In chapter twenty-one, Josh talks about his very first Major League All-Star Game. In 2o08, the All-Star Game was held at the legendary Yankee Stadium which was the last year the long cherished stadium would be used before it would be replaced by the New Yankee Stadium. This was a very exciting game for Josh and everyone else in it.
A couple weeks before the game, Josh got a call from a Major League Baseball representative asking him if he would like to participate in the Home Run Derby a day before the game. With no hesitation, Josh told him yes. One of the first things that he did after that was to call Clay Council, the old coach from Cary American Legion. When Josh was a kid, he promised Clay that if he ever were in the Home Run Derby, he would want him to pitch to him. Josh called Clay and asked him if he would pitch to him and Clay agreed. Even though Clay was seventy-one years old, he could still throw.
Clay flew down to New York on the same flight as Katie and the girls, and they even had a uniform for Clay when he arrived. In the tunnel before the derby, Josh and Clay said a prayer as they heard the rumble of the crowd above them. As soon as Josh stepped into the batter's box, the crowd was very loud. When he started hitting, almost everyone was a home run. By the end of the first round, he had twenty-eight homers which was a record for the most home runs in a single round. This was four more than the previous record held by Bobby Abreu.
When Josh was done, the fans were going crazy and wanted more. He could see the happiness on Katie's, the girls', his parents', and Katie's parents' faces. He could feel the pressure hitting in front of thousands of people in the stands, the best baseball players on the planet and millions of people watching on TV, but he tried to not let it get to him. In the finals, Josh went up against Twins first basemen, Justin Morneau, and Morneau beat him 5-3. It did not matter that Josh had hit more total homers than Morneau because in the finals, all home runs in the previous rounds were erased. However, it did not matter to Josh that he had lost because he had a great time.
From this point, Josh's life continues to get better. He still plays baseball for the Rangers. He is happily married to Katie, and they both serve God. Josh stressed at the end of the book that he still has to depend on God and his family and friends to battle his addictions. He openly shares his testimony with young people and those battling addictions like himself.
A couple weeks before the game, Josh got a call from a Major League Baseball representative asking him if he would like to participate in the Home Run Derby a day before the game. With no hesitation, Josh told him yes. One of the first things that he did after that was to call Clay Council, the old coach from Cary American Legion. When Josh was a kid, he promised Clay that if he ever were in the Home Run Derby, he would want him to pitch to him. Josh called Clay and asked him if he would pitch to him and Clay agreed. Even though Clay was seventy-one years old, he could still throw.
Clay flew down to New York on the same flight as Katie and the girls, and they even had a uniform for Clay when he arrived. In the tunnel before the derby, Josh and Clay said a prayer as they heard the rumble of the crowd above them. As soon as Josh stepped into the batter's box, the crowd was very loud. When he started hitting, almost everyone was a home run. By the end of the first round, he had twenty-eight homers which was a record for the most home runs in a single round. This was four more than the previous record held by Bobby Abreu.
When Josh was done, the fans were going crazy and wanted more. He could see the happiness on Katie's, the girls', his parents', and Katie's parents' faces. He could feel the pressure hitting in front of thousands of people in the stands, the best baseball players on the planet and millions of people watching on TV, but he tried to not let it get to him. In the finals, Josh went up against Twins first basemen, Justin Morneau, and Morneau beat him 5-3. It did not matter that Josh had hit more total homers than Morneau because in the finals, all home runs in the previous rounds were erased. However, it did not matter to Josh that he had lost because he had a great time.
From this point, Josh's life continues to get better. He still plays baseball for the Rangers. He is happily married to Katie, and they both serve God. Josh stressed at the end of the book that he still has to depend on God and his family and friends to battle his addictions. He openly shares his testimony with young people and those battling addictions like himself.
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