Jeremiah studies a map of Canada, puzzled by Franny’s reaction, while eating waffles and talking to his robot, Jerwal. He checks the eagle cam, watching a parent eagle protect its nest, and reflects on his friend Yaff, who has the heart of an eagle. Jeremiah and Yaff exchange texts, and Jeremiah compares the protective eagle to Walt. A timer reminds him to take his medication.

Outside, Jeremiah trains Adler to retrieve a bagel-shaped squeaky toy. Franny arrives and explains that her brother, Bo, knew Hargie well but refuses to talk to anyone. Mrs. Engers jogs past while training for a half marathon. When Jeremiah accidentally throws the toy into Mrs. Prim’s hedge, the elderly neighbor retrieves it and reveals that Mike Cantwell refused to let Coach Perkins into his house after Hargie’s death and ordered him off the property. Franny wonders why, and Mrs. Prim cryptically responds that time will tell.

Soon, the Hillcrest Herald announces Coach Perkins has been arrested for giving performance-enhancing drugs to his players. Released on bail, Perkins isolates himself while the sheriff seals the stadium and locker rooms. Discarded Hornets hats pile up outside the stadium. On television, sports store owner Chip Gunther vehemently defends Perkins, calling the investigation a witch hunt. The Hornets cancel their next two games.

Franny tells Jeremiah she’s shocked because she babysat for Perkins’s children. Further headlines announce the Hornets’ suspension from league play and question whether steroids killed Hargie. A prosecutor suggests a manslaughter charge is warranted. Then, Jeremiah overhears Bo arguing with his mother before running off. When Walt tells Jeremiah that if Perkins willfully endangered his players, he deserves severe punishment, he advises his son to “focus on the people trying to do the right thing” (108).

In the cafeteria, when Jeremiah asks Maude Denton, a cafeteria worker, about the turkey loaf, Her joke steers Sky and Logo away from the food. The boys tell Jeremiah that baseball is dying in Hillcrest, now called Steroid City, and Logo’s father wants him to quit. Jeremiah responds by telling them about a wheelchair-bound basketball coach who believed that when you think you are done, it might actually be a new start. Franny listens from a nearby table.

Jeremiah challenges the boys by saying that an irresponsible adult should not destroy something for everyone else. He asks if they will let their talent be wasted. When Logo asks if Jeremiah will help them get better, Jeremiah agrees to meet for practice the next day. At home, Jeremiah announces to Jerwal that he’s becoming a coach. He retrieves his baseball and glove, goes outside, and imagines striking out a batter with a perfect pitch.

Jeremiah studies baseball books and discusses coaching with Walt, who advises focusing on fundamentals and changing one thing at a time. At a cardiology appointment, Dr. Dugan and her team review Jeremiah’s blood work and monitor readings and schedule a biopsy to check for heart rejection. When she asks about his well-being beyond medical tests, Jeremiah admits he wants to play baseball. She encourages him to play catch with Walt, and he promises not to overexert himself. Then, Dr. Dugan writes a note permitting him to carry his baseball at school for physical therapy.

At school, Mr. Hazard accepts the doctor’s note. In Civilization class, Mr. Aronson discusses how ancient Greek society valued winning at all costs and used primitive performance-enhancing drugs. He connects this to modern society. The class votes on whether cheating to win is acceptable in the US. Although more than half the class believes it is unacceptable, seven vote acceptable, and three are unsure. Mr. Aronson posts the results outside his classroom.

At the first practice, Jeremiah observes nine players, including new additions Casey, Benchant, and the Oxley triplets. He tells them they have attitude but lack discipline and introduces his Want, Work, Wow philosophy. When Benchant challenges him about why he does not play, Jeremiah reveals he has a weak heart. After practice resumes with Terrell Younger throwing to Benchant, Jeremiah sits with Franny and Benny. Franny wears a baseball glove but insists it means nothing. When Jeremiah admits he misses playing, Franny tells him his heart—the kind that matters—is strong, which deeply moves him.

That evening, Jeremiah and Walt play catch for the first time in months. Walt throws gently, and Jeremiah walks slowly to retrieve missed balls. They maintain a rhythm—throw, catch, throw, catch—for 22 minutes before Walt stops them to prevent overexertion. Jeremiah reflects that he would rather play catch with Walt than attend a World Series game.

