Look Who's Playing First Base by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [CHRISTOPHER, MATTHEW F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316093996
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

The Checkmate fans roared, and Mike jumped up and shouted, “That-a-boy, Yuri! I knew you could do it! I knew it!”

Don Waner had nothing to say.

Dave Alberti singled, and time was called while the Jetstar coach and a couple of his infielders walked up to their pitcher to offer him some voice support. For a minute Mike thought that the coach was going to send Ike Pierce to the showers, but he didn’t. Ike stayed in and the fans cheered.

Don was the next batter. Now let’s see what you can do, Mr. Big Shot, thought Mike. Ike didn’t pitch Don anything good. He didn’t pitch him anything bad, either. Don went the full count, three and two.

He stepped away from the plate, hitched up his pants and stepped into the box again. Ike’s pitch came in, slightly high. Don belted it.

A long drive to left! Don dropped his bat and tore for first. When he was almost there the first-base coach raised his hands and shook his head. The fielder had caught the ball. Without looking toward the outfield Don trotted back to the dugout.

Both Gary and Dick made outs, too.

But the Checkmate fans were applauding them, and Coach Bob Terko looked pleased. “Nice going, boys. Let’s hang on to that lead.”

The score was 6 to 2, Checkmates’ favor.

The first Jetstar batter singled. He then took a lead off first which, thought Mike, was just too much. The guy didn’t intend to steal, did he? Not with the Jetstars trailing by four runs?

The pitch came in. “Ball!”

The runner didn’t steal. But Mike saw that he was taking his sweet old time returning to the base. He hoped that Don wouldn’t be caught napping and let the man steal.

“Strike!”

The instant Don caught the ball he rose from his crouched position and whipped it hard to first. Yuri stretched wide, caught it and reached out to tag the runner. Instead, the runner bolted for second. Yuri chased after him, then tossed the ball to Mike. Mike chased the runner back toward first, then tossed to Yuri. Again Yuri went after him, and again he threw the ball to Mike.

This time he threw it wild. The ball struck the runner on his head, dropped to the ground, and the Jetstar ran safely to second.

Mike’s temper exploded. “Yuri! Why’d you do that for? We had ’im in the bag!”

Yuri just looked at him, his eyes still as glass.

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