Pinch Hit

by Tim Green

Trevor and Sam look alike. But their lives couldn't be more different.Trevor is a movie star, living the Hollywood life in a huge mansion with his own limo, pool, and bowling alley. There's nothing he doesn't have except the one thing he wants to play baseball for real.Sam is a regular kid who seems to have what it takes to make it to baseball's Major Leagues. He's determined to get the scouts at the big USC tournament to recognize his talent. And he really wants to see his dad, a struggling screenwriter, realize his own dream.When Sam signs up at Casting Central to make some extra money, he and Trevor come together on a movie set and see the chance to trade places—to pinch hit for each other and make everyone's dreams come true.At first, it's all good. . . . But what happens when the boys take their game too far?

Genres: Sports, Middle Grade, Baseball, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Family, Young Adult

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 13, 2012

About the author

Tim Green, for many years a star defensive end with the Atlanta Falcons, is a man of many talents. He's the author of such gripping books for adults as the New York Times bestselling The Dark Side of the Game and a dozen suspense novels, including Exact Revenge and Kingdom Come. Tim graduated covaledictorian from Syracuse University and was a first-round NFL draft pick. He later earned his law degree with honors. Tim has worked as an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and as an NFL commentator for National Public Radio, among other broadcast experience. He lives with his wife, Illyssa, and their five children in upstate New York. Football Genius is his first novel for young readers. For more updates, visit www.facebook.com/authortimgreen

Reviews

[Tate Sturgeon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book! In the midst of life’s many trials, you begin to realize that you are more blessed than you think.

[Ronald S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pinch Hit is a classic baseball story about two, almost identical, kids. Trevor is a movie star in Hollywood. He lives in a mansion with his own limo and bowling alley. You would think he has everything he would've ever wanted, but he doesn't. He wants to become a baseball player. The other kid, Sam, does play baseball, and he is really good at it. Many people say he has what it takes to make it to the major leagues. He is hoping that in his next big tournament, scouts from USC (University of South California) will notice his talent, and perhaps give him a college scholarship. Once again, you would think he has it all, but he doesn't. He wants to fulfill his dad's screenwriter dream, and become a movie star. Once Sam signs up for the set, he crosses paths with Trevor. And after a long talk, they decide the switch places. Both of them, eager to fulfill their secondary dream.

I mostly enjoyed this story, mostly because I can really only get into sports books, and some fiction books. The plot of the story is very unique, with twists along the way. At the beginning it felt hard to get into, but after the first 10-20 pages, the action started to pick up. Being a baseball guy, this also helped learn about stuff in the movies, and how they work on set. The scene where the kids finally meet each other is pretty funny. Everything was pretty much fun and enjoyable in the book, with plot twists every once in a while. A very good read.

In conclusion, the story was great. I can never usually find myself wanting to read more about a book, but this time I did. Like I said before, it can help you learn about movies behind the scenes if you are a baseball guy like me, and it can help you learn about baseball if you are a movie person. Pretty much, 2 interests combined into 1 book. I do recommend reading it, especially if you are interested in movies and baseball. So hopefully you will enjoy this book as much as I did!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Tim Green--I and don't say that only because I've met the man in all his high-energy glory. Simply put, Tim Green knows the recipe for a good kids' book. Each one of his books has a great male narrator and a strong, fun female character; they contain enough sports to keep athletes interested while incorporating family/friend drama to interest those who maybe aren't super-sports fans, as well.
Pinch Hit is no different--twins separated at birth: one a famous actor, one a rising baseball star. Throw in a kooky girl friend, a bully, and a crazy let's-switch-places plan, and this is a read that every kid will love. Green's short, cliff-hanger chapters keep the reader engaged and make it hard to put the book down. Another winner.

