Logan Carter stepped onto the baseball field with a mixture of excitement and nerves. As a newcomer to the team, he was determined to prove himself, but on that first day of practice, everything seemed to go hilariously wrong. During a routine fielding drill, a ground ball skipped right between his legs. Logan spun around in confusion, finally trapping the ball between his feet as his teammates broke into laughter.
"Nice foot save, Logan!" someone shouted from the sidelines. Logan felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.
It only got worse when it was his turn to bat. Logan hit a decent grounder past the pitcher and, heart pounding with excitement, he sprinted toward first base—except in his adrenaline rush, he mistakenly dashed toward third base instead. The team burst out laughing as Coach Talbot blew his whistle.
"Wrong way, Logan! Wrong way!" hollered Big Mac, the team captain, doubling over in mirth.
From that moment on, the nickname "Wrong-Way Logan" stuck to him like pine tar on a bat. Logan managed a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his neck. "Whoops, my bad… guess I was thinking three bases ahead," he joked, trying to laugh with them. His self-deprecating humor earned a few friendly claps on the shoulder, but he knew he had a lot to learn.
Back in the field for a pop-fly drill, Logan was determined to redeem himself. Coach Talbot launched a high fly ball into the outfield. Logan settled under it, squinting into the sun, glove raised—then plonk! The ball smacked off the heel of his glove and bounced off his forehead. He yelped in surprise and hit the grass, perfectly fine but utterly embarrassed as the team howled with laughter.
"He's catching balls with his head now!" one teammate cackled.
Logan sat up with a goofy smile and rubbed his forehead. "Good thing I have a hard head, right?" he quipped, which earned another round of chuckles.
Despite the mishaps, Logan's determination never wavered. After practice, Coach Talbot motioned for Logan to join him and Big Mac by the dugout. Coach Talbot was a gruff older man with a whistle perpetually around his neck, but his eyes held a hint of kindness. Big Mac—a senior player built like a truck—stood beside him, arms crossed but smiling encouragingly.
"Logan, son," Coach Talbot began, "you sure have a unique way of doing things out there."
Big Mac snorted. "Unique is one way to put it, Coach. Wrong-Way Logan, we've got to get you going the right way."
Logan winced and looked down at his cleats. "I know, Coach. I messed up a lot today," he mumbled. "I just… I really want to get better before the tournament in December. I don't want to let the team down." His voice was earnest, and both Coach Talbot and Big Mac could see the resolve in the young player's eyes.
Coach Talbot nodded, placing a hand on Logan's shoulder. "Good. Because we're going to work you hard, and I expect you to give it everything you've got." He exchanged a glance with Big Mac. "Starting tomorrow, we're implementing a strict training plan for you."
Big Mac grinned and slapped a clipboard with a training schedule into Logan's hand. "5:30 AM: running drills. After school: fielding practice with me. Then batting practice. Every. Single. Day," he recited emphatically.
Logan's eyes widened as he scanned the jam-packed regimen drawn in bold marker. Big Mac chuckled at Logan's expression. "I hope you drank a whole lotta milk as a kid, because you're gonna need strong bones," he teased, nudging Logan's arm.
Logan gulped, then cracked a determined smile. "Whatever it takes," he said, steel in his voice.
Coach Talbot actually smiled—a rare sight. "Alright, Wrong-Way, get some rest. Tomorrow, we start turning you into a ballplayer."
As Logan turned to leave, Big Mac called after him, "Bright and early, Logan! And don't even think about running to third base first!"
Logan chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he walked away. "Not anymore," he whispered under his breath. He may have been the butt of jokes today, but tomorrow was a new day. With a strict training plan in hand and his resolve strengthened, Logan Carter was ready to tackle his struggles head-on and leave "Wrong-Way Logan" in the dust.