The “pinch hitter” is a stand-in, or a substitute, for the regularly scheduled hitter in baseball. When the pinch hitter is an identical twin, does anybody care? Does it matter which twin is at the plate swinging the bat? It matters to the twins. The magic, mystery and fun of the twins phenomenon is the heart and soul of Tim Green’s new novel, PINCH HIT. What’s fascinating about the twins' saga is that even though both boys were separated at birth and haven’t seen each other for 13 years, they share the same dream: to play baseball in the big leagues someday.

"Green has written another brilliant work of sports fiction for young readers, with a fun twist on the idea of stepping in for a fellow player and brother-in-bats."

The first time Trevor and Sam meet and shake hands, Trevor is overwhelmed by a strange sensation he can’t explain. He is convinced someone is playing tricks with his mind. He thinks he is looking into a mirror and can’t let go of the guy’s hand. Something tells him that everything about his life, and possibly the life of the boy standing opposite him, is about to change in a big way.

Only in Hollywood, where Trevor is a teenage film star, could such a charming and believable story about reuniting twins be cast. The movie-making world is the perfect setting for the situation where Trevor’s long-lost identical twin brother is chosen as his stand-in. The stand-in takes the star’s place while the crew sets up the shot for the film. When Sam wanders into central casting looking for part-time work, he’s immediately snatched up as a stand-in for his identical twin, but no one knows at first that the boys are related.

Of course, there is a good reason why Sam is on a movie lot looking for work and why Trevor is running bases with the Los Angeles Dodgers as his 13th birthday present. But when the boys figure out how easy it is to “pinch hit” for each other, unsuspecting adults and friends are befuddled and worried.

Green has written another brilliant work of sports fiction for young readers, with a fun twist on the idea of stepping in for a fellow player and brother-in-bats. It’s a genuine story about moving on from mistakes and choices that might not have been in the children’s best interest, but later getting the option where everybody can choose to be a winner. In the end, a big extended family isn’t much different from a baseball team. Everybody has the same goal: love and accept each other for the good of the team.