The Giants and the Cubs were locked up in a tight ball game to decide the winner of the cities Little League Championship. It was 6 to 3 in favor of the cubs and they were going into the last inning. The league rule stated every player on the team must play at least one inning. So the coach yelled for Bobby to go into right field. Not much chance of anybody hitting a fly ball out there with the way his son was pitching. Bobby loved baseball so much and he always tried his best. His Dad had left his mom when he was only four and his mom worked two jobs to support them. It was all she could do to buy even a cheap glove for Bobby to play with. With out a dad to play catch with Bobby would throw the ball up against the wall of an old factory building and catch it off the bounce. He tried to find other kids to play with but most of the time they teased him and just kept him around to fetch balls that went over the fence.

Now he was going into the big game ands he was so pumped up. The first batter struck out and the second one got a walk. The third hitter got on with a single through the infield. With the tying run at the plate Bobby was hoping he could catch a fly ball and make the last out. Well the next batter got a hit and one run scored and now with two on, the winning run was at the plate. The batter hit a high foul ball and the first baseman caught it for the second out. Now the clean up hitter was up and the coach yelled for Bobby to back up. On the first pitch Bobby heard the bat crack and saw the ball coming out to right field . It was a towering high fly ball and Bobby was running back to get under it. The runners were off with the crack of the bat and everyone was cheering. Bobby pounded his glove with his fist and waited for the ball to drop. Just then a breeze came up and the ball hit the end of his glove and bounced away. Bobby circled and circled but could not see the ball. Finally he spotted the ball and grabbed it, and threw into the cut off man. It was to late, all three runs had scored and the Giants had won the game.

The coach got everybody together after the game and was kind of grumpy. First he said they had played well enough to win and that his son had pitched great. Then he turned to Bobby and yelled, “you cost us the game, you couldn’t even catch a fly ball.” Bobby was stunned and started to cry , but no one said anything in his defense so he grab his glove and ran into the woods behind left field. His coach said “let him go, he is just a loser anyway.” The rest of the players got up and headed to the parking lot and their parent cars. Johnny got to his car and his mom was sitting there, “where is Dad ” Johnny asked, “oh he had to go get something by the field” his mom said , ” he will be back in a few minutes”. They waited for about ten minutes and then Johnny saw his Dad. He was walking out of the woods behind left field and he had someone with him. ” Who is that” he asked his mom? Then he saw it was Bobby. His Dad had his arm around him and they were walking slow. Bobby’s head was hanging down and you could tell he had been crying when they came to get into the car. Johnny’s Dad opened the side door and asked Johnny if he would mind if Bobby came to McDonald’s with them.” No “Johnny said, He had always kind of liked Bobby and felt bad he had not stood up for him when the coach had blamed the loss on him. After some burgers and fries they headed home and Johnny’s Dad asked Bobby if he could ride his bike over some afternoon and play catch with him and Johnny. Bobby’s eyes lit up and he said, ” I sure could. Are you sure it would be alright”. “Sure,” Johnny said, “I like to play catch and my Dad takes me over to the park and hits me fly balls. Would you want to do that.” “Oh yes” Bobby said, ” no one ever asked me to join them before.” Bobby worked hard and Johnny’s Dad took some time with him and gave him some pointers. The next year he was on a different Little League team, The one that Johnny’s Dad coached. Everyone did play and they didn’t win the championship. But every player learned the game, had fun, and no one player got blamed for any loss.