Bobby walked into the gym just as Miss Shelly blew her whistle.
"Line up!" she said.
"We're going outside."
She was carrying a bag of baseballs.
"Today is going to be fun!" Bobby thought.
Bobby saw a batting tee on the blacktop.
"Are we playing T-ball?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm terrible at T-ball," Izzie groaned.
"We're having a T-ball Home Run Derby," Miss Shelly said.
"All right!" Bobby and Ethan gave each other high fives.
"What's a home run derby?" Nina asked.
"It's the best part of baseball season!" Bobby said.
"It's when the players have a home run contest."
"You each get three tries to hit the ball," Miss Shelly explained.
"The ball must go past that blue line to be a home run."
She pointed to a line on the blacktop.
"The person who hits the most home runs wins," Bobby added.
"Who wants to go first?" Miss Shelly asked. "Bobby?"
"Usually the worst person goes first," Bobby said.
"I'll go," Nina offered. "I'm probably the worst."
Miss Shelly frowned.
"There's no best or worst here, Bobby."
Miss Shelly set the ball on the tee.
"Whenever you're ready!" she called.
Nina gripped the bat and swung. She missed!
She swung again. Another miss!
On her last try, she missed again.
"Your score is zero!" Bobby said.
"Bobby, that's not nice," Miss Shelly scolded.
"I'll go next," Jason said.
"I'm not very good either."
He stepped up to the tee.
On his third try, he hit the ball!
"Home run!" Jason cried, jumping up and down.
"No," Bobby said.
"It bounced before it reached the blue line."
He was about to say, "You got a zero too."
But Miss Shelly was giving him a warning look.
"My turn," Izzie said.
First she hit the tee.
Then she missed.
Finally she hit a home run!
"Yeah, Izzie!" Nina cheered.
Ethan was next.
He hit a home run on his first try!
"All right!" he said, nodding.
On his second try, he hit another home run!
"Yeah!" He narrowed his eyes and got ready for his last try.
Home run!
"Woo-hoo! Beat that!" he said to Bobby.
"Don't worry. I will," Bobby said, taking the bat.
He took a deep breath.
He did not want to let Ethan beat him.
The Home Run Derby was his favorite major league baseball event.
He had to win!
Whack! Whack! Whack!
Bobby easily hit three home runs.
"Ha!" he said. "Now what, Miss Shelly?"
"Now we have a tiebreaker.
You and Ethan each get two more tries," she said.
Ethan went first.
He hit the ball way up in the air.
It landed close to the blue line, but not past it.
Then whack! He hit the ball again.
A home run!
"Not bad," he said, grinning.
He passed the bat to Bobby.
Bobby gripped the bat and swung. Home run!
Bobby swung again. Home run!
"I'm the Home Run Derby champion!" he cheered.
"You're pretty good," Ethan said.
He stuck out his hand.
The boys shook hands.
"You're not so bad either," Bobby said.
[caption_out@