The San Francisco Splash
Page 4
The cheers and yells were so loud, Kate, Mike, and Mr. Hopkins could hardly hear anything else.
It was Saturday night and they were sitting behind the San Francisco Giants’ dugout. Ray stood on the mound. He wore an old-fashioned Giants uniform. The large video screen behind him flashed clips of his famous play against the Dodgers years ago.
“Please give a huge round of applause to Giants’ all-star Ray ‘the Rock’ Reynolds!” the announcer said. “He was a member of one of our winning World Series teams.”
Fans nearby stood and cheered. A few whistled loudly.
Ray held up his right hand with a ball clutched in it. The ball glowed white in the bright lights. But to Kate and Mike, his World Series ring stood out even more.
The crowd roared. Ray pulled himself into pitching position. His eyes stared at the plate. He planted his legs together and cradled the ball in the glove in front of his chest.
Then he drew his left leg up high and went into his windup. The fans could tell that even though he was an old-timer, Ray still had it. He fired a fastball straight over the plate.
“That’s what he used to do to us,” Lenny said. He was sitting next to Mike, Kate, and Mr. Hopkins. “He was a great pitcher. Except when he tried those sneaky plays. I’m glad he got his ring back.”
“Well, I know from some of the old coaches that you were pretty good, too,” Mr. Hopkins said. “Especially when we were playing the Giants, like tonight!”
After the first inning began, Ray dropped into the empty seat next to Lenny.
“You mean I have to sit near him?” Ray groaned. He grabbed Lenny’s knee and gave it a squeeze. “I guess I can put up with you.…”
Lenny laughed. “And I can put up with you, Ray, unless you start accusing me of stealing something else,” he said. “What will it be next? Your historic baseball hat? An old batting glove?”
“Speaking of stealing, did you tell Lenny what happened to the man who took your ring?” Mr. Hopkins asked.
Ray spun his World Series ring around his finger. “The police arrested Captain Dan yesterday, thanks to Kate and Mike,” he said. “They also caught the man who was going to buy the ring. He worked at the gift shop at Alcatraz. He knew a person in another country who was willing to pay a lot of money for it.”
Mike squirmed in his seat. He was impatient to say something. “Yeah, the police called us last night,” he said. “They told us Captain Dan confessed to everything. He had offered Ray a ride on the boat last week. He’d planned all along to find a way to steal the ring.”
Lenny shook his head. “I’m glad I didn’t go on that boat trip with you, Ray,” he said. “The captain might have shoved me in the water, too! Remind me not to fly with you, either, in case the pilot has something against you.”
Ray waved his hand. “Well, maybe we can sit back and watch the game together,” he said. “I don’t think you’ll have any trouble. Unless, of course, I’m pitching!”
Ray tossed a baseball to Lenny. Ray had signed it in bright red pen. It read To Lenny—May the Giants Always Come Out on Top. Ray’s signature was below.
“Good to see you can still catch,” Ray said. “I thought you might like it to remember today’s game, since the Giants are going to win.”
“I don’t know about that,” Lenny said. He turned the ball over in his hands. “But I know a way to make sure this doesn’t help the Giants.”
He handed it to Kate and whispered something in her ear.
Kate tapped Mike’s leg. “Come on. Lenny has a job for us. Back in a minute, Dad!”
Lenny jabbed Ray in the shoulder as Mike and Kate stood up to leave. “I finally found a way to prove you’re all wet,” he said. “I’m having Kate deliver the message for me.”
Mike and Kate wound their way over to the long steel railing overlooking McCovey Cove. Below them, a few kayakers bobbed in the water. Farther out floated two large sailboats.
Kate held up Ray’s baseball. She waved it back and forth until one of the kayakers finally saw it. He waggled his paddle back at Kate.
Mike tugged on her sleeve. “What’s going on?” he asked. “Do you know him?”
Kate shook her head. “Nope, but Lenny wanted me to take care of Ray’s baseball,” she said. “He thought that turning a Giants baseball into a splash hit was the right thing to do!”
Kate lofted the baseball over the railing. The ball landed with a splash just a few feet in front of the kayaker.
Within seconds, the fan had paddled over and scooped up the ball. He read the autograph on it and gave Kate and Mike a thumbs-up. Then he tucked the ball into a jacket pocket and went back to scanning for other splash hits.
Mike nodded. “Good idea!” he said. “I just wish you had waited.”
“Waited for what?” Kate asked.
Mike pointed at his chest. “Waited for me to take a kayak out there before you threw it!”
Candlestick Park. Before the Giants moved in 2000 to their new stadium in downtown San Francisco, they played south of the city in Candlestick Park. Candlestick Park was on the edge of the bay, and strong, cold winds made games difficult for fans and players alike. Some people say that during the 1961 All-Star Game, a pitcher was blown off the mound by the wind!
Cable cars. Cable cars run on rails in the streets. They latch on to strong steel cables that move at a steady pace under the road. The cable cars glide up and down San Francisco’s many hills, stopping to let people hop on and off.
McCovey Cove. The small area of San Francisco Bay by the Giants’ ballpark is called McCovey Cove in honor of Willie McCovey. It’s also known as China Basin. People with nets in rafts, small boats, and kayaks flood the area on game day, hoping to capture a splash hit.
Splash dogs. Portuguese water dogs are a breed of dogs that were taught to help round up schools of fish and help fishermen retrieve broken nets. After the Giants’ new ballpark opened, a special dog club sprang up. It trained Portuguese water dogs to bring back splash hits in McCovey Cove!
Alcatraz. Alcatraz Island sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The island was used as both a lighthouse and a military base, but most people know it as a prison. From 1934 until 1963, prisoners who caused problems at other prisons were sent to Alcatraz. No one ever escaped from Alcatraz, except for three men who broke out and were never found. Officials think that they died trying to get across the bay.
Giant soda bottle. Above the Giants’ left field is an area just for kids. It has a small baseball diamond for running and batting practice, food areas, and slides inside a giant soda bottle. Next to the soda bottle is a supersized old-fashioned baseball glove. It’s modeled on a 1927 glove, so it has a space for a thumb and three fingers. Back then, many gloves had four fingers, not five!
The Willies. The Giants have had good luck with Willies. Willie Mays was one of the best all-around players. He played for the Giants in both New York and San Francisco. Willie McCovey was a great first baseman for the Giants, a fierce hitter, and a Hall-of-Famer. Some people say that he hit the longest home run ever at the Giants’ old Candlestick Park.
New York Giants. The Giants moved to San Francisco from New York City the same year the Dodgers moved to Los Angeles from New York City. They became even fiercer rivals after the move. Fans love it when they play each other.
1989 earthquake. The 1989 World Series turned out to be a big rumble. Just before game three was scheduled to start, a large earthquake struck the San Francisco area. It was 7.1 on the Richter scale. No one in Candlestick Park was hurt, but there was a ten-day delay before the teams played again. Unfortunately for the Giants, the Oakland A’s won in four games.
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