[Andrew M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm finished with Pinch Hit: I am at the end and i have had fun with the book a lot because of the suspense and the awesomeness

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Pinch Hit by Tim Green is a realistic fiction sports book. This book is about a boy named Sam who lives with his dad, a struggling movie writer, and a famous movie star named Trevor who lives with his very rich mother and father. When Sam is at a casting audition to try and make some extra money he runs into Trevor and they realize they look exactly the same. Since Sam is a great baseball player but wants to get his dad a chance to produce a movie, and Trevor wants nothing more than to play baseball for real, they decide to trade places. It's all good for a while until they take it too far. I thought this was a very good book that is very exciting and engaging. The author keeps me engaged by keeping the possibility of them getting caught very real throughout the whole book. The theme of this book is following your dreams because both Sam and Trevor risk a lot in order to make their dreams come true. The biggest strength of this book was keeping the threat of getting caught right there the whole time so you never want to put the book down. i would recommend this book to a friend because it is very engaging and exciting.

[Joshua · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book served as a great reminder why I occasionally continue to read books aimed at kids. As much as I enjoy a tome about long-dead historical figures, sometimes it is nice to take a break and read something that gives me the same feelings I would get when reading in my youth. Pinch Hit ended up being less of a sports story than I was expecting (one of my favorite genres as a kid, right after adventure books and spooky stories), but it still managed to deliver a compelling narrative that kept me on my toes and made me feel like a kid again.

[Ben Padilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book about to twins that switch positions for a few weeks and find out some secrets

[Veer W · Rating 4 out of 5]

The theme is that everyone is good at different things.

[Harry Murphey]

Pinch Hit is a book about two biological twins who switch places so each one could get what they want. Sam and Trevor found out that they were biological twins when Sam's dad is going to a pitch meeting for a book he wrote. Then, a man takes Sam aside and asks him if he wanted to be a stand-in for Trevor Goldman the movie star. He takes the job and goes to the movie set. Then, Trevor's mom kicks Sam out even though he didn't do anything wrong. So Trevor is mad because he liked Sam. So, McKenna Steele, Trevor's friend and movie star, invites Sam to her house. Trevor is there too and that's where they get Sam to look exactly like Trevor.. Then, when Sam’s dad comes to pick Sam up, Trevor goes.
Trevor wanted to make the switch because he wanted to play baseball on a real team. Sam made the switch so he could get his dad's script made into a movie. So, Trevor goes to practice for Sam’s team, the Blue Sox. Trevor thinks he is playing very well until Coach Sharp pulls him aside and asks him what's wrong with him today. He just shrugs at the coach. Trevor has a game Saturday and he plays. He didn't hit very well but he played good defense. For Sam, everything's going alright because McKenna helps him through everything. Sam wants to find his biological mom. Trevor tells Sam not to and that do not tell his dad. His dad figures out but is ok with it because he was adopted too. So they look for Sam and Trevor's biological mom but find out that she has died. Trevor is playing another game and he realizes that USC scouts are there to look for the MVP of the tournament so they can go to their Elite Training Center. That is Sam’s dream to go to the training center and become a pro.
Trevor calls Sam right away to tell him to come to the field and play. Sam comes and he plays very well but his teammate, Dorian Klum, played well too. So, Sam and Dorian are the finalists for the MVP. They are about to give it to Dorian, but he holds up a punching fist to Sam as a victory punch and the teammate in between them bends down. The scouts see the fist and you have to have sportsmanship and talent to get into the training center. So, they give the MVP to Sam. Sam is very happy and Trevor is happy for him too. In conclusion, Sam and Trevor find out they are biological twins. They aren't just friends now, their family.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, so Pinch Hit is one of those books that I probably would not have picked up and read on my own, but I won it at YA Reads for Teachers (And Other Adults) and the rules of winning are that you read and post.

So, I read it, and let me tell you I read it in May at the end of the school year with a million other things going on...it wasn't really doing it for me. Frankly, I'm not sure if I do middle grade books for middle grade kids very well. But, I kept going Sam in one chapter and Trevor in another. I found that, if I stopped being 'adult' about it, I was beginning to enjoy the cliffhanger end to each chapter and then starting the next chapter up with the other character so a person might read 4 or 5 chapters before they realized it. Perfect for reluctant readers (OK, so I totally/all the way didn't stop being 'adult' about it).

