A quiet boy who’s always been picked on finally gets a break, literally. After a strange accident, he wakes up to find he’s not just healed… he’s changed. What the bullies don’t know is he’s now stronger, faster, and ready to take control of his story.

‘SPOILER ALERT’

A boy named Henry and his friends, George and Clark, head toward a baseball field where Henry’s little league team is playing. On the way, they bump into Henry’s mom, Mary, who asks where they’re going. Henry says he’s heading to the field because he thinks he has a high chance of playing.

Mary doesn’t think so, but Henry says that one of the team’s best players will be absent for the game, and he’s the one next in line to replace him. Mary then says he can go, but as the boys run past her, she stops them and throws a tube of sunblock at Henry. Unfortunately, he doesn’t catch it, and just as Mary looks disappointed, his friends also look pessimistic about Henry’s chances of starting the game.

Henry says he’s quite sure he’ll start, but as they get to the field, the coach benches him. After a while, one of the players starts feeling sick, and the coach decides to replace him with Henry. Henry is surprised by this, and his friends, who are seated in the stands, look shocked to see that he has been called to play.

Just as the game starts, Henry tries to cheer up the pitcher, but he’s eventually told to shut up. Following this, the ball gets hit toward Henry, but he fails to catch it. He also loses his balance and spins a few times before throwing the ball out of the field.

Everyone looks shocked by this, and George even asks Clark if the play was legal. Henry also looks embarrassed by what he did, and he heads home after the game. Mary then asks about the game, and Henry says it was very bad. Mary refuses to believe that, but Henry says that he couldn’t even catch a ball well. Mary says there’s a possibility that he’s not cut out to be an outfielder.

She adds that he should be a pitcher like his father was, but Henry doesn’t think he’s that good. Shortly after, Mary tells Henry that she’s going out for dinner with her boyfriend, Jack. Henry doesn’t seem pleased about this, and Mary asks what he has against Jack.

Henry says that Jack is moving too fast, but Mary doesn’t seem to see a problem with that. Almost immediately, Jack enters the house to pick up Mary for their date. Before they leave, he gives her a three-week anniversary present, and even though Mary looks quite happy, Henry still doesn’t seem to like Jack.

After this, Jack and Mary leave for their date, and Henry looks disappointed because he doesn’t think his mom’s boyfriend is a good person. The next morning, at school, Henry stares at a girl named Becky, who also seems to like him. George sees this and tells Henry to ask Becky out, but he says he can’t because they don’t have anything in common.

Clark says that Becky’s dad has a boat just like the one they’re about to make, but George doesn’t think what they’re making is a boat. Henry then says that it doesn’t matter, but his friends still think he can date Becky. During recess, as the boys head outside, one of their classmates makes fun of Henry for how he played the previous day.

Henry looks disappointed by this, but his friends tell him to ignore the boy. Before they move too far, someone calls Henry to catch a ball, and as he sees Becky looking at him, he decides to do it. Unfortunately, there happens to be another ball on the floor, and Henry accidentally steps on it. This causes him to lose balance and fall badly on the ground. After a while, he’s taken to a hospital where the doctor puts his fractured arm in a cast.

Mary asks how long Henry will be in the cast, and the doctor says it’s for four months. Henry looks disappointed by this, but the doctor tells him to take it easy with the arm so that his bones can be set correctly. The next day, Henry starts going to school with the cast on his arm, and some of his schoolmates make fun of him.

Months later, Mary takes Henry to the hospital to get the cast removed. After the doctor does this, he tries to move Henry’s arm to see if it’s now better. Unfortunately, Henry accidentally slaps him in the process, and Mary and Henry’s friends are shocked by this. Even though he’s in pain, the doctor still mentions that Henry’s tendons appear to have healed a little too tightly. He says it’s an unusual case, but that Henry can leave already.

As Mary takes him and his friends out of the room, the doctor tells her to ensure that Henry comes for a check-up in three weeks. After they leave the hospital, Mary gives the boys three tickets to a Chicago Cubs game. The boys are excited by this, and they head to the stadium immediately.

As they get there, they see a famous pitcher named Chet looking ready to throw the ball. Unfortunately, Chet doesn’t throw it well, and the batter hits the ball to score some points for his team. An announcer named Cliff complains about the Cubs’ recent form, and his assistant, Ernie, also mentions that the owner of the Cubs, Bob, must be depressed about the entire situation.

