Dick smiled. “Aw, forget it,” he said.
“Okay,” Jack said. “Go back to your positions. Win or lose, play so that your fans will be real proud of you. Promise?”
“We promise!” both boys answered at once.
They returned to their positions. Suddenly Jack was gone, and everything was back to normal again. Dick noticed, too, that Stan had not followed through with his kick. He had spun around and was now smiling pleasantly at him.
“Let’s go, gang!” Stan shouted. “Let’s get em!”
As if the Tigers had drunk some kind of magic potion, they began to play much better than they had before and proceeded to keep the Foxes from scoring. Then, during the bottom of the fourth inning, they began to hit Jack Munson to the tune of eight hits and seven runs. In the fifth inning they garnered three more to tie up the score, 10-10.
“One more run!” Dick shouted as the Tigers came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. “Just one more!”
Stan led off and smashed out a scorching double. Andy flied out to center. Dick, stepping up nervously to the plate, realized that the game could go into an extra inning unless he, or Eddie, got a hit to score Stan.
“Knock me in, Dick!” Stan shouted from second base. “Powder it!”
Dick watched Jack Munson’s first pitch breeze by him. “Strike!” cried the ump.
Another pitch rifled in. “Strike two!” bellowed the ump.
“Dick — please!” Stan yelled.
Crack! A long, shallow blow to deep left center field! Thunder rocked the Tigers’ bench as Dick dropped his bat and raced around the bases, holding up at third.
It was over. The Tigers won, 11-10.
The boys jumped up and down and hugged each other as if they had won the championship.
“I can’t believe it!” Coach Banks exclaimed as he stood among them, beaming proudly. “Stan, your coming to finish up the game with us made all the difference in the world!”
Stan’s eyes shone like bright lights. “It wasn’t only me, Coach. It was Dick, too. And Jack Wanda.”
The Coach frowned. “Jack who?”
Dick laughed. “Jack Wanda!” he cried. “A new friend of ours, Coach! You should meet him sometime! Right, Eddie?”
“Right!”
Coach Banks’ eyebrows rose in wonder and amusement. “You guys!” He laughed. “What are you going to think of next?”
THE TEAM THAT STOPPED MOVING
by
MATT CHRISTOPHER
Dick Farrar was glum. The baseball team he had helped organize couldn’t seem to get a winning combination together.
Then one day, in the midst of an important play, something happens to Dick. For some strange reason, all the action on the field seems to freeze, and a man who calls himself a wizard appears and begins to talk to him. The wizard gives him pointers on how to improve his play, and after everyone starts to move again, Dick sparks a rally that enables them to win the game.
Combining baseball and the supernatural, Matt Christopher weaves an exciting story in this his fortieth book for young readers.
Illustrated by Byron Goto
Matt Christopher
Front Court Hex
What would you do if a warlock put a hex on you?
Jerry Steele couldn’t understand why he had suddenly turned into such a bumbler on the basketball court. Last year he was his team’s star player, but this year he couldn’t score a point.
When Jerry meets Danny Weather-spoon he really begins to think something strange is going on — for Danny says he’s a warlock who is purposely preventing Jerry from scoring.
Why Danny feels he has a good reason to hex Jerry and how Jerry reacts to Danny’s claim of supernatural powers make up the intriguing plot of this fast-paced sports story by one of the most popular authors of stories for young readers.
Illustrated by Byron Goto
SPORTS BOOKS BY MATT CHRISTOPHER
BASEBALL BOOKS
The Lucky Baseball Bat
Baseball Pals
Two Strikes on Johnny
Little Lefty
Long Stretch at First Base
Challenge at Second Base
Catcher with a Glass Arm
Too Hot to Handle
The Reluctant Pitcher
Miracle at the Plate
The Year Mom Won the Pennant
Hard Drive to Short
Shortstop from Tokyo
Look Who’s Playing First Base
The Kid Who Only Hit Homers
Mystery Coach
No Arm in Left Field
Jinx Glove
The Team That Stopped Moving
BASKETBALL BOOKS
The Basket Counts
Basketball Sparkplug
Break for the Basket
Tall Man in the Pivot
Sink It, Rusty
Long Shot for Paul
Johnny Long Legs
Front Court Hex
FOOTBALL BOOKS
Touchdown for Tommy
Crackerjack Halfback
Counterfeit Tackle
The Team That Couldn’t Lose
Catch That Pass!
Tough to Tackle
Glue Fingers
HOCKEY BOOKS
Wingman on Ice
Face-Off
Ice Magic
Lucky Seven: Sports Stories by Matt Christopher
ANIMAL STORIES
Desperate Search
Stranded