Prime Time Pitcher by Matt Christopher

Author:Matt Christopher [CHRISTOPHER, MATTHEW F]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780316094191
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2009-12-19T05:00:00+00:00

8

All week long, word buzzed through the halls that Koby Caplin was going to be on TV. Koby couldn’t sit down in any class without being mobbed. Lunchtime was the same thing. Only when Dan and Buck pleaded with the students to let Koby “act natural” did the filming go smoothly.

Yet even then, everything wasn’t one hundred percent normal. By Thursday, Tug had stopped walking to school with Koby. At first Koby tried to draw Tug back into the picture. But with school, practice, and the film, Koby had hardly any free time for that.

Finally it was Friday, the day of the rematch against Greenview.

At the start of school, the film crew set up near the trophy case in the front hall. When Koby and Sara arrived, they hurried Koby into the spotlight. Dan started firing questions at Koby. Koby, used to the lights and do’s and don’ts of filming by now, settled in to answer them. All the while, the audience around him grew bigger and bigger.

“And this is how I hold my fastball. I grip the ball like this,” Koby said, holding up his hand with a pretend ball in it. “Then I snap my wrist right before the release to get the ultimate velocity with my pitch.”

Mr. Tomashiro appeared outside his classroom door. He approached the film crew.

“Excuse me,” he said in his best “trying to keep cool” voice. The students opened a path. “Homeroom is starting now. Koby, come along.”

“OK, Coach T.,” Koby said. He glanced back into the camera. “You need to be sure that your grip on the ball is —”

“Now!” ordered Mr. Tomashiro. Buck and Dan helped to disperse the crowd.

“OK, folks,” Dan said as he gently nudged the students to move. “Time to get to class.”

“Well, gotta go!” Koby said. Looking into the still-running camera one more time, he added, “School comes first! You have to study hard and take that discipline with you onto the field.”

As the camera shut off, Koby thought he saw one student mouth to another, “Oh, brother.” But he wasn’t sure.

Mr. T. followed Koby into homeroom, with Dan and Buck close behind. Koby saw Buck click on the camera and point it at Mr. Tomashiro. Mr. T. didn’t appear to notice.

“Here are today’s announcements. Retakes for class pictures will be today and Monday. All signed permission slips for the seventh grade overnight camping trip to Sander’s Pond must be handed in to me by Monday or you won’t be able to go. And, as you all must know, or hopefully know, today is the big rematch against the Greenview Green Jackets. We had a great crowd at our last home game. Let’s see if we can even do better with today’s crowd. It’s going to be a good game. See you there at three.”

“Uh, Coach T., could I add a few words?” Koby stood up.

Coach Tomashiro’s eyebrows shot up, but he nodded.

“I’ll be on the mound today for the Cardinals,”

Koby said, “and let me just say how much I’ve appreciated everyone’s support so far this season.

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