Overview

Sammy Perez has to make it to the big leagues. After his teammate's career-ending injury, the Roadrunners decided to play in a wood bat tournament to protect their pitchers. And while Sammy used to be a hotheaded, hard-hitting, home-run machine, he's now stuck in the slump of his life. Sammy thinks the wood bats are causing the problem, but his dad suggests that maybe he's not strong enough. Is Sammy willing to break the law and sacrifice his health to get an edge by taking performance-enhancing drugs? Can Sammy break out of his slump in time to get noticed by major-league scouts?

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Reviews

Almost entirely devoid of any element that isn't baseball related, this entry in the Travel Team series is just the ticket for readers who prefer their sports fiction distraction-free. His Las Vegas team's switch from aluminum to wooden bats leaves talented slugger Sammy Perez suddenly unable to hit a lick--and this with a big tournament coming up in Texas. His main problem is his fixed self-image as a power hitter, but as he struggles to control outbursts of temper--and even begins to give serious thought to his father's suggestion that steroids might be the way to go--he continues to practice, practice, practice. When the tournament comes, that work ethic pays off, but not as he expects; instead of putting on a power display, Sammy provides spectacular defense and heady team play that draw a major-league scout's admiring attention. Except for one date--and that to a ball game--it's all baseball all the time, with some genuine character development by the end. --Booklist --Journal The Roadrunners travel baseball team encounters daunting opponents on the field while tensions off the field threaten the team's solidarity. Dustin's father blackmails the coach; Sammy loses his power hitting when forced to switch from aluminum to wood bats; Trip alienates his father when he considers pursuing music instead of the major leagues. Crisp dialogue and personal challenges keep this series alive for baseball fans. --Journal This hi/lo series focuses on individual members of an elite travel team of 17-and-under baseball players from Las Vegas. In Forced Out, Zack's team gets the funding to play in a New York tournament that will have a lot of major-league-scout representation. However, when a new kid who's mediocre at best--but whose father is a multimillionaire--suddenly joins the team, Zack realizes that the coach might have compromised his standards for the travel money that Dustin's dad is promising. How can Zack support his coach and still be a good friend to the catcher, who is being forced out of his position by Dustin? In Power Hitter, Sammy Perez is one of the team's best hitters. When Coach signs the team up for a wooden-bat tournament, Sammy believes he will never be noticed by an MLB scout-his hits just are not as dramatic with wood--and he sees his dreams of supporting his family slipping away. His father tells him of a performance-enhancing drug that doesn't show up on tests, and Sammy is tempted to try them for that extra edge. Shortstop Trip Costas takes center stage in Out of Control. His father has lived out his baseball dreams through his sons, but Trip is tired of his father directing his life and wants to take a break. Only the wisdom of Coach Harris and others allows him to separate his frustration with his father from his feelings for the game. These authors pack a lot of drama and sports action into about 100 pages. The characters might be just a little too good to be true, but the tone is not didactic, and students will appreciate the real-life issues and ethical dilemmas that the players face. --School Library Journal --Journal

Almost entirely devoid of any element that isn't baseball related, this entry in the Travel Team series is just the ticket for readers who prefer their sports fiction distraction-free. His Las Vegas team's switch from aluminum to wooden bats leaves talented slugger Sammy Perez suddenly unable to hit a lick--and this with a big tournament coming up in Texas. His main problem is his fixed self-image as a power hitter, but as he struggles to control outbursts of temper--and even begins to give serious thought to his father's suggestion that steroids might be the way to go--he continues to practice, practice, practice. When the tournament comes, that work ethic pays off, but not as he expects; instead of putting on a power display, Sammy provides spectacular defense and heady team play that draw a major-league scout's admiring attention. Except for one date--and that to a ball game--it's all baseball all the time, with some genuine character development by the end. --Booklist --Journal This hi/lo series focuses on individual members of an elite travel team of 17-and-under baseball players from Las Vegas. In Forced Out, Zack's team gets the funding to play in a New York tournament that will have a lot of major-league-scout representation. However, when a new kid who's mediocre at best--but whose father is a multimillionaire--suddenly joins the team, Zack realizes that the coach might have compromised his standards for the travel money that Dustin's dad is promising. How can Zack support his coach and still be a good friend to the catcher, who is being forced out of his position by Dustin? In Power Hitter, Sammy Perez is one of the team's best hitters. When Coach signs the team up for a wooden-bat tournament, Sammy believes he will never be noticed by an MLB scout-his hits just are not as dramatic with wood--and he sees his dreams of supporting his family slipping away. His father tells him of a performance-enhancing drug that doesn't show up on tests, and Sammy is tempted to try them for that extra edge. Shortstop Trip Costas takes center stage in Out of Control. His father has lived out his baseball dreams through his sons, but Trip is tired of his father directing his life and wants to take a break. Only the wisdom of Coach Harris and others allows him to separate his frustration with his father from his feelings for the game. These authors pack a lot of drama and sports action into about 100 pages. The characters might be just a little too good to be true, but the tone is not didactic, and students will appreciate the real-life issues and ethical dilemmas that the players face. --School Library Journal --Journal The Roadrunners travel baseball team encounters daunting opponents on the field while tensions off the field threaten the team's solidarity. Dustin's father blackmails the coach; Sammy loses his power hitting when forced to switch from aluminum to wood bats; Trip alienates his father when he considers pursuing music instead of the major leagues. Crisp dialogue and personal challenges keep this series alive for baseball fans. --Journal

Author Information

M. G. Higgins writes fiction for children and young adults. She's loved baseball since she went to her first Dodger's game at the age of six.

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