The Slugger's Shadow

By Bob Temple

Aaron is a 12-year-old baseball phenom, but only when he’s playing in the field. At the plate, he struggles. Now, it’s the last inning of the last game of the season, and Aaron’s in the batter’s box, down by one with the bases loaded. Just as he steps up to the plate, Aaron spots his superstar-athlete older brother, Will, who completely abandoned him at the worst possible time. Can Aaron come through in the clutch when his team needs him most, and will his brother come through for him and their family?

In the Clutch hooks readers with a do-or-die moment from youth sports, then rewinds to show how the books’ young athletes found themselves needing to perform under pressure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: North Star Editions
• Release date: Sep 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781631636752

Bob Temple

Bob Temple is the author of more than 100 books for young readers under his own name and a variety of pen names. He was the originator of the best-selling Jake Maddox series of sports fiction books, and spent more than a decade as a sportswriter, covering pro, college, and high school sports. He lives in Minnesota with his wife.

Book preview

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Chapter 1

Bases loaded

Unbelievable.

It’s the bottom of the sixth inning—the last inning. I’m stepping up to the plate with the game on the line. In fact, the whole season is on the line. Win and we go to the playoffs. Lose and there’s nothing left of the summer to look forward to.

And he picks now, of all times, to show up. Make that . . . to glide in. Looking all cool with his special sports sunglasses that Dad bought him. He’s wearing those NBA shorts that show off his massive quads. Baseball hat on backward; hair sticking out the back just right. That black tank top I hate so much because he’s, like, all biceps. Athletic bag slung over his shoulder.

Was he here in the second inning when I made the diving catch at shortstop to save at least two runs? No, he was probably off hitting the winning three-pointer in his college-prep basketball league game. Was he here when I turned a double play in the fourth inning to stop another Redhawks rally? Nah. By then he was probably pitching a no-hitter in his American Legion game.

The fact is, he’s never been at my games for any of my great plays in the field this year. Whenever I’ve tried to talk to him about them, he’s immediately changed the subject to some great play he made that same day. Oh, but he