One Shot at Forever by Chris Ballard
(2012) 269 pages

In “One Shot at Forever,” by Chris Ballard, it is a biography that examines Lynn Sweet’s career as a baseball coach and the influence his progressive principles had on teams throughout the years. Sweet is an English teacher in 1966 who has never coached any form of sport. He plays the Macon Ironmen baseball team in Illinois. The school qualified for the state final in 1971 as the smallest in Illinois history—a record that is still in effect today. They are cherished for their unorthodox education, zeal, and talent. From Sweet’s first day at the school until the present, Ballard examines the Ironmen’s past as well as how the community views him.

Sweet has no intention of coaching athletes. He is the type who lets life happen naturally rather than making any plans. He’s willing to go to a job interview for a teaching position of English in Macon because he’s always open to new possibilities. Sweet frequently defies expectations and opts to lead a simple, unconstrained existence. He most definitely lacks the self-control demanded of a sports coach. This will, however, subsequently make him the ideal candidate for creating a distinctive baseball squad.

Sweet enjoys reading and the written word in general, but he chooses to become an English teacher over joining the military like his father because that is his alternative option. Despite being a pacifist, Sweet is aware of how horrible life would be in the Army. His kids are exposed to a variety of influences, which, in the opinion of Macon administrator Roger Britton, allows them to legitimately form their own identities. As a result, Britton favors unusual teachers. Sweet agrees to the position since he supports it.

Sweet is unsure of how to view Macon because it hasn’t yet embraced any liberal or progressive ideas. It’s in a rut of sorts, partially because of where it is and partly because of the people that live there. He is not confident that he will succeed in this setting. The school is essentially the only place in Macon that is accepting enough for him to do so. He seeks a way to make it his own.

Ballard also introduces us to certain baseball players, who would later be significant to Sweet. One of these players is Steve Shartzer, a bored troublemaker with no direction or creative outlets who later becomes the baseball team’s star hitter. Steve’s later selection by the St. Louis Cardinals is evidence of both his talent and Sweet’s encouragement of all of his students to pursue their aspirations.

The best way to understand Sweet’s unorthodox outlook is to compare it to Steve’s. The majority of the town’s educators, parents, and inhabitants find Steve’s actions revolting, especially the way he throws apples at passing police cruisers. Steve has a fantastic pitching arm, and Sweet wants to have him on his club rather than punishing him for it. Sweet’s actions may make him unpopular with the school administration, but students adore him for his commitment to giving everyone an opportunity and encouraging them to maximize their skills.

Sweet consistently violates the authority. He rearranges the classroom furniture, gets the boys to grow their hair out on the team bus while singing “Yellow Submarine,” and gets them warmed up for “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Every boy who shows up for trials in 1970, Sweet’s first year as a coach, is accepted onto the squad, and he lets them choose where they want to play on the field. The boys are well-oiled machines since they have played together for years as neighbors. Sweet is the first teacher who has the confidence in them to make them feel like they can achieve great things with the appropriate encouragement—and he knows they can. In 1971, after being let go, he was later rehired after parental and player outrage.

Sweet runs a nearby wildlife preserve on his own property in his senior years. But his influence continues among Macon’s students, instructors, and athletes, who will never forget the team’s unforgettable 1971 season. Even baseball players like Steve and Atlanta Braves third-base coach Brian Snitker will never forget Sweet and the impact he had on their life.

Sweet teaches his children more than simply baseball; he also teaches them how to handle pressure, endure adversity, and think quickly. For instance, Sweet arranges the last-minute purchase of bats from a nearby store while feigning ignorance to the opposing team when most of their bats break during a playoff game. His players and the school benefit much from this relaxed attitude.