The Amazing Player

THE AMAZING PLAYER is the fifth novel in the George Grant Series. When George was 15 he was struck by lightning. Doctors said the residual tingles in his arms and hands would soon fade away. George is 55 and he still has them. The only people who know that are his wife, his brother and his brother's wife.

The tingles give George extra strength and greater accuracy when he pitches a baseball. He rarely throws anything but a strike. His vision was affected by the lightning strike and he sees a baseball moving through the air like it's in slow motion. Nothing else is affected. When he swings a bat at a baseball he always gets a hit.

When George graduated from high school he wanted to go to college and then become a professional baseball pitcher. He had to forego that dream to run the family farm.

A chance to play professional ball finally came when he was 54. His pitching and hitting demonstration impressed a baseball team owner and George was given a contract. He was instrumental in the team winning the World Series. Then George retired.

Shortly after he retired he committed to be at the next spring training in the Cactus League in Phoenix to coach a rookie pitcher. The 19-year-old had been struck by lightning and had tingles in his arms and hands that didn't go away like the doctors predicted.

Under George's tutorage Bo Bowman became a pitching and hitting wonder. When two starting pitchers were injured in a car accident late in the regular season George came out of retirement to help the team. They won their division and were in the playoffs.

The playoffs are about to start. George and Bo are premier pitchers and hitters. It looks like the team will breeze through the playoffs and claim their second World Series Championship.

Things don't always turn out as expected. George and the team struggle to win games and keep the dream alive. Suddenly they trail 3-2 in the World Series and are faced with a do or die situation.