Shortstop

Shortstop tells the story of a Massachusetts boy who liked to play baseball, and how he reached his dream of playing with the Boston Red Sox.

Frank Lido was a shortstop from East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, who just received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Texas at Austin. He's thrilled to be there and works extremely hard with his coaches to succeed.

His team reaches national championship form. And at the end of the season, Frank signs with the Boston Red Sox. Despite his youth, he is put on the roster and tries to show he is mature enough to play in the big leagues.

After patiently sitting on the bench, Frank finally gets his shot. He is playing for all the boys he grew up with, those now in the military or laying asphalt or working in pizza parlors. One of their own playing with the Red Sox has given them all a reason to stand up and cheer.

Author Mike Maloni is a professional photographer in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. He is a big sports fan and is a graduate of Boston University. His inspiration for writing the book: "You can take the boy out of Massachusetts, but you can't take the Massachusetts out of the boy!" Mike's next book is a sequel to his earlier work, Defenseman.

Publisher's website: http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/Shortstop-WhereGraceAndPowerCollide.html