Nick Book Review

Felix Piloto was one of the kids that loved playing sports outside.  He LOVES baseball.  Baseball is the only thing he likes to do. Felix’s father wasn’t around so it was just Felix and his mom.  In Free Baseball, Felix was a little baby and he had lived in Cuba.  His father played professional baseball over in Cuba, but he wanted what was best for the family.  He took his family to a boat to be smuggled out of the country, but it was too small for all of them to fit.  Felix’s father stayed behind so that Felix could have a better life.  He was kicked out of Pro baseball for this, but his family’s life did improve. 

Felix is the best guy on his team.  All Felix wanted to do was to go to an East Naples Egrets game.  Felix had won some tickets off the radio so he was finally able to go.  He really wanted to go with his mom but his mom was busy with work and school.  She was going to school so she could get a better job.  

Felix begged enough so he got his mom to let him go.  His mom wouldn’t let him go by himself so she had a babysitter go with him to the game. When they got to the game Maryann wanted to sit by her friends so she didn’t let Felix go sit in the seat he had the ticket for.  Maryann’s friend bugged Felix the whole game so he didn’t really get to watch the game.  After the game Felix got to run the bases at the “Birds Nest.”   Felix had never been in a real dugout before so he wanted to check it out.  When he entered the visiting team’s dugout, a guy mistook him for a being a batboy.  Felix went along with it because he didn’t want to go back to Maryann quite yet. 

Felix did the chores that were asked of him, and he decided he liked this job, so he hid on the Miracle’s bus.  When the bus stopped, Felix was relieved that he had made it alive.  Felix left a message for his mom telling her that he had gone home with a friend who he had seen at the game.  Felix spent the night in a bathroom in the team’s clubhouse at the field.  Felix’s got the official job, as batboy and his mother still believed that he was at a friend’s house.  Felix became great friends with Vic.  Vic was the general manager and owner of the Miracle Baseball Team.  Vic took care of Felix for the few days that he was there with the Miracle.

Felix would have to tell his mother where he was at some point, but he really didn’t want to.  When he finally did his mother was extremely mad, but Vic got her to calm down.  Vic gave Felix’s mom some tickets to watch the Miracle play.  After that game, Vic and Felix’s mom got to talk and it ended up that Vic offered her a job as a worker for the Miracle organization. 

When Felix found out that his dad wasn’t playing baseball anymore and that he had gotten remarried.  Felix now realized that his dad will never come back to him.  After getting the job as batboy, Felix was able to mature and gain a better relationship with his mother.

I really liked like this book.  I usually don’t like to read, but when I started reading Free Baseball, I never wanted to put it down.  Soc Corbett did an amazing job with this fiction story.  It really made me feel like I was watching the games and being the batboy with Felix.  It gave me a good picture as to what the baseball fields looked liked.  Free Baseball really put me in the mood to really watch or play some baseball.  I would rather play than watch it though.  I really encourage other baseball freaks, like me, or anyone who just wants to read a good book, to read Free Baseball.   

All-Star Jake

“No No No! This can’t be happening,” yelled coach as he ran onto the field to his all-star pitcher.  Coach had heard the elbow snap and he saw his pitcher go down in pain.  The six four, hundred and sixty pound right hander was their best pitcher.  He could throw the ball so hard that the batter wouldn’t even see the ball coming.  Jimmy laid on the luscious green infield grass.  There were five or six guys standing around him trying to get him to calm down.  He was in a lot of pain. 
    Coach had to make a decision about who to put in to take Jimmy’s place.  Coach could either put in Jake, who was pretty good at pitching but had some control issues, or he could put in Joe.  Joe had a little more experience at pitching but had some problems throwing the ball over the plate.  Coach decided to put Jake in.  Jake was excited because this was the first time he got to pitch in 4 games.  Jake threw his warm-up pitches, which were not too bad.  When the batter got into the batters box Jake got chills down his back.  There was only one guy on and he was at first base. 
    Jake threw the first pitch and missed the strike zone by a little bit.  Jake walked the batter with 4 straight balls.  Coach left Jake in for the rest of the game but the Orioles ended up losing the game five to two.  Jake allowed the 3 runs that let the Jay Hawks win the game.
    Jake's dad offered him a ride home, but Jake liked to walk home.  They only lived a few blocks away from the baseball field so it wasn’t that far of a walk.  Jake also liked to look at all the beautiful gardens that the people had in their front yards. There were to many flowers to count planted in the gardens and that also gave Jake time to think about the game.
    When Jake finally got home his dad had supper ready but he wasn’t hungry.  Jake was only five feet eight inches tall and only weighed  hundred and ten pounds.  He never really ate that much and since he had just gotten done playing a baseball game he wasn’t hungry at all.
    It was Saturday now and Jake had practice once again. The team decided at the beginning of the year that they wanted to have practices on Saturday as well so they could improve even more. If Jake wanted to pitch again he would have to practice being able to throw the ball over the plate.
     Coach had some words to say to the team about the game the night before and how Jimmy was doing with his elbow.  Then he told the team to go warm-up, but he kept Jake back to tell him some good news.  Coach told him that since Jimmy is out for the rest of the season he will have to be the starting pitcher.
     So coach told him to work on his delivery and getting the ball to cross the plate.  Coach also said that Jimmy will be back next week to help out if Jake needed him to give him some pointers.  Jake practiced his delivery and got it down.  He would be starting the next game against the number one team in state. Jake was excited that he would actually get to start a game for once.  He came through and pitched a really fantastic game that included a shutout through five innings.  They accomplished their goal and beat the team that was number one just one short year ago.
    Jake lead the Orioles to the Championship that year but lost a close game that was sent into extra innings.  They were the second best team in the state that year, and the team was very proud of their season.