Interestingly, Bob doesn’t seem to care too much, but the team’s general manager, Fish, appears to be worried about the low attendance at the stadium. His assistant, Derkin, mentions that if they don’t manage to fill up the stadium for the rest of the season, they’ll have to forfeit the franchise. Fish doesn’t want to lose the team just before he takes full control of it from Bob, but Derkin says that they need a miracle to keep the club running.

Meanwhile, Henry and his friends try to cheer Chet up before he pitches again. Chet just ignores them, but the batter hits the ball into the stands again. George quickly picks up the ball, but he appears to be scared to throw it back because he doesn’t want to be mocked by the other fans. He then gives it to Clark, who also hands over the ball to Henry. Even though Henry looks nervous, he throws the ball quite well to reach the home plate.

Everyone in the stadium is shocked by this, and Fish tells Derkin to bring him the person who threw the ball. Cliff also jokes that there happens to be a lot of talent in the stands, but as some men try to intimidate Henry, he leaves with his friends. Unfortunately, Derkin is unable to find him, but he learns that the person who threw the ball is a kid named Henry.

Derkin then tells Fish that the person he’s looking for is a kid. Fish doesn’t seem to care, and he says that they must find Henry because he could be the key to filling the stadium for the rest of the season. The next day, while Henry is playing with his friends, he throws the ball quite fast again, and as Mary and Jack see this, they look shocked.

George then says that Henry could play for the Cubs with his talent, and this gives Jack an idea. Shortly after, he enters the house and calls Fish to inform him that he knows the kid who threw the ball at the stadium. Fish suggests getting Henry to try out with the cubs, and Jack instantly agrees.

Suddenly, Mary enters the house and tells Jack that she’s worried about Henry because the arm thing is weird. Jack says it’s fantastic, and as Mary notices that he seems happy, she asks what’s wrong with him, but he says it’s nothing. The next day, the manager of the cubs, Martinella, shows up at Henry’s house to ask for him.

As Martinella sees that Henry is a kid, he looks confused, but Jack quickly shows up and tells him that he’s at the right place. Following this, Henry is taken to a field to show how fast he can throw a ball. Martinella then uses a radar gun and sees that Henry can pitch at over 100 miles per hour.

This leaves him shocked, and as Fish also seems impressed, he tells Jack that the cubs need to sign Henry. Jack doesn’t seem sure about this, but Fish says that he could be Henry’s manager. He adds that Jack could get ten percent of every contract Henry signs.

Jack looks interested in this, and he says that he’ll make sure Henry signs for the Cubs. Just then, Fish asks Henry if he would like to play for the Cubs, and he says it would be a great opportunity. He, however, mentions that he has to tell his mom first. The next day, Mary follows Henry to the Cubs’ headquarters to sign his first professional contract. Mary complains to Jack that she didn’t expect the place to be crowded with reporters, but he tells her that it’s just part of the game.

Fish then shows up and welcomes them to the office. He also mentions that many big companies like Pepsi have been sending him offers for Henry. Shortly after, Henry’s signing is announced to the media, and he stands in front of many reporters to answer a few questions.

Before he says anything, Jack introduces himself to everyone as Henry’s manager, and Mary looks shocked. Almost immediately, Henry is asked if he can pitch, but he just mentions that his dad used to be a good pitcher. He’s also asked if his dad was a professional player, but Henry says he doesn’t know.

Some of the reporters then start asking questions about whether Henry is just a publicity stunt to sell tickets. Fish says it’s not, and as Henry is asked if he can pitch, he says he can. One of the reporters then tells him to show what he can do, but before he throws the ball, Fish stops him and mentions that anyone who wants to see Henry pitch should come to the stadium for the Cubs’ next game.

The next day, Mary, George, and Clark follow Henry to the stadium for his first game. He then says goodbye to them before going in through the players’ entrance. Following this, he enters the locker room and sees some of his favorite stars. He also goes to meet Chet to sign his ball, but the famous pitcher says he doesn’t do autographs. Henry looks disappointed, but Martinella then calls him to show him his locker.

