This is a story of a group of boys, most of
them from Ford Heights, who this summer, for the very first time, would
discover baseball. A gregarious group of schoolboys, ages 8 to 10, who would
learn to play the game as the MOF (Matteson-Olympia Fields) Cubs. It is a story
that emerges amid the backdrop of Chicago, where murder, gunplay and gang
activity have become a pastime for too many city—and also suburban—boys. It is
the story of two men—one a coach from a middle class suburb, and the other a
parks’ commissioner from a struggling hamlet. Two men with a passion for
baseball and also a quest to help save black boys—at risk to gangs, homicide
and prison. The story of a season filled with challenges, with highs and also
with lows, with unforgettable moments and lessons for life. A season filled
with baseball and big-hearted little boys. A season beyond their wildest
dreams. The sweet season.
(Story, Photos and Video by John W. Fountain)