This book is about Sam, an All-American baseball player and Trevor, a prissy (not because he wants to be, but because his mom makes him) Hollywood mega-star. Trevor wants to play real baseball more than anything and Sam wants his father's horror film script green-lighted (or, is that green-lit?). After Trevor realizes that he and Sam look about 99% identical, they, with the help of Trevor's female co-star, switch places. There are parts were things get a little hairy...Sam reads/Trevor does not, Sam knows Shakespeare/Trevor does not, Sam can switch it/Trevor...and so on, but for the most part the grown-ups don't get it. Things go rather well until the boys figure out that they are, in fact, real twins and Sam uses Trevor's star power to find their real mother.

Who can the boys trust? Will Trevor be good enough to fool the coach and scouts? Will Sam be able to act? These are all things that will keep kids on their toes and there's just enough sports to make it interesting and just enough romance to entice all kids to want to read it. I got hooked and got to the end wanting more, I'm pretty sure most kids will too.

This book is like the Prince and the Pauper meets The Whipping Boy, I think it would make a cute Disney movie starring a set of adorable twins...I guess the Sprouse twins from the Suite Life of Zach and Cody are too old aren't they?

[Bekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it had a great theme, which was money can't buy you everything. The two main characters from the book live completely different lives but when they swap places they realize this. Even though one of the characters had everything money could buy him all he wanted was his family and the other wanted more items rather than have his family. I gave this book 4 stars because I liked the theme and the way I could relate to it. I would recommend this book to someone if they liked baseball because that is something both main characters do a lot or if they just wanted to read a good story about how to people become friends.

[Kyle Leggett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was a really great book. I thought Tim Green did a great job on writing the book. I thought that this book was a very adventurous book.

This book is about two boys Trevor and Sam that look exactly alike. And in the book Trevor is a movie star and Sam is a baseball player. And during the movie Trevor wants to play baseball so they switch places and Trevor plays Baseball for Sam and Sam acts for a movie that Trevor was playing for. And in the movie they almost get caught many times by the other actors and the baseball coach.

I would recommend this book that like adventurous books. I would recommend this book to people that are in middle school.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trevor is one of the most famous young actors in Hollywood; Sam is a 'normal' boy dreaming of making it to the big leagues in baseball. What happens when they realize they look exactly alike and they switch places?

This book kept my interest right to the end when I was slightly left out. How did Trevor's mother react? I want details!

[Jane Ono · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, fast read. Based on The Prince and the Pauper, it tells the story of a movie star and a baseball player who switch places to see how "the other half" live. I was surprised to see how easily each boy fit into the other boy's life.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's The Prince and the Pauper, with diving stabs of line drives and towering home runs. And the modern American royalty, movie stars!

[Colin G · Rating 3 out of 5]

For my book review, I read the book Pinch Hit, an action sports novel by Tim Green. This book is about two boys who do not know each other at all as Trevor is a world famous actor living in Beverly Hills but has always wanted to just be a normal boy playing sports and Sam is one of the best baseball players around but lives in a trailer park and has wanted to see what it is like living a rich lifestyle. Sams dad is a movie producer (despite the fact that he has published no movies) and through his connection, the two boys meet as they need same who looks identical to Trevor to fill in a job. The boys also have such common characteristics that they could be twins, and when they get to know each other they each crave to have the other person life for a mere week so they do the unthinkable and switch places. I personally enjoyed this book as at some points it had me on the edge of my seat and I was not wanting to put it down. But at other points the author kind of carried on the story when it would have been better had he gotten straight to the point. For example one of the times that he carried on the story was Trevor's feelings before his first game. It took up like the whole chapter and was not that interesting. At other times though like the time when Sam was shooting his first scene and Trevor was playing his first game was very interesting due to the fact that no matter who's chapter I was on it still kept me wanting to read more. I think that the author's theme is to try other things and go out of your comfort zone. His writing was strong and for the most part interesting. I would recommend this book to a classmate who likes sports because that was the main idea of the book. This was a good 3-star book that I would definitely recommend to anyone.

