The Big One: Miracles happen when you shoot for the sun

1974

High school senior Mike Krysiuk loves baseball, playing guitar in a band with his buddies, and cruising the suburban streets of Westport, Connecticut in his Chevy Chevelle blasting tunes on his 8-track. Finally part of the "in" crowd-the cool jocks who cut classes without consequences-Mike has hit his stride. And at six foot four, with an oversized personality to match, he's earned his nickname-"The Big One." After Mike comes off the bench to save a game with his famous sinker, turning a blowout into a one-run loss, a Mets' scout hands him a card and says he'll be back. Suddenly, the major leagues are more than just a pipe dream.

Mike is supposed to go straight home after the game, to finish up his last term paper. But Ted, the cool crowd's cocky ringleader, presses Mike to join him and the rest of the gang on a beer run over the New York border. Mike agrees-a fateful decision that will permanently alter his life.

The rest of the story is a family saga of determination, teamwork, and resolute optimism. Mike's remarkable journey reminds us that, in a life-threatening crisis, the love of parents, siblings, relatives, and friends is invaluable-and likely the key difference between premature death and a new lease on life. Miracles really can happen when you shoot for the sun.