He also introduces him to a pitching coach named Brickma, who says that he’ll mold Henry into one of the greatest 12-year-olds to ever play the game. Shortly after, Henry changes into his jersey and heads out for the game. Interestingly, the stadium appears to have been filled up because many of the fans want to see Henry play.

During the game, Henry tries to cheer Chet up before his pitch, but the veteran pitcher doesn’t seem to want this. After he pitches, the batter hits the ball, and the fans get frustrated because the Cubs are losing again. Almost immediately, Fish calls Martinella and tells him to put Henry in. Martinella is shocked by this, but Fish says that their sell-out crowd didn’t come to see Chet. Martinella doesn’t think Henry is ready, but Fish insists that he wants him to play.

As the crowd starts shouting that they want Henry, Martinella calls on him and says that it’s time for him to play. Henry looks excited but also seems nervous because there are a lot of people watching him. He then comes up against an arrogant batter named Heddo, who taunts him. Mary cheers for her son, but as he pitches, Heddo hits it for a home run. Mary looks disappointed by this, but Bob tells her not to worry because Henry will get used to that sort of thing.

For the next pitches, Henry hits a batter and then throws a wild ball. Even though the last ball was quite bad, the team still manages to use it to get him his first save. With this, the game ends, and the Cubs win for the first time in a while. When the players get to the locker room, Martinella tells Chet that he has to teach Henry how to pitch. Chet doesn’t like this idea, but Martinella says that Henry is better off with him than with Brickma.

The next day, at school, Becky calls Henry to sit with her in the cafeteria, and he looks shocked. After he and his friends sit with Becky and her friends, they talk about the boat they’re making. Becky then mentions that her parents also have a boat, but that she always has to ride it with them.

As Clark sees that Becky likes Henry, he tells his friend to tell her that they’ll take her for a ride when their boat is ready. Henry looks quite shy, and before he can tell Becky anything, the school bell rings, and she walks away from the table with her friends. After school, Henry and his friends head over to continue working on their boat. Henry eventually realizes that he’s late for practice, so he leaves with his friends and heads to the Cubs’ stadium. When he gets there, Martinella says that he has been fined $500 for coming late to practice.

Henry is shocked by this, but he eventually proceeds to begin his training while Chet watches him. The next day, at the Cubs’ game, the crowd starts chanting that they want Henry again, and Martinella calls him to play. Elsewhere, Jack and Fish have a meeting with a Pepsi executive who says that if Henry shows that he’s a winner, the company will sign him.

Meanwhile, Henry gets nervous again and hits the batter with the ball. Martinella then tells Chet to go and talk to Henry. Chet doesn’t know what to say, but Martinella still insists that he needs to encourage Henry and tell him what to do to pitch very well. Chet then goes up to talk to Henry about being fearless, but he just mixes up his words and ends up saying nothing tangible.

Even though Henry doesn’t understand everything Chet said, he seems more confident and throws the ball again. Interestingly, the batter hits the ball, but Henry gets another save. One of the fielders praises Henry for this, and this makes him more confident.

He then throws the ball well, and the batter is unable to hit it. After the third pitch, Henry gets his first strikeout, and the team rejoices with him because they’ve won the game. Jack and Fish also look very happy because the Pepsi deal will now be finalized.

When Henry gets to the locker room, he sees that Chet has now signed a ball for him with his nickname, Rocket. Henry looks happy about this, and he just smiles at Chet from his locker. Shortly after, Henry goes out to the field to play with his friends while Mary watches them.

Chet also comes out to watch them, and as Mary sees him, she introduces herself. She then thanks him for whatever he said to Henry earlier. Chet says that Henry is a good kid, and that he’s sure his mom is great too.

Days later, Henry travels with the cubs for another game. On the plane, Brickma tells Henry about how he always keeps all the free food he’s served inside a bag. Henry looks confused by this, but he eventually sits with Chet, who seems more friendly to him. Henry then thanks him for signing his ball, but Chet tells Henry not to call him the Rocket because he’s no longer one. Henry says it’s true because Chet has been throwing the ball slowly.

He then asks if Chet’s shoulder didn’t recover after the surgery he had last season. Chet says it didn’t, and that he doesn’t know what will happen if he tries to throw the ball very fast like he used to. Shortly after, they arrive at their hotel, and Henry looks happy to hear that he’ll get a room to himself.

