Heat has it all: Baseball at Yankee Stadium–the dream of Little Leaguers who practice within sight of it; Michael and Carlos, determined to keep “Official People” from finding out why Papi isn’t home; Ellie, a girl with a secret; Mrs. Cora who knows something about angels; the Little League coach who doesn’t like kids who pitch better than his son; and Michael’s best buddy, Manny.
Manny told Michael he’d meet him at Macombs…around three o’clock. …that could mean anywhere between three and four. He operated on Manny Standard Time, and there was no getting around it if you were Manny Cabrera’s friend. He was loyal, funny, smarter than he let on, loved baseball as much as Michael. There were so many good points with Manny that Michael couldn’t keep track of them all.
But none of Manny’s good points, not a single one, involved him showing up on time for anything but a real game.
When Michael is barred from Little League and Carlos no longer has a job, it’s looking bad, and suddenly, walking across the field, come the Official People:
It wasn’t just El Grande and Ellie.
Carlos was a couple of steps behind, walking with Mr. Gibbs of ACS. And another man Michael didn’t recognize, but one who had Official Person written all over him.
Has Michael’s dream become a nightmare?
Like baseball, basketball, and football stories with real-life type characters? Try Mike Lupica’s The Only Game, and Last Man Out, Lone Stars, Long Shot, and others–some of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Hey–I said I’m not into sports. But I am into Lupica’s characters. Just give me a cozy chair and a mug of hot chocolate.