Did You Hear About The Time I Ruined My Season By Hitting A Home Run?

Archie Brown was a very good Little League Baseball player. He had played on a team as a ten year, competing well with the older boys. As an 11 year old, Arch had really made a name for himself in his small hometown. His slick glove work on the infield had become the talk of the town. And when he led the whole league in hitting that year, with a .428 average, there were predictions of his future greatness. Visions of playing second base for the St. Louis Cardinals frequently danced across Archie's own mind! He was one of only two 11 year olds to make the city all star team that year.

The next year, the last of Archie's eligibility for the Little League, the defining moment arrived in his first game of the season. Archie hit a home run. It was the first of his career. He had grown a bit, so it was not seen at the time to be as importatnt as it was.

You see, the thing is that Archie loved how he felt when he trotted around the bases on that homer. He was no longer satisfied to hit line drive singles, or an occasional double down one line or the other. He developed a hitch in his swing, trying to generate power and get under the ball. Archie's batting average suffered. By the end of the season, Arch's batting average was just a little above .300, and he was in jeopardy of not making the all star team.

Archie was selected to represent the community in the all stars, but probably as much for his previous year, and the fact that it was his last in the league. The coach of the team that won the league championship in town had the privilege of managing the all stars. Mr. Larson liked Archie and loved his defensive work in the field. But he was concerned about Archie's offense.

In the practices leading up to the all star competition, Mr. Larson asked Archie to bat left handed, which he had never done, in hopes he would get rid of the hitch he had developed as a right handed batter. Archie agreed, mostly becasue he respected Mr. Larson. And he knew that he might have to sit the bench if he did not cooperate.

When the first game of the all star competition began in a neighboring town, Archie found himself in the familiar lead off spot. But he was batting left handed. In the first at bat, Arch hit a slow roller down the first base line. But the ball hit the base and kicked away from the first baseman, so Archie had a hit. All the rest of his life he called it a true "base hit."

In his second trip to the plate, Archie hit a little pop up that ended up falling between the pitcher, the first baseman, and the second baseman. Any of the three could have caught the ball, but no one took charge and Archie had his second hit!

In his third at bat, Archie hit a seeing-eye ground ball that got between the third baseman and shortstop for his third hit. Unfortunately the team only had two more hits all night, and was beaten. In a consolation game the next game, Archie was allowed to bat right handed and went two for three, with a double.

Archie never batted left handed again in real game, and he only hit one other home run in the rest of his career, which included college ball. And he realized at twelve that he had a talent that was important to a team, but it was not hitting home runs!