Beanball Read Online Free PDF Page B

by looking.
    His face was almost all wrapped in bandages.
    The part that wasn’t covered was purple as a grape.
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    I don’t know who had more trouble
    trying to talk,
    him or me.

 
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Part Four

Andy Keller, Oak Grove third baseman
    Hey, I’d gladly give up sight in one of my eyes
    if it meant that Luke could have his sight back.
    I mean it.
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    I know what you’re thinking:
    that it’s easy for me to make the offer
    when I know it can’t happen,
    that I’ll never actually have to put up or shut up.
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    But it’s clear Luke needs two eyes more than I do.
    The best I’ll ever be in sports
    is a decent high school athlete.
    I don’t have the speed or the size or the talent
    to go beyond that. I accept that.
    The only reason I’m even as good as I am,
    is because I’ve played with and against Luke for years.
    He’s made me better.
    There are limits, though, and I’ve about reached mine.
    You can’t turn a hamburger into a T-bone steak.
    I’m about as good right now as I can expect to get.
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    Luke has the talent be a college or even a pro star
    in any one of three sports.
    But he can’t do it with just one eye.
    Nothing would make me happier
    than to be able to trade
    one of my good eyes for Luke’s bad one.
Melody Mercer, Oak Grove student
    I went to the hospital to visit Luke.
    Not because I wanted to.
    I hate hospitals.
    The disgusting smells.
    The creepy sounds.
    The old people ready to die everywhere you look.
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    But Jennifer, Heather, and Caitlin kept asking me
    if I’d gone to see him—
    like, just because I’ve been dating him,
    I’m obligated or something.
    They wouldn’t be so quick to go if it was
their
boyfriend
    lying there all gross looking.
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    My stomach started doing little flips
    when I saw his face.
    I thought I’d barf right there.
    And trying to talk to him was awful.
    I was in his room for maybe two minutes.
    It felt like an hour.
Daryl Hucklebee, Oak Grove coach
    Andy Keller’s got some big shoes to fill.
    Of course, trying to replace a kid like the Wizard
    is darn near impossible.
    It would put way too much pressure on the boy
    for anybody to expect that of him.
    But what Andy lacks in physical skills,
    he makes up for in hustle and desire and smarts.
    He’s a lot like Luke in that regard.
    That’s what made my decision
    to go with Ricky at third to start the season
    such a tough one.
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    Andy’s as good with the glove as Ricky,
    just not as good a hitter.
    I’d like for him to get around a bit quicker
    on the fastball, but hey,
    there aren’t many kids I can’t say that about.
Gordie Anderson, Oak Grove center fielder
    I don’t think I’ve ever made a better catch
    than the one I made in today’s game.
    I ran deep into left center,
    and right before I got to the fence,
    I leaped and made a backhand catch.
    I can’t believe I even got to the ball.
    The fact that I caught it surprised me more than anybody.
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    Anyway, when I came off the field after the inning was over,
    Andy was waiting for me by third base.
    He grinned and said,
    â€œYou looked like the Wizard out there!”
    The second the words were out,
    he got this look on his face
    like he’d said something he shouldn’t have.
    His smile disappeared and he muttered, “Well, almost.”
Sarah Edgerton, Oak Grove student
    Today I saw Luke for the first time since his accident.
    I hardly recognized him.
    I don’t know what I expected.
    After seeing his face covered with blood that terrible day,
    I should have known he’d look bad.
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    At school he always seemed to be smiling.
    He didn’t smile once today.
    I don’t know if it’s because he can’t
    or because he just didn’t want to.
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    I told him how much everybody misses him
    and how anxious we were that he come back soon.
    I told him I’d keep him updated
    on our