We were a little older, a little more mature, and a lot better as a baseball team. I was 12 years old now, in the 6th grade at East St. John Middle School, which sat right behind Our Lady of Grace Catholic School on 29th Street in Reserve, Louisiana.

By that time, we had begun to compete in everything—not just on the field, but in the classroom, the lunchroom, and especially at recess. Whether it was test scores, arm wrestling, foot races, or lunch trades, everything was a competition. And if you didn’t bring your A-game, you were getting talked about and laughed at all day. That’s just how it was.

This would be my final year playing with the Dodgers in the 10-12 age group—what we called the “lil boys.” I was the starting third baseman, and I felt good about it. That year, we were dominant. We won every game. But some matchups still stand out even now.

When we faced the Garyville Pirates, I always prayed that Calvin “Flip Flop” Lee wasn’t on the mound. That boy was throwing straight heat. If I’m being honest, it was very hard for me to get a hit off of him when he pitched. But I had a plan—when in doubt, bunt. If I could just get on base, I knew I could steal. Especially since my cousin Chris Nicholas was catching for them at the time, and he didn’t yet have the arm to throw me out. Not back then.

Flip Flop and Chris were great players, no doubt. But they weren’t the only ones on that team. One game that will forever be etched in my memory is when our best pitcher—and our best hitter—got on the mound against Garyville and struck fear into two brothers on their team. He was throwing so hard and so fast, one of them literally started crying before he could even step into the batter’s box. I know one of them did, if not both. That’s how nasty his pitches were.

Reserve Phils had a squad too. My cousin Terreke Grover was their ace. He was dominant on the mound and just as deadly at the plate. I used to think I could hit off him—I wanted to believe I could—but if I’m being real, I don’t remember ever getting a hit off him. So once again—when in doubt, bunt. Calvin Miles was another problem. He had a solid game all around, especially when he was on the mound. I looked forward to facing him, though. I felt like I had a chance against him. And I usually got a hit.

The LaPlace A’s just weren’t the same without Randy Brown and a few others who had moved up to the 13-14 age group, so they weren’t as much of a threat that year. By the time All-Star selections came around, I finally got my shot. I made the FORD All-Star team.

We played our first scrimmage game against Gonzales—and that was the day I hit two home runs. Yeah, it was only a scrimmage, but it counted for me. That was the day I knew I had officially earned my spot. I became the starting third baseman on an All-Star team full of real dogs.

Here’s who we rolled with:

Chris Nicholas – Catcher

Calvin “Flip Flop” Lee – Pitcher, OF

Romell Anthony – 1st Base, Pitch

Armond Anderson – 2nd Base, SS, Pitch

Damon Mason – 3rd Base

Terreke Grover – Shortstop, Pitch

Juan Alexander – 2nd base

Lendell Smith – Outfield

Calvin Miles – Outfield, Pitch

Durwin Mealy – Outfield

We eventually lost in the State Tournament to Gonzales. Looking back, maybe we shouldn’t have scrimmaged them before the tournament. They came prepared—and they had added a new player from the Reserve Phils who made a big impact.

One of the biggest challenges we faced was that nobody would pitch to Romell Anthony. That man was hitting bombs. I mean clearing 2 ditches, 1 street and flying over 2 houses. Because of that, we had to move him to the leadoff spot just so he could get a chance to hit.

Even though we didn’t go far, that summer meant everything to me. That All-Star experience was something I’d never forget. And I knew right then and there, if I wanted to make the next All-Star team with the 13-14s, I’d have to prove myself all over again.

Nobody was out there bragging about how good Damon Mason was. Not like they did for Romell, or Terreke, or Flip Flop. I had to grind. I had to stand out. First, I had to earn the starting third base job again. Second, I had to help lead my team to the league championship. I felt like that was the only way I’d get selected.

And that’s exactly what I set out to do. Don’t miss episode 9.