No Arm in Left Field by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [CHRISTOPHER, MATTHEW F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316095792
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

It was a home run. The Roadrunner fans went wild.

Terry stood glued to the spot from where he had pegged the ball, looking on with his legs spread-eagled. Darn you, Tony, he thought. That would not have been a home run if you had come closer. You could’ve thrown him out!

He didn’t know how they got the next hitters out, but they did.

“I’m sorry, Mick,” Terry said as he ran in and reached the pitcher’s side. “That was my fault.”

“Your fault, my eye,” Mick said. “Tony knows you’ve got a poor arm. He should’ve run out farther for your throw.”

Terry agreed, but said nothing.

The Forest Lakers soon picked up two runs, beginning with a single by Caesar Valquez, then successive hits by Jeff, Tony and Terry. Terry had doubled, giving him a two-for-two hitting record in the game so far.

Mick held the Roadrunners hitless in the bottom of the third, and Lefty Rhodes did the same with the Forest Lakers.

It was in the bottom of the fourth that the Roadrunners started to lambaste Mick again, getting two hits right off the bat. Then Mick walked two men, forcing in a run. He had three balls and no strikes on the next batter when Stu called time, ran out to the mound and talked to Mick.

The talk hardly helped. Mick fired a strike, then grooved the next pitch too, only to see it go for a hit over short. Two runs scored and Coach Harper called time. He took Mick out and called in the reserve pitcher, Woody Davis, who had been warming up behind the third-base bleachers.

Woody pulled the Lakers through without giving up a hit, and managed to pitch the rest of the game with no Roadrunner scoring. The bats of the Lakers weren’t sounding off loud enough, however, and the Roadrunners took the game, 7–3.

Terry had been up four times: knocking a homer, a double, walking once and striking out his last time up. It was the strikeout Tony Casterline remembered, for it was the last out of the game.

“You just can’t get it into your head, Terry,” he said with biting sarcasm. “You struck at two pitches that were way high and outside. You could’ve walked and saved Rich a chance to bat. We had two men on. And Rich was due to hit.”

Terry looked at him. His eyes shone like hard glass. “And you could’ve come out farther on that hit that went up against the fence to save a run,” he countered. “Why didn’t you?”

Tony’s face reddened. He looked around, saw Jeff, and went toward him. Mick grinned at Terry.

“That’s telling him,” he said.

Terry saw his father come running toward him and the boys. Behind him were Mrs. Delaney and Connie.

“Tony! Jeff!” Mr. Delaney yelled. “Lose or not, you’re all invited to our place for ice cream and cake!” he said cheerfully.

Terry looked happily at his father and mother. No one could say that Dad wasn’t trying to keep harmony among the boys.

“I… I’m sorry,” Tony stammered.

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