Hit & Miss
Page 12
“Listen, old man,” his mom said, “get yourself out on that golf course tomorrow and have fun. Hit a ball hard. Compete! You like competing, remember?”
Derek laughed. There was no doubt about it, he was as competitive as anyone else he knew—even in his own family.
“And besides, taking your frustrations out on a golf ball might make you feel better.”
They walked over to where Dave was standing with Chase and Derek’s dad, who was holding Sharlee by the hand.
“Great game, old man,” his dad said, shaking his hand solemnly. “You’re really getting somewhere. Lots of big improvements—especially up here.” He pointed to his head. “Proud of you, boy.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Derek said. “And next year, remember—you’re coaching. Right?”
“Me? Coaching?” Mr. Jeter frowned. “Did I say that?”
“YESSS!” Dave and Derek both shouted.
“He’s my witness,” Derek said, pointing to Dave.
“I’ll tell you what,” Derek’s dad said. “I’ll coach you boys next season . . .”
“Yesss!” Derek hissed.
“If . . . IF . . .”
“If what!”
“If Mr. Bradway will be my assistant coach.”
“Me?” Chase looked like he’d been taken totally by surprise. “Well . . . Why . . .”
“Do it, Chase!” Dave urged. Turning to Derek and Mr. Jeter, he added, “Chase was a star baseball player in high school, you know!”
“Say yes!” Derek begged. He had to admit, people were full of surprises and hidden talents. At any rate, Chase sure was.
“Well . . . I suppose I will if you will, Mr. Jeter. But you’d better call me Chase. After all, everyone else does.”
“Hmm. Well, in that case, you’d better call me Charles,” said Derek’s dad.
The two men shook hands on it, and Dave and Derek leapt into the air with excitement, and high-fived.
“What are you two so happy about?” Vijay said, coming up to them. When they told him, he was practically beside himself. “Wow! I sure hope I’m on the same team as you guys!” he said.
“Hey, Vijay, if I get a vote, you go where I go,” said Derek. “And that goes for you, too,” he told Dave.
“Like I said,” said Mrs. Jeter. “It’s the Three Musketeers.”
Chapter Seventeen
FORE!
“I’ve got to say, I’m impressed with myself.”
Dave laughed. “You’ve hit a few pretty good shots, my man,” he said. “That drive had to be a hundred and forty yards.” He lined up his drive and asked, “You having fun?”
“Man, am I ever!” Derek said. “It’s kind of shocking, actually. On TV it looks like a total bore.”
“See? What did I tell you?”
“Yeah, but I thought, to have fun at golf, you have to be insanely good, like you. You sure you’re only ten years old?”
“I’m not that good,” Dave said. “I’ve only won one tournament—last year back in Beverly Hills.”
“Hey, that’s one more championship than I’ve got,” Derek pointed out.
“You’re gonna get your share,” Dave said, looking at Derek and nodding slowly. “I see how you are. You’re like me. You work and work and work at it, and you never give up on your dream.”
“That’s it,” Derek agreed. “I guess we’ve got a lot in common.” He stepped back. “Your shot.”
He really had surprised himself today. As they drove on the ninth and final hole, Derek had played more than a handful of really good shots for a kid his age. He’d even sunk a couple of difficult putts. Of course, there were plenty of shots he’d hit terribly—or missed altogether. But he’d done well enough to want to try again and do better.
Dave, for his part, had been amazing—drives of more than a hundred and fifty yards, long putts that had gone into the hole or just to the rim, even an amazing iron shot from a hundred yards away that landed just a foot from the hole.
“Chase must be a fantastic coach,” Derek said.
“Yeah, he used to be on the pro tour, after he got out of the Special Forces.”
“Wow,” said Derek, impressed.
“Your dad’s a pretty great coach too,” Dave said.
“Next year we’re going to have an outstanding team, with the two of them on board, huh?”
“I can’t wait,” Dave said.
“What? What? Did I just hear Jack Nicklaus say he can’t wait for baseball season to start?”
“Oh, and Dave Winfield didn’t just admit how much fun golf is?”
Derek watched as Dave sent another long shot right down the middle of the fairway. He knew right then that he would never be as good at it as Dave, but that was okay. Derek had discovered another sport he loved, one that he could enjoy for the rest of his life, even if he never won a championship at it.
Even more important, he now had two best friends instead of just one—Vijay and Dave. And he was sure those friendships would last a lifetime too.
RED SOX OPENING DAY ROSTER
Cubby Katz—CF
Jason Rossini—2B
Derek Jeter—SS
Jeff Jacobson—P
Isaiah Martin—C
Dave Hennum—3B
Buster Murphy—1B
Vijay Patel—RF
Miles Kaufman—LF
Reserves: Rocco Fanelli, Reggie Brown
Coach: Marty Kaufman
JETER PUBLISHING
Jeter Publishing’s second middle-grade book is inspired by the childhood of Derek Jeter, who grew up playing baseball. The middle-grade series is based on the principles of Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation.
Jeter Publishing will encompass adult nonfiction, children’s picture books, middle-grade fiction, ready-to-read children’s books, and children’s nonfiction.
About the Authors
* * *
DEREK JETER played Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees for twenty seasons and is a five-time World Series champion. He is a true legend in professional sports and a role model for young people on and off the field and through his work in the community with his Turn 2 Foundation. For more information, visit Turn2Foundation.org.
Derek was born in New Jersey and moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, when he was four. There he often attended Detroit Tigers games with his family, but the New York Yankees were always his favorite team, and he never stopped dreaming of playing for them.
PAUL MANTELL is the author of more than one hundred books for young readers.
Learn more about Jeter Publishing at JeterPublishing.com.
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ALSO BY DEREK JETER
The Contract
Derek Jeter’s Ultimate Baseball Guide 2015
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