Mike and Kate raced back around the stadium and up the walkway to the fence near the Cooperstown dugout.
“Colin! Colin!” Kate called.
A moment later, Colin came out of the dugout and ran over to Mike and Kate.
“Look what we found!” Mike said. He held up a Cooperstown baseball backpack with bats sticking up on the sides and a glove dangling from the back.
“You did it!” Colin shouted. “Woo-hoo!” He let out a loud whistle. “This is great. Do you have the rest of them?”
Kate nodded. “They’re all on the other side of the stadium in the grounds equipment room,” she said.
“Thanks, guys!” Colin said. “I’ll tell Coach, and we’ll get them! You’ve saved the day!”
Mike and Kate slid down into their seats. On the other side of the netting, Colin and the Cooperstown team were getting ready for the game.
“That proves it!” Kate said. “We have to investigate the grounds crew and find the boy in the neon green T-shirt.”
Mike nodded. He pointed to three men running around the infield with rakes and a chalk-line machine. “It’s not them. They’re all too old,” he said. “After the game let’s see if we can find the grounds crew manager and interview him.”
The three men on the grounds crew ran off the field, and the loudspeakers crackled, “Welcome to the first game of the series!”
The crowd roared to life. Fans clapped and whistled.
After the national anthem played, a player from the Cooperstown Mid-Atlantic team and one from the New England team jogged out to the infield with their coaches. They took turns reciting the Little League Pledge.
As soon as they finished, the kids and coaches ran back to their dugouts. The loudspeaker crackled again, and the announcer introduced the players on each team. When a player’s name was called, they ran out and lined up on the field.
“Look at those TV cameras,” Mike said. He pointed to men walking around on the field with big TV cameras, getting close-ups of the players waving. “It would be so cool to be playing in the game and to be on national TV!”
When the introductions were done, the announcer continued. “We have one more thing to do before the game starts. We’d like to ask all the players and coaches to join Dugout, our Little League mascot, and dance to the song ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’!”
The air was filled with the sound of wailing fiddles, singing banjos, and thumping drums as the country song streamed out over the field. Dugout, who looked like a cross between a chipmunk and a beaver, led players and coaches in a comical line dance. The crowd clapped along with the song, and a few fans yelled “Yee-haw!” and pretended to swing a lasso over their heads.
As the last few fiddle sounds floated away, the players and coaches bowed and ran back to their dugouts.
“And now it’s time for baseball!” the announcer called out. “Plaaaaaay ball!”
The New England team from West Newton, Massachusetts, was up first. Colin’s Mid-Atlantic team from Cooperstown, New York, took the field.
The West Newton team came out swinging. Their first two batters got hits. But then Cooperstown shut them down and struck out the next three batters. The teams switched places, and Cooperstown’s Logan Fogg stepped up to the plate. On the second pitch, he launched the ball into the sky!
The West Newton fielders raced for it, but it was no use. It was a home run! Fogg circled the bases as the Cooperstown fans exploded in cheers. The score was 1–0, Cooperstown!
But the inning ended without any more runs. Cooperstown’s Nicole Brooks took the mound for the second inning and threw a one-two-three inning, with three outs for the first three batters. Over the next two innings, Cooperstown scored two more runs. West Newton only got one. But in the top of the fourth inning, Brooks melted down. After she allowed one person on base after another, West Newton’s Scott Kelly hit an inside-the-park grand slam, putting West Newton ahead by two runs!
Coach Caleb from Cooperstown pulled Brooks, but the damage was done. The team kept making mistakes. On a simple play in the fifth inning, Colin threw from second to first, but the ball sailed over the head of the first baseman and West Newton scored again.
In the sixth and final inning, Cooperstown almost found their groove when Colin hit a double with one out. The next two batters singled, and Colin scored. The fourth batter struck out, but the fifth banged a single to load the bases. A grand slam would put Cooperstown ahead!
“Come on, Cooperstown!” Kate yelled. The Cooperstown fans clapped and cheered. The noise was deafening!
Ryan Poole stepped to the plate. He watched two balls go by but swung at the third pitch—a fastball! The ball popped high up in the air as the runners advanced. Poole ran for first, but the West Newton catcher ripped off his mask and stepped forward. The ball flew over home plate, peaked, and fell back down.
PLOP!
Straight into the catcher’s glove. It was an out! No one scored.
The game was over. Cooperstown lost!
Mike and Kate couldn’t believe it. The West Newton players ran screaming toward their pitcher and bounced around in a group at the pitcher’s mound.
The Cooperstown team slunk off the field.
“Oh no! Colin’s team lost!” Kate said. “They’re out of the tournament! It’s all because someone stole their bags!”
Mike shook his head. “No, it’s okay,” he said. “The series is double elimination. That means teams keep playing until they lose twice.” He pointed to the schedule. “Look at the chart. Even though they lost, they’ll play again tomorrow!”
