Boy vs. Ball: Grandson of Turner residents writes about spring baseball

(This short fictional story by 10-year-old Julian S. Lee Mills of Portland draws on his love for baseball and the youth sports so many are missing now as a result of coronavirus strategies to stem the pandemic.)

By Julian S. Lee Mills

“Strike one!” a booming voice beside me yells.
“Go, Jack!” shouts my best friend George from third base.

Julian S. Lee Mills
My heart is beating fast. I smell the fresh cut grass. I feel the heat of the sun on my back. My palms are sweating.
This is Harriton Field. It’s our championship game. It’s the bottom of the ninth inning. The score is six to six. There are two outs.
I have the best batting average on my team. I love the sound of the bat hitting the ball. When I swing, I feel powerful, like a candle lights inside me.
“Ball one!”
But right now, the bat feels heavy. My hands grip it tighter. My arms and legs feel like Jello. My stomach aches. My jaw is trapped shut. My eyes blink fast.
I’m confused. I have never felt this way at bat before.
“Ball two! Two and one!”
Yesterday morning, I had the same feeling like I needed to hang on to something. My mom told me we are moving to another town. As soon as she said that, I shouted, “No! I don’t want to lose George.”
George and I have been friends since kindergarten. We agree on lots of things. He loves baseball as much as I do. We talk about how baseball makes us feel. We both like Lucky Charms. Neither of our parents will let us have it.
“Strike two!”
My mom said there is a park with a baseball field near our new house. We will have a giant yard for me to invite friends over. She said we will only live twenty minutes away from George. He will still be in my same little league conference.
“They’re magically delicious!”
I know that voice. I look at third base and see George’s big wide smile. I smile back. I step back from the plate and adjust my gloves. I lean back in. My feet are planted on the ground. My knees are steady. My eyes meet the pitcher’s eyes. The ball soars through the air. I start my swing. The bat feels light in my hands. Crack! The candle lights inside me.

Julian, the son of John Lee and Kate Mills, of Portland, is in the fourth grade at Longfellow School. He plays for the Maine Lightening baseball team as well as for Portland Little League. He is the grandson of Cathy and John Lee of Turner and Peter and Nancy Mills of Portland.