Prime Time Pitcher

by Matt Christopher

  “Win some games, maybe?” Sara said with a smirk.

  “If that’s what it takes, I’m all for it. But I was thinking more along the lines of continuous sports coverage in the Megaphone. Then maybe we’ll double the crowd that shows up.”

  “Yeah, to ten!”

  They laughed so hard that Mr. T. looked up from his desk, where he had been organizing some papers. “Ahem. Don’t you two belong in class somewhere? Like here, maybe?”

  “Sorry,” Sara and Koby said together.

  “So how about it?” asked Koby as they hurried to their seats. “Why don’t you come cover practice today?”

  “I can’t. If I don’t get my homework and chores done right after school today, my journalism career will be cut short by my parental units. Maybe some other time. Have fun at practice, though.”

  “Not hardly! It’s going to be a tough one!” Koby said. Then they both turned their attention to Mr. Tomashiro, and class began.

  Koby was right — Coach Tomashiro was not going to let his players rest on their laurels after the Watermelon Game. He always held tough practices, but the next two days of practice were tougher than usual.

  “C’mon, Coach!” Scoop said in a fake whining voice as the team did their warm-up exercises on Thursday. “I’m using muscles that I didn’t even know I had!”

  Tweeeet!

  Coach Tomashiro blew his whistle. “If you practice hard, you play hard!” he answered back. “Everyone works hard. There are no ‘prized bears’ on this team.”

  Even though Koby was feeling the same way as Scoop, he had to smile. “Prized bear” was Coach T.’s made-up phrase. It meant that no one was so important to the team that he deserved special treatment or recognition.

  Nobody’s feeling like a prized bear today, Koby thought. Sweat poured from his forehead as he did his running-in-place drill. But if it takes this kind of hard work for the team to be a winner, he thought, I’ll do it.

  The team went through its fundamentals drills. Koby threw some easy pitches and a few pitch-outs. Tug torpedoed the ball to Sandy, covering second. Then everyone took a turn at batting practice. An hour later, the practice ended with five laps around the perimeter of the field.

  “OK, Cardinals, get yourselves some rest tonight,” Coach T. ordered. “Tomorrow is our first official game, and I don’t want to see anyone yawning out there!”

  When Koby got home after practice, he went right upstairs to take a shower. On the way, he passed his brother Chuck’s room. He peeked in.

  Chuck was a freshman at State College now, but six years ago he had played baseball for the Cardinals when he was at Monticello. Sitting on Chuck’s top shelf was a trophy he had received from the team, which read:

  Chuck Caplin

  TEAM SPIRIT AWARD

  Monticello Middle School

  For the player who,

  by his example on and off the field,

  demonstrates the value

  of team spirit and good sportsmanship

  Koby picked up the trophy and stared at it. As always, he found himself missing his brother. Even though there was six years’ difference in their ages, Koby and Chuck had always been close. In fact, Koby’s love of baseball had come from watching his brother pitch for Monticello. Chuck’s team hadn’t been very good — Chuck himself had made his share of errors — but as the trophy declared, Chuck’s enthusiasm had never flagged.

  Team spirit is important, Koby thought. But I want to win some games and make people respect the Cardinals again. Those empty bleachers are going to be filled if it’s the last thing I do!

  He put the trophy back and closed the door behind him.

  3

  Opening Day for the Monticello Cardinals was not well attended despite the Watermelon Game victory. The crowd at Cain Park Field had doubled in size, but the stands were still virtually empty.

  Since he had been chosen the starting pitcher for Opening Day, Koby was a little disappointed with the turnout.

  “Where is everybody?” he said to Tug after warm-ups.

  “Well, at least you have one die-hard fan,” a new voice cut in. Koby and Tug looked up to see Sara Wilson sitting in the stands directly above the dugout.

  “Hey, Sara,” Koby greeted her. “Put in some good stuff about us again, OK?”

  “Only if you promise to win — deal?”

  “Deal!” said Koby with a laugh. Then he picked up his glove and headed out to the mound.

  The Danville Middle School Mudcats had been strong contenders for the past few years in the Meadowbrook Conference. Behind their ace pitcher, ninth grader Malcolm Lawrence, the Mudcats were tough opponents.

