Strike Zone Read online

  To those I’m fortunate enough to call friends: Thank you for the support, advice, and encouragement.

  —D. J.

  A Note About the Text

  The rules of Little League followed in this book are the rules of the present day. There are six innings in each game. Every player on a Little League baseball team must play at least two innings of every game in the field and have at least one at bat. In any given contest, there is a limit on the number of pitches a pitcher can throw, in accordance with age. Pitchers who are eight years old are allowed a maximum of fifty pitches in a game, pitchers who are nine or ten years old are allowed seventy-five pitches per game, and pitchers who are eleven or twelve years old are allowed eighty-five pitches.

  Dear Reader,

  Strike Zone is inspired by some of my experiences growing up. The book portrays the values my parents instilled in me and the lessons they have taught me about how to remain true to myself and embrace the unique differences in everyone around me.

  Strike Zone is based on the life lesson that having a strong supporting cast is essential to success. On a team, just like in life, you need to surround yourself with supportive people with positive attitudes, strong work ethics, and qualities you value. This is one of the principles I have lived by in order to achieve my dreams. I hope you enjoy reading!

  Derek Jeter

  DEREK JETER’S 10 LIFE LESSONS

  1. Set Your Goals High (The Contract)

  2. Think Before You Act (Hit & Miss)

  3. Deal with Growing Pains (Change Up)

  4. The World Isn’t Always Fair (Fair Ball)

  5. Find the Right Role Models (Curveball)

  6. Don’t Be Afraid to Fail (Fast Break)

  7. Have a Strong Supporting Cast (Strike Zone)

  8. Be Serious but Have Fun

  9. Be a Leader, Follow the Leader

  10. Life Is a Daily Challenge

  CONTRACT FOR DEREK JETER

  1. Family Comes First. Attend our nightly dinner.

  2. Be a Role Model for Sharlee. (She looks to you to model good behavior.)

  3. Do Your Schoolwork and Maintain Good Grades (As or Bs).

  4. Bedtime. Lights out at nine p.m. on school nights.

  5. Do Your Chores. Take out the garbage, clean your room on weekends, and help with the dishes.

  6. Respect Others. Be a good friend, classmate, and teammate. Listen to your teachers, coaches, and other adults.

  7. Respect Yourself. Take good care of your body and your mind. Avoid alcohol and drugs. Surround yourself with positive friends with strong values.

  8. Work Hard. You owe it to yourself and those around you to give your all. Do your best in everything that you do.

  9. Think Before You Act.

  Failure to comply will result in the loss of playing sports and hanging out with friends. Extra-special rewards include attending a Major League Baseball game, choosing a location for dinner, and selecting another event of your choice.

  Chapter One CHANGE OF PLANS

  “Go, Derek!”

  As Derek Jeter went in for the layup, going airborne at full speed, the defender’s arm came crashing down, slamming into Derek’s ear and shoulder, making him cry out in pain.

  But Derek had seen him coming. A split second before contact, he’d slipped the ball under and around the defender’s crashing arm. A flick of Derek’s wrist sent the ball spinning off the backboard, ricocheting back down and through the net, just as the ref’s whistle blew!

  “And one!” Dave Hennum shouted from center court. Derek’s best friend and teammate pumped his fist, then immediately ran to his side. “You okay?”

  Derek was bent forward, one hand on his knee and the other on his sore ear. “That hurt,” he said with a grimace, then straightened up and rolled his shoulder around once or twice in its socket.

  Then, turning to the ref, he put his hands up, asking for… the ball. Dave clapped him on the back. “That-a-way,” he said. “Hit this shot, and we’ve got the game!”

  Derek blew out a breath and tried to shake off the cobwebs from the blow he’d just taken. He knew that if he sank this free throw, his team, the Saint Augustine Friars, would be up by one point with only six seconds left. On the other hand, if he missed…

  Derek focused on the rim, blowing out a long breath to calm his pounding heart. The hammer blow to his shoulder hadn’t helped any. Plus, his ear was still ringing.

