One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season Audiobook

" What a great story! Short and (pardon the pun) Sweet. Captivating but not sappy, this true story is unforgettable. Being a sports fan helps but being a people fan is the main criteria for enjoying this book. "

" I don't usually finish a book in three days, but I couldn't stop reading this. Everything is right in this one. Great tale, elegantly told. "

" What a great book, and what a great reminder as we enter Little League season that this is a game that is supposed to be fun! I am on season five of coaching Little League, and I know that I'll approach the game a little bit differently this year. "

" While it is a little more microscopically detailed and therefore longer than it needed to be, this is a wonderful true story about an inspirational, if unconventional teacher/coach and his little rural Illinois baseball team. Set in the early 1970s, it was easy for me to relate to the passage from 50s to 60s to 70s small town America. Not scintillating writing, but the story holds its own. "

" I thought I'd hate this book, as I'm not into sports - at all. But except for all the baseball lingo which went right over my head, it was a pretty enjoyable read. It's always a joy to root for the underdog, and this small-town ultra-rural baseball team was about as much an underdog as it's possible to be. But thanks to an eccentric coach and some talented and driven players, their little team made it to state. It would have been a more exciting of course if they had won the state title. But the story described how Coach Lynn Sweet put the emphasis on - God forbid - having fun and loyalty and believing in yourself, which made a refreshing read in today's *win-to-win* society. It was also great to see how these nobodys from notown, USA made it so far on a combination of talent, hard work, and luck. You couldn't help but root for this oddball team with a big heart. "

" I only gave it three stars because it was a slow read for me. The story itself, however, is amazing. "

" A nice quick read. I would have loved to play for their coach. He sounds like a great guy. "

" A light read that is generally well-written for this genre of books. An interesting story about an unlikely coach who was very lucky to have a very talented group of ball-players. "

" Chris Ballard is one of best sportswriters working today. He has a real talent for bringing underdog stories and unsung athletes to life. "

" Normally not my kind of thing, but inspiring none-the-less! "

" A great small town baseball story about Macon's finest! "

" If you like good sports stories, then you should read this book! "

" The story moves along quickly, with strong insight into several of the primary people's lives, before, during and since the magical summer. It's a look back to a time when teachers could engage with students outside of school and truly develop meaningful relationships with them. "

" One of the best sports books I have ever read period and end of sentence. (And I have read a lot of them.) "

" If you are not moved by this book, you haven't a heart. "

" Could not put this down. "

" I'll be surprised if this doesn't make it into the theaters. Inspirational baseball story that leaves you feeling all good in-side. "

" This was not the typical underdog story that I expected. I enjoyed it despite the blow by blow plays. "