  In fact, Malcolm had out-pitched Koby in a summer league game. Koby was looking to settle that score today.

  “Hope you pitch better in the spring than you do in the summer!” Malcolm yelled. “I need the competition!”

  Without letting his game face down, Koby toed the pitcher’s rubber. A smattering of cheers sounded from the Cardinals faithful.

  “Play ball!” yelled the ump as he stood up from dusting home plate.

  With a look that could scare the feathers off a chicken, Koby glared at Danville’s leadoff hitter, Rock Stampson. Tug signaled for a low fastball.

  Koby kicked his left leg high and unleashed a pitch with the velocity of a runaway train.

  Thock!

  Rock swung hard but only punched a little dribbler down the first base line. Leaving a puff of dust behind him, he dashed toward first.

  Prez Jefferson rushed in to scoop up the ball as Koby raced to cover for him. Prez connected with Koby just as Koby stepped on the bag. They beat Rock by half a pace.

  “Out!” screamed the ump.

  The Cardinals fans applauded and started a “wave” — a very small wave.

  “Good hustle!” yelled Coach Tomashiro. “Good heads-up ball!”

  Koby got the next batter to ground out to Papo at short and fanned the third to retire the side.

  “You’re on it, man,” Tug said to Koby on the bench.

  “Thanks,” Koby said with a quick grin. He looked over his shoulder. “You catching all this, Sara?”

  Sara saluted with her pencil in reply.

  Beechie led off for the Cardinals.

  Malcolm looked him over like a bull sizing up a matador in the center of a ring. Beechie had never faced Malcolm, but like everyone else, he knew that Malcolm often threw high brush-back pitches near the Adam’s apple.

  Beechie stepped into the batter’s box.

  “OK, Beechie, Beechie, start something up!”

  “You got that pitcher’s number, Beechie!” The Cardinals chatted it up on the bench.

  A fastball crossed Beechie at the numbers.

  “Strike one!” called the ump.

  Beechie fouled off the next two pitches and was in the hole with an 0-2 count.

  “Wait for your pitch!” yelled Coach T.

  On the next pitch, Beechie pulled his bat way back but came up with nothing but air.

  Malcolm registered his first K.

  Next up was Koby, who had been moved up to the number two spot by Coach Tomashiro after the Watermelon Game.

  As Malcolm unleashed his first pitch, Koby decided to let it go by. He wanted to see what kind of stuff Malcolm was throwing this game.

  “Ball!” yelled the ump.

  Suppressing a grin, Koby braced himself for the next pitch. It was high and inside. He met the speeding ball with the meat of the bat and smacked a line drive to short. The Danville shortstop lunged for it but missed. Koby was on base with a solid single.

  Malcolm looked a little rattled as he faced K.O. As soon as he began his windup, Koby took two giant steps off the bag. He was thinking steal.

  Malcolm reached over his head, then quickly switched his feet to attempt the pickoff at first. Koby dove into the bag underneath the first baseman’s sweeping tag. He was safe.

  “Smooth as silk!” Tug yelled from the bench. “Good ref
lexes, Kobe!”

  The first baseman tossed the ball back to Malcolm, who glared at Koby.

  You can’t beat me on the mound or on the base paths, Malcolm, Koby thought with satisfaction. Summer league was then; this is now!

  Malcolm stepped to the top of the pitcher’s mound. As soon as he committed his motion to pitch to K.O., Koby took off.

  K.O. was an eager batter but let the pitch go by. Danville’s catcher, Vishnu Chatterjee, took the ball and leaped up to make the throw to second.

  Koby beat it with a textbook slide.

  That charged up the Cardinals’ bench. “Ooeeee! He pitches, he bats, he steals! It’s Super-Kobe!” yelled Scoop.

  From his second base vantage point, Koby could see Sara Wilson scribbling furiously in her notebook.

  Looks like I could see my name in print tomorrow, he thought. Along with a recap of our victory, I hope!

  With one out and Koby at second, K.O. reached for Malcolm’s next pitch, fouling it off the backstop. He stepped out of the box to tap the dirt out of his spikes.

  He stepped back in, and Malcolm threw a heater down the middle. K.O. walloped the ball into right field for a base hit. Koby raced to third, overrunning it a few steps toward home.