[Gabe Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is about how twins are separated at birth and when they finally meet each other they decide to switch places for a while. They have completely different lifestyles one is rich and the other is poor. They are polar opposites one is a actor who also enjoys baseball, the other is an amazing baseball player who is on an elite team and when they switch they basically decide to try new things. They both have challenges adapting to their different lifestyles so they both need to change how they are used to living to make it so they never switched. They both overcome challenges to live new lives.
My opinion on the book is that it was a very good book and fun to read. It was about sports and had challenges it which they had to overcome. They both needed new things to adapt and they had bumps along the road but they finally figured it out. They had to understand what it means to change and try new things and what it takes to do that. The book was interesting and filled with suprises and made you want to keep reading.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Pinch Hit by Tim Green is a book in a series of sports books from this author. This book is about a boy named Trevor and a boy named Sam. They live very different lifestyles and lives. Trevor is a famous movie star and lives a very rich lifestyle. He has everything he wants, except that he really wants to play baseball. He becomes friends with a boy named Sam, who's dad works on films as well. Sam is a very good baseball player and could go far. But he just wants his dad's attention. The boys want what the other one has. Can they help each other out, so that each of them can have their dreams fulfilled? Or will they be stuck not getting the one thing they want more than anything......This book is rated a 9 out of 10 because it was interesting and was also another good sports book by Tim Green. If you like theater Tim Green books, you will like this book Pinch Hit.

[Christian Koklys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading Pinch Hit by Tim Green, and it was a very interesting book. This book reminds me of the movie Parent Trap because they meet each other and then they realize they look exactly the same and they are both adopted. They decide to switch place and find out who there real parents are and find them. Sam gets to be a rich movie star and Trevor finally gets to play baseball.
I Thought this book was very good. Every page was filled with drama and things to keep you entertained all the way through the book. I really liked the characters in this book and thought that the story was very interesting.

I would recommend this book to people who like baseball, acting, drama, or just a good book to read. This is a long simple book to read with a great story.

[Colee Crofts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes sports books. But other people might also enjoy it. I liked how it switched point of views between the two characters. I also liked how there was a variety of characters that all had different personalities.

In this book there are two boys who look alike. They are both adopted and live two very different lives. One is a movie star, and lives in a grand mansion. While the other is a star player on his baseball team and lives in a tiny condo by a stinky landfill. Both boys have a passion for baseball. When the boys meet they decide to switch places. After lots of things that happen the boys find out some devastating news and have to switch back before it is two late.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doing research on middle-grade novels, I knew I could do no wrong by examining one of Tim Green's books. Since I have experience in Hollywood, I was particularly keen on this story that features a kid-actor and a baseball player swapping lives.

The Hollywood plot was pretty surface level (most kid-actors don't have huge houses) but overall the stereotype didn't take away from the story.

This would be a fun book for kids interesting in both Hollywood/Acting/Youtube as well as sports. But this one, in particular, does focus more on the Hollywood side than in-depth baseball like many of Tim's other books.

Definitely would recommend to readers in the intended age-range.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first introduction to Tim Green, who has quickly become my 13-yo daughter's favorite new sports fiction author. The characters were well-developed. The drama was tightly written. The crisis drew me in. Love it. Highly recommend.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the top notch books I have ever read. What an amazing read.

[Jocelyn G]

I personally think this book was very interesting .

[Trevor Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a great book. Was very exciting and entertaining.

[Ryanm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great. It was especially good for people who like baseball. It taught a good lesson about sportsmanship. I Highly recomend this book.

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good.

[Nicholas Bakke]

good book

[Tate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good! If you liked the Parent Trap movie, you’ll probably like this book.

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

you have to pay it should be free