“Ball!”
“Ball two!”
Then, “Strike two!”
Sylvester stepped out of the box, wiped his face with his sleeve, and stepped in again. Tensely, he waited for the next pitch. The crowd was hushed. Bert stretched, delivered. The throw looked good. Sylvester leaned into it and swung.
Plop! sounded the ball as it struck the catcher’s mitt. The next second the crowd roared and it was as if a gigantic bomb had exploded. Sylvester Coddmyer III had struck out.
He walked to the bench, his head bowed.
“Don’t worry about it, Syl!” yelled a familiar voice. “You’ll bat again!” It sounded like Snooky Malone.
Jerry Ash flied out. Then Bobby Kent singled, scoring two runs, and Duane Francis grounded out.
The Indians scored once, and that was it till the fourth inning, when Eddie Exton doubled and came in on Terry Barnes’s neat single over first base.
The Indians made up for the run and more besides. With two men on, a left-handed hitter socked a clothesline drive out to right field. The ball grazed the top of Sylvester’s glove and bounced out to the fence. Sylvester ran as hard as he could after it, picked it up, and heaved it in.
Three runs scored. The Indians tallied four runs that half inning, going ahead, 5 to 3.
Sylvester led off in the top of the fifth. He had looked once more for George Baruth in the seat at the end of the third row, hoping to see him. But the big man wasn’t there.
Not until now was he sure that he would never see his friend again.
He struck out on three straight pitches.
Jerry doubled, though, and Bobby knocked him in for the Redbirds’ only run that half inning.
Back bounced the Indians for three more runs to make their score 8. And back came the Redbirds for their last chance.
Jim walked. Ted singled. Milt flied out. And up came Sylvester.
“Knock it over the fence, Syl!” yelled Snooky Malone.
The pitch. Sylvester swung. Crack! A hit! But not one of those long ones that he had been hitting all season. Not an over-the fence blast that made the crowd draw in its collective breath.
It was a shallow drive but hard, with the ball rolling between the left and center fielders. Two runs scored and Sylvester reached second base for a double, the only hit he had made all season that wasn’t a home run.
Both Jerry and Bobby got out, and that was it. The Indians won, 8 to 6.
He thought it was all over then. He thought the people had suddenly forgotten him. But they hadn’t. They crowded around him, patting him on the back and shaking his hand while photographers snapped pictures like crazy.
Then someone pushed through the crowd, and a silence fell like a curtain.
“Sylvester,” said Coach Stan Corbin, standing there with a huge, bright trophy of a boy swinging a baseball bat, “in honor of our school, Hooper Junior High, and all the teachers and students and myself, I am happy to present this trophy to the greatest athlete Hooper Junior High School has ever had.”
So choked up that he was unable to say a word, Sylvester accepted the trophy. Finally he was able to speak.
“Thanks,” he said.
His mother and Snooky Malone walked on either side of him as he carried the trophy home.
But, somehow, it seemed that the trophy wasn’t quite as heavy as it was when the coach had given it to him. It seemed lighter, as if someone else was helping him carry it.
FINAL STANDINGS
WON LOST
Redbirds 7 3
Giants 6 4
Wildcats 6 4
Tigers 5 5
Falcons 4 6
Indians 3 7
THE #1 SPORTS SERIES FOR KIDS
MATT CHRISTOPHER®
Read them all!
Baseball Flyhawk Dive Right In
Baseball Turnaround Double Play at Short
The Basket Counts Face-Off
Body Check Fairway Phenom
Catch That Pass! Football Double Threat
Catcher with a Glass Arm Football Fugitive
Catching Waves Football Nightmare
Center Court Sting The Fox Steals Home
Centerfield Ballhawk Goalkeeper in Charge
Challenge at Second Base The Great Quarterback Switch
The Comeback Challenge Halfback Attack *
Comeback of the Home Run Kid The Hockey Machine
The Diamond Champs Ice Magic
Dirt Bike Racer Johnny Long Legs
Dirt Bike Runaway Karate Kick
The Kid Who Only Hit Homers Slam Dunk
Lacrosse Face-Off Snowboard Champ
Lacrosse Firestorm Snowboard Showdown
Line Drive to Short ** Snowboard Champ
Long-Arm Quarterback Soccer Duel
Long Shot for Paul Soccer Halfback
Look Who’s Playing First Base Soccer Hero
Miracle at the Plate Soccer Scoop
Mountain Bike Mania Stealing Home
Nothin’ But Net The Submarine Pitch
Penalty Shot The Team That Couldn’t Lose
Power Pitcher *** Tennis Ace
The Reluctant Pitcher Tight End
Return of the Home Run Kid Top Wing
Run For It Touchdown for Tommy
Shoot for the Hoop Tough to Tackle
Shortstop from Tokyo Wingman on Ice
Skateboard Renegade The Year Mom Won the Pennant
Skateboard Tough
All available in paperback from Little, Brown and Company
Matt Christopher®
Sports Bio Bookshelf
Muhammad Ali Randy Johnson
Lance Armstrong Michael Jordan
Kobe Bryant Peyton and Eli Manning
Jennifer Capriati Yao Ming
Dale Earnhardt Sr. Shaquille O’Neal
Jeff Gordon Albert Pujols
Ken Griffey Jr. Jackie Robinson
Mia Hamm Alex Rodriguez
Tony Hawk Babe Ruth
Ichiro Curt Schilling
LeBron James Sammy Sosa
Derek Jeter Tiger Woods
THE KID WHO ONLY HIT HOMERS
Who is the mysterious Mr. Baruth?
Sylvester loved baseball, but he wasn’t what you’d call a good hitter. He had already decided against joining the Redbirds when he met George Baruth. “I’m going to help you become one of the best players ever;” the mysterious man promised. Before long Sylvester was hitting home runs every time he was at bat. But along with his good luck came troubling questions….
Matt Christopher is the name young readers turn to when they’re looking for fast-paced, action-packed sports novels. Look for the Home Run Kid sequels!
For a complete list of all Matt Christopher titles, please turn to the last pages of this book.
* Previously published as Crackerjack Halfback
** Previously published as Pressure Play
*** Previously published as Pressure Play