  “Hold up at third, Koby!” yelled Coach T. “Good hit, K.O.!”

  With runners on first and third, Tug came up to the plate in the cleanup spot.

  Malcolm worked him to a full count.

  “Come on, Tug, don’t leave me stranded!” Koby yelled.

  But Tug did. On the next pitch, he reached for an outside pitch that danced away from him. He slowly walked back to the dugout.

  “You’ll get him next time,” Koby called.

  Next up was Scoop Jones.

  “SCOOP! SCOOP!” chanted the fans. “EAT THOSE PITCHES, SCOOP!”

  Koby hoped Scoop would be able to hammer him home and put the Cardinals on the scoreboard first.

  Carrying his huge bat on his shoulder, Scoop stepped up to the box.

  Koby took a comfortable lead as K.O. challenged Malcolm at first. With two outs, they would be off with the pitch.

  Malcolm launched his first pitch — high and inside. It looked tempting, but Scoop checked his swing. Ball one.

  “C’mon, Scoop! A little base hit will do!” shouted Koby as he clapped his hands. “You can do it!” The bench took up Koby’s chant.

  The next pitch kissed the outside corner at the shoulders. Scoop took the bait, and his bat made contact.

  Bam!

  The ball sailed over the second baseman’s head. The center fielder charged the ball on the first bounce. Koby crossed home plate standing up.

  “Yes!” Koby hollered. He spun around to watch K.O. land safely at third and Scoop on first.

  Malcolm got Prez Jefferson swinging wildly on three straight pitches to end the inning, but the Cardinals had drawn first blood.

  Monticello held their 1-0 lead as Koby and Malcolm settled into an intense pitching duel. Koby racked up three more K’s, and Malcolm added two to his belt.

  By the top of the fifth inning, Koby was cruising with a two-hitter, but tiring. When the Cardinals sweetened their lead with a two-run homer hit by Papo Cruz at the bottom of the inning, he gave a sigh of relief.

  Down 3-zip at the start of the sixth and last inning, the Mudcats needed to score some runs.

  Vishnu came up to the plate. Koby shook off Tug’s signs until he saw one he liked. He kicked his left leg high and threw a low fastball at Vishnu’s knees. Even before the umpire’s call, he knew the pitch was lousy.

  “Ball!”

  Three pitches later, Vishnu took his base.

  Next up was Malcolm. Koby pitched him a smoker at the knees. Using a swing like a pro golfer, Malcolm launched the ball over Scoop’s head in left field for a stand-up triple, scoring Vishnu. The Mudcats had begun to close the gap.

  Billy caught the throw-in from Scoop, then walked the ball over to Koby. “He got lucky,” he said. “Blow your best stuff right by this next guy.”

  Koby tried, but A.J. McGuire hammered a single through short and third. The score now read 3-2.

  Tug jogged to the mound and pounded the Hummer. “Right here, Kobe! Show him what you’re made of!”

  Koby looked at the scoreboard, then at Malcolm’s grinning face in the Danville dugout. He took a deep breath.

  “You gotta help me wipe that grin off his face,” he said fiercely.

  “You got it,” Tug promised. “I’ll give you the target and the signals. You just pitch your best.”

  Koby did. Carefully following Tug’s signals, he struck out the next three batters in thirteen pitches. The game ended with the score still reading 3-2 in favor of the Cardinals.

  As the few faithful Monticello fans cheered, the Cardinals cleared the bench to celebrate with their teammates on the field. When Koby and Tug finally squirmed out from under the pile, they ran right into Sara.

  “Phew, what a game!” she said, her eyes dancing with excitement. “You pitched great, Koby!”

  “Thanks. But I couldn’t have done it without my old pal Tug here. He makes me look good!”

  Tug grinned. “And you can put that in your column, with my permission!”

  4

  The Megaphone

  Monticello Middle School

  May 13

  SPORTS SHORTS

  by Sara Wilson

  We’re well into the baseball season. Our Cardinals have zero, as in zip, none, and nada, in the minus column, and we have four victories on the plus side — thanks in large part to Koby Caplin. Koby stung the Danville Mudcats on Opening Day with his rocket right arm, then racked up another win against the Martin Luther King Mustangs, playing complete games both times. Miguel Sanchez and Peter Chung have worked well together to add the other two victories.