  It took all the concentration he could muster. But he had prepared himself for this moment all season long, as he rode the bench waiting for his chance to get in games. He’d dreamed of the time when he could show what he was made of when the critical moments came. Not just his talent, but his dedication to winning.

  He blew out another breath, then readied his shot. Just as he was about to let it go, the ref’s whistle blew again. “Time out, Green!” he shouted, pointing to the other team’s coach.

  Dave shook his head and frowned. “They’re trying to ice you, Derek,” he said. “Don’t let it get to you.”

  Derek nodded, and they both headed to the bench, where Coach Nelson already had the team gathered in a circle. “Okay, soon as the shot drops, everyone drop back to half-court and pick up your man there. Watch out for screens. And whatever you do—no fouls!”

  Derek strode back to the line as the whistle blew for the resumption of play. He took the ball from the ref, bounced it three times, looked up at the basket, and without allowing a single thought to enter his head, threw it up….

  Swish!

  In an instant, he was back in game mode, streaking toward half-court to join his teammates on defense. He turned just in time to see the inbound pass, a long lob, going over his head!

  Derek stopped himself an instant before running into his man. Lucky thing, because a foul now could be disastrous!

  Derek waved his hands wildly and moved his feet, making it hard for his man to get rid of the ball. Meanwhile, the clock was winding down. With only one second left, his man spun around, leaped, and tried to get off a last-second, game-winning shot.

  Derek was ready for him. He’d known that if enough time ran off the clock, his man would have to take the desperation shot. Derek leaped right with him, and swatted the ball away!

  Game over!

  The Friars all ran onto the court and high-fived one another. It was a big victory, because it was the last game of the year, and now they’d finished their season with a winning record.

  “Great job, Derek!” said the coach, giving him a slap on the back. “Oh. Sorry,” he added as Derek winced. The coach had hit the same spot where Derek had just been slammed.

  “Don’t worry about it, Coach. It didn’t hurt a bit,” Derek answered with a grin.

  He hugged Dave and his other teammates, shook hands with the losing team, and waved to his parents and sister, Sharlee, who were in the stands, cheering along with the rest of the home fans.

  “Game ball to you, Jeter!” Coach Nelson said, handing it to Derek. Then he took out a Sharpie and signed it. “Next year, I’ve got a spot on the roster reserved for you, kid. See you at tryouts, huh?”

  “Yesss!” Derek shouted, pumping his fist. “Thanks, Coach!”

  “You earned it, kid,” the coach said. “You came a long way your first season. It’s not easy to ride the bench most of the year, cheer your teammates on, and be ready when your name is called. Even the best team needs its supporting players, not just stars. So hats off to you.”

  * * *

  As the players emptied out their lockers for the season, Derek and Dave sat next to each other, stuffing their gym bags. “Wow,” Dave said, shaking his head. “I can’t believe the season is already over.”

  Derek laughed as he stared at the game ball. “I don’t know. Seemed
like a long season to me.”

  Dave understood. He’d played a lot while his friend sat on the bench. Dave was the third-tallest kid on the team, and played power forward.

  “Anyway, it’s over now. Time to look ahead,” said Derek.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” Dave said with a grin. “It’s almost baseball season.”

  “That’s right. Time to tee ’em up and let ’em fly!”

  “Tee ’em up? That’s funny.”

  Golf was Dave’s passion, and Derek knew it. But Dave liked baseball, too. They’d been on the same team two years in a row. And last year, they’d been league champions—partly because Derek’s dad and Dave’s family’s driver and helper, Chase Bradway, had been their coaches.

  Derek was hungry for a repeat. “Envelopes went out yesterday, I heard,” he said. “Call me as soon as you know, okay?”

  “You too!”

  If they were on the same team, with the same coaches—even if all the rest of their teammates were new—they’d have a great chance to repeat as champions!

