
Even if you pass a test– “Lucas,” yelled his mother.
“What?” answered Lucas.
“Get dressed for baseball.”
Lucas finally had his cast off so he could play.
Never mind school, off to baseball. At the game, they let Lucas be the starter pitcher. Lucas pitched 7.1. He let up one run and they won the game 5-2 because the relief pitcher let up one run. Lucas was the MVP again.
Lucas’s coach said they would have to go to Staten Island for their next game. Coach Garrett secretly told Lucas that he was the best player on the team.
Lucas really already knew, but it was nice that his coach was actually saying it.
When he came back to his house, he had a playdate with his friend Robbie. Robbie was also very good at baseball. Robbie was 14, but Lucas was still better than him.
After the playdate, he went to sleep and then he went to school. Mrs. Harvin was always nice the first day, but then the next day, it was like magic. She got mean.
The second day of school, she gave them tests and all that boring stuff. Even if you passed a test, she yelled at you. It’s like she was a bully and she was a teacher. The only good thing about her was that she rarely let them get extra recess. At least she even let them have extra recess.
She seemed like a friendly teacher, but she was the exact opposite.
After school, he went to his baseball game. His team lost 12-10. Lucas did his part because he went 5-5. All his hits were doubles. There record was 3-1 and they were in first place in their division.
The next day, they took a 100-page test and she yelled at Lucas for getting a 99/100. “Stupid, right.” The next day the principal fired Mrs. Harvin because she saw her yelling at everyone!!!
“Hip hip, hurray,” everyone yelled. Their substitute teacher let them have a dance party. Everyone had the best day ever.
Chapter 5: Fun Fun Fun
Everything in Lucas’s life was fun. Baseball, school, and everything else you can think of. In baseball, they were in the World Series, and in school, they didn’t do any work. Lucas was turning 11 next month!
Who wouldn’t like Lucas’s life right now? When Lucas’s birthday came next month, he was going to play with a hard ball. They were going to play at Pro Swing. Lucas just loved his life so much.
When his team was in the World Series, Lucas got the walk-off hit and his team won 7-6. Lucas went 4-5 with three homers. He was totally the MVP.
Lucas was so good he played with high school kids. Lucas’s birthday was the best! He hit 7-7 and hit four homers.
His mother said, “When you get to be 14 I’ll put you in college.” If he could do that, it would be amazing. He would be famous!
Everybody followed Lucas everywhere. He knew how major leaguers felt now.
“Lucas! Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!” It was getting really annoying now.
Chapter 6: College to the Majors
When Lucas turned 14, he went to Duke University and he did phenomenally.
The Duke baseball coach said, “You are so good you could be called up any time. While you’re on our team, try your best and we’ll put you first in the batting order every time.”
Lucas did so well that he couldn’t go to school, so at college he went to someone who taught his grade. Lucas played outfield and the Yankees needed an outfielder. So it was perfect timing, but manager Joe Girardi thought he should stay in college one more month and in that month he hit 950. That was the best average ever in one month and in the draft the Yankees selected Lucas Griench from Duke University. Lucas was so excited to be in the majors with his favorite team.
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