The Clemente Ball (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781733165129)

Lucas Billman wants to see the great Roberto Clemente play for the Pittsburgh Pirates before summer of 1972 is over. His dad surprises him with tickets and they end up with a foul ball hit by the legendary player. Lucas becomes a neighborhood celebrity with the prized souvenir. Clemente's quest for three-thousand hits and untimely death add to its mystique. The ball then becomes a special link with Lucas and his dad. Lucas approaches his final season in the town's youth baseball league with confidence and enthusiasm until Jessica Snider shows up to the tryouts wanting to be the first girl to ever play in the league. Lucas ends up leading the Donovan Trucking team through a memorable season before having to make the most difficult decision of his young life. Everything in Lucas's life starts to unravel in ways he never dreamed possible. What can he do to get his life back on track? An even bigger problem then emerges, the Clemente Ball is gone.