14 Quotes by Michael Dault

Played catcher, just like you. We had these dreams that took us far beyond Minor League ball. Reality set in when we faced actual Major League talent. That's when we realized what our hopes actually were—dreams. The Marine Corps became a life we knew we could succeed in. I missed playing ball, sure, but when I think back on it, you kids gave me a life far more satisfying than any dream. That's what I was always meant to be—a father and a coach. That's what made sense.

Baseball is the only thing I can give you that might be worth something in your lives.

So, I say while we're able to wear the orange and black, let's give this town the title they deserve . . . Let's touch Heaven, boys . . .

This is their new chapter—something they've yearned for. This is their American dream.

James understands his sons are young and untouched by the hardships of life. He doesn't know it now, but Rupland is changing. It's only a matter of time before it changes them too.

He knows if questions aren't answered over time, then he has to bury and forget them. It's his family's way. Maybe that's okay this time because Jack has always gotten by. Being the eldest son, he's forced to lead by example from his parents. Luckily for James and Sandy, Jack was born a natural leader.

Maybe it's the unique people. Maybe the old-fashioned bucolic setting or the nostalgia it brings—he'll never be sure. But it's there he knows that his family truly became close. Of course, their end there was tragic, yet he knows those years were something else. Those years were the best of their lives.

We're miracles, kid . . . Please know that you're special. You will always be special. Maybe your father has a different way of showing you that, but give him a break. He's hardest on you because you were almost lost. In his mind, he's fighting for your life every day. And you want to know something else? You remind him most of Jacob. Everything about you, right down to that contagious smile of yours.

I've gotta be around it, brother. I've gotta . . . But I'll never leave Rupland.