MATTHEW BURNETTE

Staff Writer

I had a column all ready to go for this week, but right before deadline, I was sent something that really struck me, and I thought I should share it.

With a platform like this, obviously I enjoy writing hopefully entertaining excerpts from life that are worth reading.

But with that platform, I figured it’s occasionally nice to hand it over to an up-and-coming writer who may just be starting out and hasn’t had much of their work seen.

So with that, this week I’m yielding my space here to a young, 12-year-old writer (who happens to be my cousin) named Bryson Stone. He’s going to tell you a semi-autobiographical tale about tenacity, aspiration and hard work.

I’m biased on the subject, but I thought it was pretty good.

I’ll be back next week, but for now, I hope you enjoy his story:

Once upon a time there was a kid whose dream it was to be the best baseball player. His name was Bryson Stone. He lived in McMinnville, Tennessee in a three-story house. His mom’s name was Elizabeth Stone, and he had a sister named Callie Stone. His dad’s name was Justin Stone.

Bryson did not have much confidence in himself, but he still wanted to be an MLB player though. Bryson was 12 years old and he broke two bones in his whole life. He signed up for a baseball team. He won 1-16 games and got one home run in the whole season, but he made a lot of friends on the way and even a girlfriend.

But she broke up with him because he was not talking to her.

On Christmas, he got a four-wheeler and that was one of the best Christmas presents he had ever got.

So back where his dream is to be an MLB star. Well, when he turned 18, he tried out for a baseball team at a college named Duke. He was very scared for the tryouts, but he made the team.

Coach said he was going to be a first baseman, and he said his first game is December 5, and then he thought and then he said, “That’s my birthday. I’m going to turn 19 years old.”

Bryson was very excited for the game. He got to the game and got benched the whole game, but they won 19-0. Bryson was happy that he won, but he thought to himself “I will get in next game.”

Two weeks later at the game, Bryson prays that he gets in this game. “Please, please, please,” Bryson says.

Ninth inning down by one, Payton Lee goes to hit. Caught. “Two outs,” the umpire says.

“Please, I will win this for us,” Bryson says, and the coach says “Yes.”

“Bryson Stone, Number 5, goes up to hit. This is his first at bat. First pitch goes up. Foul ball. Second pitch. POW. It’s going. It’s going. HOME RUN!”

“Bryson Stone wins the second game.”

Bryson is easily the favorite now in the locker room. The best on the team gets mad at Bryson. After everybody leaves, the bullies try to fight Bryson and they hurt him really bad. The practice the nest day, Coach was really mad at the people for doing this, but Bryson still did not tell anybody about this.

He was a new player, so he got treated unfairly from others.

Coach made them run the bases for the whole practice, but Bryson still ran, even though the coach did not want him to run.

Next game, Bryson started out as a pitcher. Bryson was going crazy the first inning. No hits. He struck out every person that game, and he got three home runs that game. They won 9-0.

Next practice, he got respected by everybody. That was a record for how many strikeouts he did. That full season, they won every game and won the World Series. Bryson went on into the MLB the next year.

Rookie of the Year.