Runt

 Runt is a novel written by Kerry Casey. The story is about a baseball coach who is moving to a small town in Iowa to teach social studies at the high school and to coach the 12 year old's little league team. A rich woman in town left money for a new ball field and equipment with  the condition that they replace the current coach. The current coach is a dastardly man who is mean to the kids and racist. The new coach comes to town but along the way he nearly strikes an abandoned puppy sitting in the middle of a country road. He picks up the puppy. The town veterinarian is the man who recruited him to come so he brings the puppy to him. The new coach and the vet are good people. One of the kids trying out for the team is small. His nickname is Runt. The found puppy was also a runt. Runt and his new dog come to try outs together. The story is very heartwarming. I am not big on sports and I skimmed the finer points of baseball strategy but I did enjoy this wholesome book.