The Oldest Rookie Big-League Dreams from a Small-Town Guy

After an injury-plagued stint in the minor leagues in his twenties, Jim Morris hung up his cleats & his dreams to start a new life as a father & high school physics teacher & baseball coach. Jim's athletes knew that his dream was still alive -- he threw the ball so hard they could barely hit it -- & made a bet with him: if they won the league championship, he would have to try out for a major league ball club. They did -- & he did, & during that tryout threw the ball faster than he ever had, faster than anyone there, nearly faster than anyone playing in the Bigs. He was immediately drafted by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays & three months later made his major league debut, striking out All-Star Royce Clayton.