He then calls his friends, who tell him that Becky has been asking about him. Henry looks happy about this, and after a while, he leaves the room to meet up with the rest of the team for their next game. During the game, Henry pitches well again, and Chet looks happy and gives him some tips. Suddenly, Martinella calls Henry to bat for the first time. Chet looks shocked by this, but Martinella says that Henry has to learn.

Following this, Chet tells Henry to stay low and ensure that he doesn’t get killed by the ball. Just then, Henry heads out to bat, but his small stature frustrates the pitcher and makes it hard for him to throw the ball well. After Henry moves to first base, he taunts the pitcher by staying out of the safe zone.

Chet and Martinella are shocked by this, but Henry’s tactics work, and he moves to second base. Henry then continues taunting the pitcher, and this makes him lose concentration. Luckily, Henry wins the game for his team again, and everyone looks happy about this.

Meanwhile, Jack signs the Pepsi contract for Henry in Fish’s office. After a few more games, the Cubs continue winning, and Henry remains their best player. On their way home from one of their games, Chet is asked what it feels like to be out-pitched by a kid, but he says that he doesn’t care as long as they win the championship.

Just then, he sees Mary calling for Henry, so he quickly gets her son through the crowd. He also enters their limo and tells them to drop him off at the next terminal. However, Mary and Henry tell him to follow them home so that their driver can then take him wherever he’s going. Chet thanks them for this, and Henry looks happy. He then tries to set up his mom with Chet, but they figure this out and find it funny.

Days later, at a party, Chet and Mary dance together, and Jack looks pissed as he watches them. Fish then comes over to inform him that the Yankees want to buy Henry for 25 million dollars. Jack doesn’t think it’s right for them to sell Henry, but Fish convinces him to do it because he’s guaranteed to get 10 percent from the sale, which will be enough to move to New York to start a new life with Mary instead of losing her to Chet.

Jack then says he’ll get Mary to sign the contract, but that he wants Fish to get rid of Chet. The next day, Henry films a commercial for Pepsi, and there, Jack gives Mary a contract to sign. She doesn’t know what it’s for, but she signs it because she trusts Jack.

He then asks what she thinks about New York, but as she looks confused, he tells her to forget about it. Unfortunately, the commercial takes longer than expected, and Henry arrives late for a meeting with his friends to get their boat fixed. George seems pissed that Henry hasn’t been spending a lot of time with them, and he also believes that Henry is now feeling bigger than them.

Henry then defends himself, but this causes a fight between them, and Clark quickly separates them. The next day, after practice, Fish tells Chet that the team can no longer wait for his shoulder to heal. He adds that Chet will now be placed on the bench till the end of the season, when he’ll be released.

Chet looks disappointed, and as he leaves the stadium with Henry, he tells him not to take the game too seriously because one day it will all be over when his talent is gone. After a while, Henry arrives home and gets scolded by Jack for not following the limo that was waiting for him outside the stadium. Henry says he followed Chet instead, but Jack gets pissed and mentions that he’s tired of hearing that name.

Henry tells him to take it easy, but Jack still seems pissed. He then tells Henry to get dressed so he can leave for his photo shoot. Henry says he’s not going, but Jack mentions that he has to go. As Henry walks away from him, Jack drags him back and says that he demands some respect. Henry says that Jack is not his father, but he says he doesn’t care.

Jack adds that Mary probably doesn’t know Henry’s father. Almost immediately, Mary comes downstairs and tells Jack to stay away from her son. Jack looks shocked and says that he thought she was in the bathroom, but Mary breaks up with him and says that she doesn’t want to see him again.

Jack then says she’ll be seeing him a lot because Henry has been sold to the Yankees. Henry is shocked to hear this, but Mary says she won’t let that happen to her son. Jack says he’s Henry’s manager, and that he can do whatever he wants. He also mentions that he’s the one who made Henry sign lucrative deals with Pepsi and Reebok.

Mary doesn’t seem to care, and she punches him out of the house. After this, Mary tells Henry that she needs to talk to him about his dad. Before she says anything, Henry mentions that he already knows that his dad left her when she was pregnant. Mary is shocked by this, but Henry says that his grandma told him a few years ago. Mary then apologizes for lying to him, and she says that she only did it because she wanted him to have someone to look up to.