  Adding some offensive oomph have been Scoop Jones, K.O. Watkins, Papo Cruz, Beechie Anderson, and Billy Trentanelli. Dazzling in the field with golden gloves have been Prez Jefferson, Sandy Siegel, and Tug McCue.

  Everyone on the team has been playing strong, but how far can this team go? Here’s a brief Q&A I did with Coach T. after Monday’s victory over the Martin Luther King Mustangs:

  Q: What was your prediction for the team after the Watermelon Game victory?

  A: I don’t make predictions — that’s for carnivals and fortune-tellers. I take every game as it comes, as a fresh start. As long as my guys are working hard as a team, I’m happy.

  Q: Has the hype about these seventh graders who did so well in summer league met your expectations?

  A: I never listen to what people say. All that matters to me is what they do as members of the Cardinals — both on the field and in the classroom.

  Q: Have you been happy with the pitching?

  A: Well, I’m trying not to smile until the season’s over, but I have been pleased. We can always work harder, but we’ve had some very strong outings from Koby Caplin. Miguel Sanchez has been a proven starter, and Peter Chung has been a very reliable closer.

  Q: Any “prized bears” on this squad?

  A: If there are, they better not show their furry paws near me. Winning can sometimes bring that out in a player, but it better not on my team.

  Q: Thanks for the interview, Coach T. We all wish you the best of luck in the rest of the season.

  A: Good teams make their own luck, Sara. But one thing that would help is if the students and Monticello community came out and supported their team. The crowds have been getting bigger each game, but we would like the stands packed for our upcoming home games. Thanks for the interview.

  So, folks, you heard it here! There’s no game this Friday, and Tuesday’s game is away. But try to come support our team if you can! Pitcher Miguel Sanchez would appreciate it, I’m sure. Go, Cardinals!

  “Sports Shorts” Trivia Question: Who were the first father and son to play on the same major league baseball team?

  Answer to the last trivia question: Moe Berg, a fifteen-
year veteran who played with such teams as the Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, was once a spy. He’s the only major league baseball player whose baseball card is on display at CIA headquarters.

  Without looking up from the newspaper, Koby reached into the bowl of popcorn sitting on the table. His hand came up empty.

  “Hey, who finished off the grub?” he asked, looking accusingly at Tug and Sara, who were seated on the opposite side of the table. The three friends had gotten together to do their social studies homework. Koby was taking a break to read the Megaphone.

  Tug swallowed a big gulp of soda. “Not me,” he said innocently. “Musta been Sara.”

  Sara rolled her eyes. “Oh, yeah? Then why are your fingers covered with salt and butter and mine are clean? The evidence speaks for itself, I think!”

  Tug pretended to be amazed at his hands. “Well, how did that stuff get there?” he exclaimed. He reached over and snagged the Megaphone. “I’ll just use this ‘rag’ to wipe them clean.” He gave Sara an impish grin.

  “Give me that!” she cried, grabbing the paper away from him. She smoothed it out and added, “That’s the last time I write anything nice about you.”

  “Ha!” Tug replied. “Seems to me you’ve been writing mostly about pitching lately. And Koby’s name pops up pretty often. You even got Coach T. to mention him. Are you losing your journalistic distance by any chance?”

  Sara huffed, “Koby happens to be big news, that’s all.” She glanced down at her column and looked thoughtful. “In fact, I wonder if maybe I should do an interview with you, Koby, like I did with Coach T. What do you say?”

  Tug snorted. “You’ll risk being called a prized bear, Koby. Coach T. won’t like it.”

  Sara ignored Tug. “It’ll just be a couple of questions, like how you started pitching, who your influences were, things like that. People want to know you better — and I bet it would make more of them come to your games.”

  Koby pondered for a moment, then turned to Tug. “Maybe I should do it. I mean, if Sara thinks it would fill the stands, then it could be a good idea.”

  Tug looked unconvinced. “Maybe. But how about a dual interview, you and me, instead of just you? We’re a team, remember?” He looked at Sara as if expecting her to refuse.