  Derek could already see it in his head… he and his dad, Dave and Chase, and Derek’s other best friend, Vijay, too—all holding up the trophy together….

  * * *

  “The Yankees!” Derek shouted. “I’m on the Yankees! YESSS!”

  Finally—after three years in Little League, and two years of T-ball before that! FINALLY, he was on the team of his dreams—the team he was aiming to play for someday in the big leagues! The Yankees!

  Surely, it was a sign that this was going to be a very special season.

  And if that wasn’t enough of a sign, the phone rang twenty minutes later, and it was Vijay on the line. “Guess what?” he told Derek. “I’m on the Yankees!”

  “ME TOO!” Derek yelled into the phone. “Woo-hoo!”

  They’d been best friends ever since Vijay’s family moved to Mount Royal Townhouses from India, way back when Derek was little. Not only that, they were almost always in the same class at school, and always on the same baseball team!

  Derek knew he shouldn’t get ahead of himself. But he couldn’t help thinking about the fantastic season that was about to start!

  He let himself get lost in daydreams… and then his dad came down for breakfast.

  “Dad! Guess what? I’m on the Yankees! Finally!”

  “Well, that’s great, son,” said Mr. Jeter. “I know you’ve wanted that for a long time.”

  “We’re going to win again, Dad!”

  “Well, I’m sure you’re going to try. You give it your best, and let’s see how it all shakes out.”

  Something about the way he said it sounded wrong to Derek. You? Not we?

  “Speaking of congratulations,” said Mr. Jeter, “I have some really great news. I got promoted at work! I’m now senior counselor, thank you very much.”

  “Wow, that’s great, Dad—congratulations! And did Mom hear anything about her—”

  “Not yet, Derek,” his dad cut him off, his smile fading. “Your mom hasn’t heard anything, so let’s give it a little more time before bringing it up. She’ll mention something if there’s anything to share.”

  “Okay, Dad, I won’t.”

  Derek’s sister, Sharlee, came bounding down the stairs. “Daddy! Derek!” she yelled. “How do you like my hat?” She was wearing a brand-new, bright yellow baseball cap with a T on the front. “See, Derek? I’m on the Lions! GRRR! Watch out—we bite!”

  “That looks good on you,” said Mr. Jeter. “Here, let me fix that brim for you….”

  “NO! Don’t bend it, Daddy!” Sharlee said. “I like it this way.”

  “Okay, Sharlee,” said her father. “You wear it however you want to. But Derek and I, we bend the front, old-school style.”

  Sharlee turned to Derek. “And with Daddy coaching my team, we’re going to win, just like you did last year!”

  “I guess we’re both going to win, then,” Derek said.

  Mr. Jeter cleared his throat. “Let’s talk about that. Derek, with this new promotion, I’ll have to put in a few extra hours a week. I’m afraid that means I can only coach one of your teams this season, not both.”

  “Wait—you mean… ?”

  “You remember last year, at the end of the season, I promised Sharlee I’d coach her team next season?”

  “But I thought—”

  “So did I, Derek,” said his father. “Look, I’ll still be able to come to some of the games, and offer any help I can, but—”

  “Dad! You can’t not coach me! What about—?” Derek fell silent. There was no “what about.” Suddenly, all his lofty dreams came crashing back down to Earth.

  “Don’t worry, son. You’ve learned an awful lot these past few years, and you’re getting better every season. Don’t let this get in the way of all that progress. Besides, any games I can’t make, your mom will attend.”

  Derek shook his head in disbelief. But what could he say? What could he do? He’d been rooting for his dad to get that promotion for the past two months, and now, it had come through. He knew he should be happy about it—and he was, kind of. But he also knew how important his dad’s coaching had been to the team last year.

  But wait, he thought—there’s still Chase! He’d been a really good coach too. Maybe not as good as Derek’s dad, but close enough. With him in charge, the team would still stand a great chance!

  Then it hit him—Dave hasn’t called yet.