Jeremiah undergoes a heart biopsy performed by Dr. Bonano, a member of his team. During the procedure, a catheter travels through his vein to his heart, where small tissue samples are removed. Though drowsy from medication, Jeremiah watches the process on screen and thinks of his heart as Alice. The nurse and anesthesiologist monitor him closely. After the catheter is withdrawn, Walt joins him. Still groggy, Jeremiah asks about a Reds baseball game.

At home, sore from the procedure, Jeremiah reflects on waiting. He distinguishes between trivial waiting—for a parent, a bathroom, grades on tests—and real waiting: The 11 months and 17 days he waited for a donor heart. Waiting for the heart was challenging, but then, when the heart was ready, everything happened quickly.

Jeremiah acknowledges that coaching requires energy, conflicting with his need to rest. The team now has 10 players, including Donald Mole, who has heart but is not skilled. Mr. Hazard arranges a game against the Lincoln Middle School Tornadoes for the next day, contingent on finding an 11th player. During practice, Jeremiah reviews positions and encourages hustle. His focus is on doing their best, win or lose. Looking at Hargie’s memorial tree, Jeremiah wishes he could protect his players like an eagle guards its nest.

Mr. Hazard returns with news: the Tornadoes are also short-handed and have agreed to a 10-player game. Walt messages that Jeremiah’s biopsy results are normal and he no longer needs his heart monitor. Feeling liberated, Jeremiah texts the players announcing the game, urging them to bring their best and pass the message along.

In Civilization class, Mr. Aronson lectures on the Greek concept of the tragic flaw—a defect that causes a person’s downfall. He assigns homework to identify Achilles’s flaws. At the baseball field before the game, Jeremiah gives the team gum and instructs them to chew and spit aggressively, explaining this makes them look and feel tough like professional ballplayers. Mr. Darko, the soccer coach, arrives as the team’s official adult supervisor.

The Muskrats play the Tornadoes with 10 players per side. They lose four to one, but Jeremiah considers it respectable for their first game, especially with four parents cheering. He rallies the team, declaring their connection to baseball in Hillcrest.

Jeremiah completes his Achilles homework, identifying the warrior’s tragic flaws, noting that although the hero was successful in battle, he struggled to manage his emotions and to work with others. Meanwhile, news reports reveal that six of 15 Hornets players tested positive for steroids. Lawyers for the players, Coach Perkins, and the high school all issue statements. Media attention intensifies, and the town’s welcome sign is removed. The middle school’s team morale suffers from the negative atmosphere, though Benny’s enthusiasm remains unaffected. However, Benny misses practice due to doctor’s appointments and then strep throat, and his absence dampens the team’s spirit. Jeremiah thinks “Hillcrest needs a heart transplant” (145).

For “Think About It Day” at school, Jeremiah dresses as Aristotle and speaks in philosophical quotes, revised so people understand them. Donald Mole brings two talented new players, Handro Corea and Roy Nader, and selflessly suggests Handro take his position because Handro is better. When an out-of-town reporter asks why they keep playing, Terrell responds that giving up is silly, something he learned from his grandfather. When asked who the captain is, the team looks to Terrell, and Jeremiah officially names him. Later, the mother of Mac Rooney, a Hornets star, gives a public speech demanding truth about the scandal. Mr. Aronson assigns students to write about modern tragic flaws. Jeremiah writes about Coach Perkins’s love of winning as his downfall. Franny confides she wrote about her father.

Jeremiah respects Franny’s privacy about her father. He live-streams a robotics session with Jerwal to Yaff, who shares photos of his gerbil and their science fair project. Jeremiah realizes he does not want to return to St. Louis yet, despite missing Yaff. Outside, Bo carries broken items from the garage, including a rocking horse Franny insists is not broken. Then, El Grande speaks with Jeremiah about a negative newspaper headline questioning baseball’s future in Hillcrest.

When Jeremiah expresses frustration and despair, El Grande tells him about a game where his team was losing badly in sweltering heat. He decided to laugh and play his personal best, ultimately getting two home runs even though the team lost—a personal victory. El Grande urges Jeremiah to teach the team to use metaphorical blinders, ignoring negativity and focusing on playing their own game. Inspired, Jeremiah thanks him.