Story Review of There’s Nothing Like Baseball

Character:  I (Emma), Jamal, Nikki, and Greg

Setting: Spring. Baseball field 

Plot: Emma loves to play baseball. But she has a problem: both she and her friend, Jamal, want to be the shortstop in the baseball game. 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Perspective: First-Person viewpoint

The story “There’s Nothing Like Baseball” written by Angela Johnson talks about a girl named Emma who loves baseball. When Emma wakes up the first thing comes to her mind is baseball. Emma smells the freshly cut grass, eats breakfast smiling, and thinks about the sound the bats make rattling together in the bat bag. Emma was born in a family of baseball because her mom and her brother Greg play baseball. The spirit of baseball is to keep practicing and everyone gets to play. Emma always practices baseball with her friends, Nikki and Jamal. However, both Emma and Jamal want to be the shortstop but only one person could be. Emma feels unhappy and even has a bad dream. In the dream, Emma feels sorry that she gets the shortstop while Jamal does not. During the tryout, the coach decides to let Nikki be the shortstop because she is better in this position than others. Emma and Jamal walked home together talking about how fun the baseball game would be. Emma thinks that there is nothing like baseball. 

Having good friends on your team can make the practice not only joyful but also effective. This is because you feel comfortable to communicate ideas, discuss how to win, and give support to each other. Jamel and Emma are sitting in the grass at the baseball meeting. They are now playing on the same team. It is always good to have friends to play on the same team with you. Good friends always meet to see each other, like the same things, like each other, and have something in common. Good friends share what they think and what they have with each other. So when people and their friends play sports on the same team, they have the same time to practice it. They can set up a time and go to the sports field together. In the car, they can discuss ways to win the game or how to make themselves even better by practicing sports. During the practice, they can help and encourage each other. They even can use their leisure time to practice moves. Overall, it is a win-win situation. Good friends could happily practice their skills. Good friends could also enjoy a good time together.

When a person has great passion for the sport, the things he sees, eats, thinks, smells, and hears are all about this sport. The spirit of the sport is to try your very best with constant practice to win the game. Also, everyone gets the chance to play. Emma thinks about baseball when she wakes up. She could smell the fresh grass.  She even smiles while eating breakfast. She could hear the sound of bats rattling in the bag. Emma plays on Rex’s House of Fins and Fur baseball team, sponsored by Rex and Sophie. They think that you should try your best and everyone gets to play. Emma is so into baseball. Everything she thinks is about baseball from the moment she opens her eyes. Her mind is so occupied by baseball. When she breathes, her nose smells of freshly cut grass rather than the smells of bacon or pancakes. Thinking of baseball makes her smile even when her eyes are looking at breakfast. Her ears could hear the sound of bats from the bag. This all shows how much passion Emma has for baseball. This passion makes Emma keep trying her best in playing baseball. She wants to be the best of the best. She keeps practicing with Jamal. At the same time, Emma makes sure Jamal also gets the chance to play baseball. The passion for sport makes a person think and do everything about it. This helps a person develop a spirit of sports. 

Friendship between teammates is more important than playing a baseball game. All the sport games are built from teamwork. Teamwork is built from friendship between teammates. 

Example: When Emma knows both Jamal and her wants to be the shortstop, she feels frustrated. She doesn't feel good and has a bad dream. In her dream, Emma gets the shortstop but Jamal does not. Emma is sorry for Jamal. The next day, Emma does not want to practice baseball. What Emma thinks is about her friend, Jamal. There is nothing like baseball. This does not mean baseball is the most important thing. Instead, friendship is more than baseball. If I were Emma, I would let Jamal be the shortstop. Although I would be a little bit sad that I did not get the shortstop, I would still be happy that Jamal got the shortstop because she is my good friend. Plus, Jamal would be happy. When I see Jamal happy, I would be happy, too. It is okay to be sad as long as I see my friend is happy. Friendship is valuable and it is more than winning or losing the game. 

“There’s Nothing Like Baseball” is a touching story. It teaches me three things. First, when my friends and I are in the same sports team, we could have a lot of fun together, like practicing and discussing it. Second, when my friends and I want the same thing but only one of us can have it, I would let my friend have it. That’s what friendship is. I want my friend to be happy and I don’t want to make any conflict between us. Third, I learned about the spirit of sport that you should try your best and keep practicing it. Also, everyone should get a chance to play it. In addition, the author teaches me the writing skill that instead of telling how much you like this thing directly, you can tell others by talking with your five senses.