Keep swinging.

On a chilly but sunny day, 8-year old Trey put on his uniform to play, a game of baseball at Forest Manor Park.

He grabbed his mitt and Mets hat, and said, “Wish me good luck Natasha!” Outside she sat.

“Best wishes!” she then offered, with a smile and bark.

He jumped in the car with dad, not many times like these they had. Dad was helping out the head coach.

It was his first year playing, so it could be easily understood when saying, Trey got nervous as the baseball fields they did approach.

Trey and Dad got to the ball field, on one knee the whole team kneeled. The coach was telling the game plan.

“Just go out there and do your best, don’t compare yourself to the rest.”

“If You ever think No You can’t, always know that in some way, Yes You can.”

Later, Trey was playing second base. A major event was about to take place. It was tied 4-4. They had two outs, and a runner on third.

“Crack!” said their bat. The ball came to Trey in one second flat!

Scooping up the ground ball, a roaring crowd is all he heard. He saw the runner going toward home from third. Quick, like a humming bird!

Between runner and ball, now a race. Trey thought, “To home! Now! Go!” He was so excited, waaaaaay over the catcher’s head the ball he did throw. So much disappointment came from everyone on his team’s face.

At the end of the inning, the catcher came up and meanly did say, “Hey DUMMY! That was a REALLY bad play!”

“All You had to do was throw it to first base!” Tears came down Trey’s face. His heart and head dropped very low.

No one had ever taught him the rules of baseball, so how would he ever know?

Just then, Dad saw when, into the dugout he came in, his son Trey standing there crying. To the bully Dad did say, “Go away, pick on someone your own size some day!” And to Trey he said, “Shake it off, You’re up to bat soon. Keep on trying.”

Strike One, Two, Three! Ump did shout. Just like earlier, Trey struck out. He felt like he was the worst player ever.

Coach said, “Hey man, You didn’t quit. You did right, and took swings at it.”

But right then, Trey didn’t feel like playing again. Nope, not ever.

Later, there are two outs, two runners on, in the last inning. Trey is batting, and the Mets aren’t winning.

Strike One! Strike Two! The score is 5-4.

“Wait for a good one!” Trey heard. It was dad, who was coaching from third.

The team were clapping and rooting for him, and dad was even more.

The crowd was loud. Trey got ready. He gripped the bat, nice and steady. The rising sun was now on Trey’s face… One run to tie, Two to win. Bat to ball he must place.

The pitcher around they didn’t piddle. Fired that ball right down the middle!. . .

“Crack!” said Trey’s bat. He hit a line drive fast and past the third baseman, in no seconds flat!

To left field the hit went. How far, Trey was unknowing.

He ran and reached first base, with a relieved look on his face,

but Coach Mac yelled at Trey, “Run to second! Keep on going!”

After a huge mistake, being bullied, and strike outs, the game was still alive.

The coach on third, Trey’s dad, waived for him to keep running like he had.

When Trey got there, the coach said, “You won the game Trey. We won, 6-5.”

It was a special feeling in Trey’s core. Dad never acted so proud of him before.

Then the bullying catcher, his team mate, came up to say, “Hey Trey, good game.” “I’m sorry I was mean, and called You a bad name.” Trey forgave him and said, “We both made mistakes Bro, and it’s OK.”

Trey grew up, and made a lot of mistakes along the way. But he worked on bettering himself, listening to what all his coaches would say.

He learned how to work different jobs, wash dishes, do his laundry, and cook. And with a lot of help from his friends, and himself, he wrote this book.