The Grip

Contents Cover Title Page Epigraph Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Author’s Note Acknowledgments About the Authors Copyright Guide Cover Start of Content Title Page Author’s Note Epigraph Acknowledgments About the Authors Copyright I II III V VI 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 
 
 Marcus Stroman
 Gold Glove Award Winner and MLB All-Star
 You grip the ball. But doubt grips you.
 The Grip
 
 
 
 
 
 This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
 
 ALADDIN
 An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
 www.SimonandSchuster.com
 First Aladdin hardcover edition January 2023
 Text copyright © 2023 by Marcus Stroman
 Jacket illustration copyright © 2023 by Setor Fiadzigbey
 All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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 Jacket designed by Dan Potash
 Interior designed by Mike Rosamilia
 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
 Names: Stroman, Marcus, 1991- author. | Thornhill, Samantha, author. Title: The grip / by Marcus Stroman written with Samantha Thornhill. Description: First Aladdin edition. | New York : Aladdin, 2022. | Series: Marcus stroman ; book 1 | Audience: Ages 8 to 12. | Summary: Marcus, a young baseball pitcher, learns that perfect games only come with a lot of practice—and some strikeouts.
 Identifiers: LCCN 2022039703 (print) | LCCN 2022039704 (ebook) | ISBN 9781665916141 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781665916158 (ebook) Subjects: CYAC: Pitching (Baseball)—Fiction. | Self-confidence—Fiction. | Friendship—Fiction. | BISAC: JUVENILE FICTION / Sports & Recreation / General | JUVENILE FICTION / Social Themes / Friendship | LCGFT: Sports fiction. | Novels.
 Classification: LCC PZ7.1.S79625 Gr 2022 (print) | LCC PZ7.1.S79625 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022039703
 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022039704
 
 
 
 To my YOUNG KING KAI…
 Continue to light up the world with your smile and mind while never allowing a single soul to deter you from your dreams.
 Thank you for saving me in my moments of need.
 Your energy is rare. Share it sparingly and wisely. Give in abundance to those who feed your soul.
 Be open to growth.
 Be steady through adversity. Your circle can either elevate or destroy you.
 Change is essential… in life and with people.
 Focus on yourself… first and foremost. Your mental, physical, and emotional well-being are priority. Never take that lightly. You can’t pour from an empty cup.
 Take care of your mother for life. Like my mother… she is your direct source of energy and life. You’ll breathe easier in her presence.
 Love you more than you know. Daddy always got you… just like my father always has my back no matter what.
 Never settle. You’re too special for that.
 —Kai Zen Stroman’s father
 
 
 
 CHAPTER 1
 THWACK.
 That’s the soundtrack every morning.
 Thwack.
 Every morning, I am in the backyard, throwing balls to my dad. The rhythm of my baseball crashing into his glove is the soundtrack of each day. The reason? Because Earl Stroman is a professional butt kicker and he’s training me to become the greatest pitcher the game of baseball has ever seen.
 Dad believes I have what it takes to become one of the greats. He also believes that in order to be great, you have to practice every single morning. Every. Single. Morning. It doesn’t matter how hot it is, how cold it is, how much our bones ache, or how loud our stomachs growl. We don’t stop until Dad stands up and says we’re done.
 We’re at the twenty-minute mark, and I’m hot, thirsty, and hungry all at the same time. The smell of bacon grease coming from somewhere teases my nose hairs. Too bad for me.
 Even though my mind is pinballing all over the place, I keep my eyes on Dad.
 His dark skin glistens like he just walked through drizzle. He is muscular and can squat for a long time. He tosses the ball to me, and I catch it with a mitt bigger than my face.
 A pesky insect buzzes close to my ear. I try