Excerpts

From Game Changers #3: Heavy HittersMr. Brown came running in from third, Ben's dad came down from first. When Ben looked up, Robbie was there, too, looking as if he was in more pain than Ben at the moment. Somehow Sam and Coop and Shawn were already crouched down next to Ben, Mr. Brown having to ask them to give him room. Mr. Brown said, "Let's have a look." Ben rolled up his sleeve. It was then that he saw the imprint of the ball's seams on the inside of his arm, like they'd been tattooed there. Ben's dad asked Ben if he could slowly flex his arm, see if he could make a fist and bring his arm up to his shoulder, like he was doing some kind of exercise. Ben did that. "It hurts where I got hit," he said, "but not when I move it." "Good," his dad said. Ben said, "Dad, I think the place I would have picked is no place." Mr. Brown asked him to clench and unclench his left fist, then give his wrist a shake. Ben did that, too. Ben's dad gently put a thumb to Ben's arm, between the seams. "Nothing broken, not there," he said. "Would've been much worse if it got you on the elbow or wrist or hand." Ben looked at Mr. Brown and then his dad and said, "I'm not coming out." "Ice wouldn't be such a terrible idea," Mr. Brown said. "What are you always saying when I guy catches one on TV?" Ben said to his dad. "Rub some dirt on it and walk it off?" "That's what you say to the TV," Jeff McBain said, "not your son." "I'm not gonna rub, period," Ben said. He got up then. Excerpted from Heavy Hitters by Mike Lupica All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.