Baseball Short Stories

All good things must come to an end. After spending all of their free time every summer practicing and playing baseball, Malachi, Elizajane, Noah, and Elias must grow up. Playing on the magic diamond against the best players in baseball history would remain one of their greatest experiences, but the field is reserved for the young at heart only, and the big world is good at making people into adults. One Easter, when the four kids are much older and Malachi has kids of his own, they begin talking about the magic diamond they used to play on as kids.

Tyler was having a rough go of it. He was small and the other kids at school made fun of him all the time. He lived for the weekend and for sports. Whenever he could, Tyler played football, ice hockey, and basketball, but when Spring came his heart was on a baseball diamond. He loved baseball because his father had gotten him into it from an early age and always played catch with him. He was still so small though, and there was only a spot for him at second base on the new team, where he couldn’t do much damage.

Have you ever heard of “Handy” Andy Ketter? One day a stranger walks into a sports bar and tells the tale of a baseball player so good that everyone in the bar raises their eyebrows, but none have heard of him. Who is Andy Ketter? How good of a baseball player was he? And if he was so good, why haven’t any true-blue baseball fans heard of him? The answer will certainly surprise you, and may even make you think about what’s really important in life.

Malachi, Elizajane, Noah, and Elias had the best Saturday ever, playing baseball on a magic diamond with the game’s greatest. But if they wanted to hold their own with the other players, they would have to get better quickly. “Coach” Malachi takes them through all kinds of drills to improve strength, accuracy, and mental awareness. During practice, the kids learn the value of hard work, and dedication, as well as an appreciation for our national pastime. And they are certainly rewarded for it on the magic diamond!