Customer Reviews

Strike Three! (Chip Hilton Sports)

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Things don't change much in 50 years. This book still works with kids and adults. I like the new updates-just enough to make it contemporary. It would be a great gift for Little League friends and families.

Strike Three! offers great baseball action but, more importantly, it's a story about friendship, courage, and learning to extend our hands to others. Chip bridges the gap between the South and the West sides of Valley Falls with courage, faith, and friendship.

The series of sports books featuring the Chip Hilton character is about much more than basic athletics and winning the contests. Each book features contests taking place off the court or field, where the realities of life intrude on the playing of games. In this case, there is an underlying tension between the two sides of town. The West Side is generally the affluent side and the South Side is where the people work at blue-collar jobs and some of the men are forced to quit school before graduating from high school in order to support their families.

While Chip lives on the West Side, the untimely death of his father means that he must work in order to help his mother pay the bills and prepare for college. Chip is also by nature a forgiving and understanding person so when there is a conflict with two teammates from the South Side, he tries all he can think of to dampen the hostility and get the team focused. It is not an easy task, the culture is very different on the South Side and Chip is forced to look at things from a different perspective.

All of this is wrapped up in the Valley High baseball team's season as they strive to get into the state tournament and win the state championship. His coach is a man of deep principles that he will not compromise, providing an anchor for Chip and his teammates as they work through the strife.

As is the case with most works of adolescent sports fiction, it is all worked out at the end. Experienced readers know that this is what was going to happen, but the journey there is so well mapped that knowing that fact is irrelevant.

WILLIAM"CHIP"HILTON the high school sports all star has to try lto turn Nick Trullo's attitude around, let coach HENERY"ROCK"ROCKWELL deal with itor just stay away him while still traing Soapy Smith to be a catcher instead of a right fielder, and train himself to be a pitcher instead of a catcher with some tips from Del Bennett State baseball coach and friend of Coach Rockwell. From the beginning Chip, Soapy, Speed Morris, and Ted Williams were enimies sith Nick and Carl Carey. Chet Stewart the assistant coach ne at once that that Nick was trying to help Carl try to beat Chip out of the lead catcher job. During the games chip called the pitches and Nick didn't even shake them off he just pitched a different pitch. Chip, Taps Browning, Soapy and Speed all went to a Spring Festival at State where they went to see their future coaches. That's where he met Del Bennett and he asked him for some pitching lessons. He asked him not to tell the rock about it and because he wanted to tell him when he was ready. Chip built a strike zone on his fence but when he got his first chance with Soapy behind the plate and he didn't do well because his mound wasn't elevated. Then when Soapy claimed nick wasn't following the signs trullo was asked to turn in his uniform. after that They got to the championships. Will they win will will Nicks attitude change you have to read Strike 3.

WILLIAM"CHIP"HILTON the high school sports all star has to try lto turn Nick Trullo's attitude around, let coach HENERY"ROCK"ROCKWELL deal with itor just stay away him while still traing Soapy Smith to be a catcher instead of a right fielder, and train himself to be a pitcher instead of a catcher with some tips from Del Bennett State baseball coach and friend of Coach Rockwell. From the beginning Chip, Soapy, Speed Morris, and Ted Williams were enimies sith Nick and Carl Carey. Chet Stewart the assistant coach ne at once that that Nick was trying to help Carl try to beat Chip out of the lead catcher job. During the games chip called the pitches and Nick didn't even shake them off he just pitched a different pitch. Chip, Taps Browning, Soapy and Speed all went to a Spring Festival at State where they went to see their future coaches. That's where he met Del Bennett and he asked him for some pitching lessons. He asked him not to tell the rock about it and because he wanted to tell him when he was ready. Chip built a strike zone on his fence but when he got his first chance with Soapy

Strike Three was not published in 1990--but nearly 50 years ago.

Great story of values and friendships.

Buy the real Chip Hilton books.