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1 " For years I've bled the orange and black, and for what? Look at all of us now. It's done us no favors. I don't miss shit; so don't preach to me about the goddamn game, boy. "
― Michael Dault , The Sons of Summer
2 " Jack, when I began teaching you this game I put a lot of pressure on you," James says, gripping his son's shoulder. "Sure enough, you always gave me everything I've asked of you and more. You're it, boy. You're far better than I was. But make no mistake, there's more to you than baseball. My sons have so much potential and so many more options than your mother and I ever had. I pushed and pushed and pointed you in just one direction . . . Maybe now I'm thinking I shouldn't have. I should've told you all that I'll be proud of you, regardless. Your mother and I raised fine young men . . . I'm sorry, Jack . "
3 " On Saturday you're Mickey Lolich; make the game yours. "
4 " I couldn't help but humbly smile when every elderly local we spoke to when walking downtown or eating at Karen's diner—yes, it was still in business—each fondly remembered the league and the tournament that they still held dear in their hearts. These were memories and stories that were passed on to their own families. Each conversation they would constantly rave about three things that they and even former locals proudly took claim to, like their own badge of honor. They'd say during the league's heyday that they "lived in God's country." That they "lived in the times of pure baseball." That they "lived in the times of the Dalton boys. "
5 " Maybe it's the unique people. Maybe the old-fashioned bucolic setting or the nostalgia it brings—he'll never be sure. But it's there he knows that his family truly became close. Of course, their end there was tragic, yet he knows those years were something else. Those years were the best of their lives. "
6 " Fellas, we are the official boys of summer. Rupland treats us like gods. Beyond this though, we ain't shit. We're fools to think otherwise. "
7 " He knows if questions aren't answered over time, then he has to bury and forget them. It's his family's way. Maybe that's okay this time because Jack has always gotten by. Being the eldest son, he's forced to lead by example from his parents. Luckily for James and Sandy, Jack was born a natural leader. "
8 " So, I say while we're able to wear the orange and black, let's give this town the title they deserve . . . Let's touch Heaven, boys . . . "
9 " Not a day goes by where I don't see her cross on the side of that highway. I remember how good she smelled. Always smiled . . . She was the only person always there for me, my mother. "
10 " Baseball is the only thing I can give you that might be worth something in your lives. "
11 " Played catcher, just like you. We had these dreams that took us far beyond Minor League ball. Reality set in when we faced actual Major League talent. That's when we realized what our hopes actually were—dreams. The Marine Corps became a life we knew we could succeed in. I missed playing ball, sure, but when I think back on it, you kids gave me a life far more satisfying than any dream. That's what I was always meant to be—a father and a coach. That's what made sense. "
12 " I've gotta be around it, brother. I've gotta . . . But I'll never leave Rupland. "
13 " This is their new chapter—something they've yearned for. This is their American dream. "
14 " We're miracles, kid . . . Please know that you're special. You will always be special. Maybe your father has a different way of showing you that, but give him a break. He's hardest on you because you were almost lost. In his mind, he's fighting for your life every day. And you want to know something else? You remind him most of Jacob. Everything about you, right down to that contagious smile of yours. "
15 " James understands his sons are young and untouched by the hardships of life. He doesn't know it now, but Rupland is changing. It's only a matter of time before it changes them too. "
16 " I bust my ass every day to keep myself relevant. Everything I have, everything I am gets left on this fucking field to stay relevant. You'll never understand that because it comes easy to you, and the bitch of it is that you take it for granted. "