Henry says he already looks up to her, and this makes Mary happy. Shortly after, Henry heads out to meet his friends. After he apologizes for what happened the previous day, the three boys take their boat for a test run.

On the way, they see Becky and her friends and invite them to enter the boat. After a while, Henry heads home and tells his mom that he wants to tell her something. The next day, as the Cubs prepare for the last game of the season to win the division and move on to the World Series, Mary takes Henry to Bob’s office to tell him that he won’t be playing for the team after the current season.

Bob looks confused, but Henry says he wants to do other things first before becoming a professional player. Bob looks happy for him, but Henry then asks why he wanted to sell him to the Yankees. Bob doesn’t understand this, but Henry says that Fish wanted to sell him.

Fish quickly interrupts Henry, but Bob says he’s not selling him. He then tells Henry to go and join the team while he fires Fish. Shortly after, Martinella tells Chet that he’ll be the starting pitcher for the big game because of his experience. Chet looks shocked by this, and he gets nervous, but Henry encourages him. During the game, Chet pitches quite well, and everyone cheers for him.

After a while, though, his shoulder starts to hurt, so he’s unable to throw the ball well. As this nearly puts the team in trouble, Martinella suggests taking Chet out of the game, but he begs for one more chance. Following this, Chet throws a very fast ball that destroys the bat and makes him blow out his arm.

The ball then rolls next to him, but since he can’t throw it, he runs to the home plate and tags the runner out. Following this, Chet goes to the bench and tells Martinella that he can no longer play for the team because he has injured his shoulder badly. Shortly after, Henry goes up next and pitches very well to strike out the batters from the other team.

Just before the last inning, Martinella begs Henry not to mess up his pitches because they could win the game if he strikes out the remaining batters. As Henry then heads to the field, he accidentally steps on a ball and falls badly to the ground. Everyone is shocked by this, but Henry says he’s fine.

He then throws a ball to his teammate to practice his pitch, but it turns out to be a bad pitch. Henry realizes that his tight tendons have gone back to normal, and Mary also sees this from her seat. As the game continues, Henry throws the ball badly, and this leaves Martinella, Chet, and the fans frustrated.

He then calls on the fielders and tells them that he can’t throw the ball fast anymore. He, however, says that he still has a plan, and he tells them what he wants to do. Following this, the game continues, and Henry uses a hidden ball trick to tag one of the runners out.

Everyone is impressed by this, and they keep chanting Henry’s name. Unfortunately, though, Henry’s next pitches don’t appear to be good enough, and he ends up walking the batter. Chet and Martinella don’t understand this, but they remain calm. Henry then tricks the second runner and tags him out too. Following this, Heddo comes on next for his team, and Henry looks scared.

Heddo then taunts him and says that he’s Henry’s worst nightmare. As Henry throws the first ball, Heddo is unable to hit it. Despite this, Heddo continues taunting him, and on the second pitch, the arrogant batter hits the ball, but it’s ruled as a foul ball.

Henry looks happy about this, but before his last pitch, he seems scared. He then opens a part of his glove and sees Mary’s name written on it. This leaves him shocked, and he realizes that Mary was the pitcher she always said his dad was. As he looks at Mary, she signals him to float the ball. Henry smiles as he sees this, and as he throws the ball, Heddo misses it, and the Cubs win the division.

Everyone looks happy about this, and the team rejoices with Henry. A while later, Henry starts playing in the Little League again, and he catches a ball that wins the game for his team. As his teammates look happy, Henry stares at Chet, who now happens to be his coach. Following this, Henry celebrates with his team and punches the air to show that he’s putting on a Cubs championship ring.

After his fractured arm heals, Henry suddenly becomes a great pitcher who can throw the ball at high speeds. Just as a veteran pitcher named Chet struggles with his performance, Henry joins the Chicago Cubs and becomes their star pitcher. Henry initially fails to throw the ball well, but Chet helps him get better, despite the fact that the boy took his position on the team. After many intense games, Henry helps the Cubs win the championship, and Chet also becomes his coach after he retires. In this story, we learn that teamwork involves helping others even when things don’t go our way.

Rookie Of The Year 1993.