Jimmy really loved baseball. And he was good at it. Better than most of his 10 year-old peers.

But he also had something of a mouth. He taunted his opponents. He even taunted his teammates on occasion.

One day, however, he chose to taunt the wrong person. Playing a pick-up game out on the meadow behind the Angstrom barn, he came up to bat against Igor, that weird kid from Romania.

"You pitch like a little girl," Jimmy shouted as he stepped into the batter's box. Igor just grimmaced and threw the ball...just like a little girl. Inexplicably, Jimmy took an awkward swing and missed.

"Can't you throw like a boy?" Jimmy hollered, stepping back into the box. Igor lofted another slow one, but again Jimmy lurched and lunged...and missed.

Feeling off-balance, Jimmy dug in again. This time Igor tossed the ball up underhand.

Jamie swung her plastic bat with all her might, but missed horribly, falling to the ground. Where she began to cry just like a little girl.


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