and he missed badly. The next pitch he swings wildly again and pops the ball up in the air. The catcher flips his mask and yells, I got it. Wes slams the bat angrily into the ground. Right before I step in the box, I look into the dugout and see Wes sitting on the bench with his hands over his face crying. I knew I had to try to win the game. The first pitch that the pitcher threw almost hit me, which that made me really mad. The next pitch I hit a foul ball in the bleachers. On the third pitch, I hit a line drive down the third base line. The two runners on base in front of me score. As I am rounding second base, I see my coach telling me not to go to third, but it was too late. I was in full stride and I knew I could make it. When the cloud of dust disappeared, I saw the umpire waving that I had made it safely. I stood and up and thrust my hand into the air. The next batter loops a fly ball between the centerfielder and second baseman. When I scored, I knew we had won, because the team ran on to the field. The whole team except Wes; he was still sulking on the bench.Ever since that summer day, Wes has been diligent in practicing fundamentals. He has excelled in every aspect of the game and he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox to play major league baseball. However, last summer he tore his a tendon in his knee, he had to return home and get a job, because the torn tendon ended his career. So what I am trying to tell you kids is that if you practice and learn from your mistakes, you can be a superior player and excel in baseball. I think that it is imperative that each of you ballplayers know that you must practice to thrive to be successful. This story is just one of many stories about kids that succeeded when they practiced to sharpen their skills.Baseball is a just like any other sport. Each athlete must practice, so as a team they can be successful. It has been shown in history, that the great baseball play...
