Free Hit & Miss by Derek Jeter Page A

back.” He went over to Jeff and the others and said, “What’s up, guys?”
    â€œDo we have to let that kid play with us?” Jason asked. “He thinks he’s all that.”
    â€œAnd he stinks at baseball too,” Jeff added.
    â€œThat’s why I invited him here,” Derek explained. “And his name is Dave. Dave Hennum. By the way, he’s not a snob either. Not even close.”
    â€œAre you telling me he’s not rich?” Isaiah asked.
    â€œNo . . . but he’s not a snob. You guys are the ones being snobs, if you ask me,” said Derek.
    â€œYeah, you say that because he lets you ride in the Mercedes,” Jeff said with a smirk. The others laughed, and Derek was dismayed to see Vijay there, laughing along with the rest.
    That really surprised Derek. Vijay of all people should have known how Dave would feel about being left out. Derek turned and saw Dave standing there, shifting from one foot to the other, waiting for someone to include him.
    â€œCome on, guys—at least give him a chance,” Derek pleaded. “Vij?”
    Vijay shrugged and looked away from Derek and to Jeff.
    Jeff and Jason looked at each other and shrugged also. “Okay, I guess,” Jeff said. “But only for your sake, Derek. I just hope you remember who your real friends are.”
    Derek glanced back at Dave, who was pretending not to notice that they were all in a huddle talking and pointing to him.
    â€œDave’s my real friend too,” Derek told him, and watched as their eyes all widened. “He’s a great kid.”
    â€œIf you say so,” said Jason. “Okay, then. Let’s play ball.”
    And the huddle mercifully broke up. They started playing, taking positions on the slope, where the bases were marked off by landmarks such as a shrub or a bare patch on the grass.
    Derek started announcing the game as usual, and Dave started to get into the swing of things, at least in the beginning. He even threw to the right base, twice—and got mock cheers from Jeff, Jason, and Isaiah.
    But when Dave came to the plate and threw the ball up into the air to hit it, he kept missing—over and over again. Derek and Vijay both tried to get him to swing level, but Dave couldn’t seem to get it into his head that a baseball swing was not a golf swing.
    And now the snarky comments started to come, fast and furious.
    â€œAir ball.”
    â€œGoing, going . . . missed.”
    â€œWhew, felt the wind from that one!”
    Finally Dave had had enough. He picked up his mitt and walked off toward where Chase was waiting by the car.
    â€œHey, where you going?” Derek called after him.
    â€œHome,” Dave said without turning around. “See you.”
    Derek jogged after him for a few paces, but Dave just walked faster, until Derek could see that there was no point. Then Derek turned back to the others.
    â€œYou guys happy now?” he asked. “I hope you’re all real proud of yourselves for driving him away.”
    â€œAw, poor baby,” Jeff mocked, waving as the Mercedes pulled away. “I guess we made the baby cry.”
    â€œHe didn’t cry,” Derek said. “And if he did, so what? How do you think those comments made him feel?”
    â€œYou can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen,” said Jason, and the others laughed, including Vijay, who still wasn’t looking at Derek.
    â€œHey,” Derek said. “So what if he’s not great at baseball? Lots of kids aren’t that great at it, but you don’t goof on them. Besides, maybe he’s good at other things—things you guys can’t even do.”
    â€œLike what?” Isaiah asked.
    â€œLike . . . like golf!” Derek immediately wished he hadn’t said that.
    â€œ Oooh. Golf. Of course. The rich kids’ game!” All the kids laughed at Jeff’s joke, missing Derek’s