  Unable to contain himself, he picked up the phone and punched in his friend’s number.

  “Hey,” said Dave. “I was about to call you—just opened my envelope.”

  “You’d better be on the Yankees,” Derek said anxiously.

  “Nuh-uh,” Dave said, sounding disappointed. “Tigers.”

  “Tigers?” It was the team they’d both been on last season! “There must be a mistake,” Derek said.

  “I’m on the same team,” Dave said. “What happened with you?”

  “I don’t know. But Vij is on the Yankees too.”

  “What? This is no fair!” Dave moaned. “We won the championship last year! Don’t they have to give us a chance to repeat?”

  “I guess not.”

  “Can’t we complain or something?”

  “I’m pretty sure it was done on purpose,” Derek said. “They probably don’t like it when the same kids win every year.”

  “Didn’t your dad request us?”

  “My dad’s not coaching this season. He’s coaching Sharlee’s softball team instead.”

  “Oh man!” Dave moaned. “How come?”

  Derek explained to Dave about his dad’s promotion.

  “He was a really great coach too,” Dave said sadly.

  Suddenly, Derek realized something else. “Wait—is… Chase going to be coaching your team?”

  “Yeah. I guess that’s something, at least,” Dave allowed. “But it really stinks for you and Vijay.”

  “Yeah,” Derek said. “Tell me about it.”

  All his plans for the season had vanished into thin air. He would have to adjust to two new coaches and a whole new team—one without Dave, without Chase, and worst of all, without his dad.

  Chapter Two THE OTHER TWO SHOES DROP

  “Look at the bright side,” Vijay said as he and Derek tossed the baseball back and forth at the foot of Jeter’s Hill. It was a sloping grassy area in the center of Mount Royal Townhouses where the local boys gathered to play ball whenever the weather and schoolwork allowed. The other kids called it Jeter’s Hill because he was almost always there.

  “Man, Vijay, don’t you ever get down about anything?” Derek wondered.

  “Research has shown that optimists are right eighty percent of the time,” Vijay said with an emphatic nod of his head. “That’s me. An optimist.”

  Derek shook his head, but he couldn’t help smiling. He knew Vijay had probably looked up the statistics—he always seemed to know his numbers, and never got less than an A-minus in math or scie
nce.

  Even if the team finished dead last, Derek thought, at least Vijay would be there, finding whatever there was to feel good about, and making him feel better too.

  “Hey, you guys! Over here!” Harry Hicks was coming toward them, riding his skateboard down one of the concrete paths that crisscrossed the grounds of Mount Royal Townhouses. He was wearing his baseball mitt, holding it up so they could throw him the ball while he was still in motion.

  Derek tossed it his way, giving him just enough lead, and Harry made a circus catch, all the while trying not to fall off his board.

  “Nice!” Vijay shouted, clapping.

  “All day long,” Harry said with a grin as he hopped off and came jogging over to join them. “Hey, what team you guys on?”

  “Yankees,” said Derek, without much enthusiasm.

  “Me too!” Vijay said.

  “Hey, me three!” Harry said jubilantly.

  “All right!” Vijay said, high-fiving Harry.

  Derek high-fived him too—but not quite so happily. Harry was a good ballplayer, sure. He could pitch and was a pretty decent hitter—but he came with a lot of attitude, and sometimes it was on the negative side.

  Derek still remembered the time they’d all had to write essays about what they wanted to be when they grew up. Derek had written about someday being the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. Harry had laughed in his face and told him to get real.

  It was something that hurt Derek at the time. And still, all these years later, remembering Harry’s words still carried a sting—even though Derek hadn’t given up on his dream.

  “Hey, is your dad coaching?” Harry asked him.

  “Nah, not this year.”

  “Aw man,” Harry groaned.

  “You hear about anybody else?” Derek asked him.

  “I hear Pete Kozlowski’s on the team,” Harry said. “And since your dad’s not coaching, that means his dad’s probably our coach.”