Out on the field, Coach Caleb gathered the Cooperstown players in right field. They knelt in a circle around him while he spoke.
Kate leaned forward. She nudged Mike. “Okay, great,” she said. “Then we need to watch the grounds crew. We still have a job to do!”
Mike stood and followed the groundskeepers as they jogged out to the infield with rakes. “It looks like the same three that we saw before the game,” he said. “I don’t see a teenager anywhere.”
Kate nodded. The groundskeepers cleaned up home plate and the pitcher’s mound and smoothed the base paths. A few minutes later they left the field.
Coach Caleb finished his talk. The Cooperstown team headed for the dugout to pick up their stuff.
“Time to go,” Mike said. He and Kate walked up the aisle and out of the stadium. It was still a sunny day, and Lamade Stadium felt light with excitement. Mike and Kate headed over to the big staircase that rose up to the sidewalk in front of the Grove. When they reached the top, they stepped off to the side. A group of kids was already waiting there with autograph books and baseball gloves.
“Good game!” said one fan after another as West Newton lined up in front of the Grove security gate.
Kate sighed. “I feel bad for Colin’s team,” she said. “It’s unfair that someone messed them up by stealing their bags before the game.”
Mike nodded. “There they are!” he said. Colin’s team had just started up the stairs. By the time they reached the top, Mike and Kate were the only fans waiting for them.
“Good game!” Mike said as Coach Caleb walked by.
“Colin! Nice hit!” Kate said. “Sorry you lost!”
Colin stopped and dropped his backpack to the ground. “It’s okay. We tried, but the other team played better,” he said. “We’re going to shake it off and come out swinging tomorrow. It’s not over until it’s over!”
“I know it feels bad for you, but it’s good for us!” said a deep voice from behind them. Mike, Kate, and Colin turned. It was Matt the TV reporter, with a microphone and a camera guy behind him.
“I’m sorry you lost, guys, but our audience loves a tough fight!” he said. “We thought you were going to sail through and clobber your opponents, but this is even better for our fans at home. They love the competition!”
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He held the microphone in front of Colin’s face. “Do you have anything to say to the team you’re playing tomorrow?” he asked.
Colin smiled. “Sure, I just have one thing I’d like to say,” he said. “Good luck! May the best team win!”
Matt smiled. “Well, there you have it,” he said. “I expect we’ll have a huge audience for that game!” He turned to the camera. “Make sure to join us tomorrow when we find out if our Cooperstown heroes are going home winners or losers!”
Colin shook his head. “We’re going home winners,” he said. “No matter what our record is!”
A loud whistle pierced the air. Coach Caleb gestured his team toward the security gate. Colin picked up his backpack and started for the Grove. He looked over his shoulder at Mike and Kate. “See you later!” he said.
Mike and Kate waved, and then Kate turned to Mike. “Let’s go!” she said. “We’ve got to check things out. We can’t let anything else happen to Colin’s team before tomorrow’s game!”
They bounded back down the stairs and around the outside of Lamade Stadium. They stopped short when they reached the equipment room where they had found the missing backpacks. The garage door was open, and two men were standing in the far corner talking.
Kate knocked on the frame of the door. “Hello,” she said.
The two men turned. “Can I help you?” said the man on the left. He was wearing a red, white, and blue baseball cap and a white T-shirt.
“Um, yes,” Mike said. He and Kate walked over to where the two men were standing. He reached into his pocket and held out the Super Dog pin. “Do you recognize this pin?”
“Oh, sure,” the man in the cap said. “Everyone on the grounds crew got one of those last year. Why?”
“Because we’re trying to find the boy who lost this one,” Kate said. “We were wondering if he was on the grounds crew last year.”
“Oh, okay,” the man said. “What’s his name?”
Mike and Kate looked at each other. “We don’t know, actually,” Mike said. “He’s a teenager. He’s thin. And when we saw him, he was wearing a neon green T-shirt.”
“Hmm,” said the second man. “We only have about ten people on the grounds crew, and only the adults are on it year after year. We have a new group of teenagers helping out this year.”
“I don’t remember whether any of the kids on the crew last year had green shirts,” the first man said. “I think some of the kids on the crew last year were Donald, Sammy, Graham, and Alicia. But I don’t know if that helps.”
Kate nodded. “Thanks, it might,” she said. “Our friend Colin is on the Cooperstown team. And we are trying to figure out how their baseball backpacks ended up in here, on that ATV in the corner.”
Both men shook their heads. “We don’t know, either,” the first man said. “We’re pretty busy before the games, so there’s a lot that goes on that we don’t see.”
“Do you know if anyone drove that ATV this morning?” Mike asked.
“Well, I did,” the first man said. “I had to take a bunch of line chalk to the field. But someone else on the staff might have used it, too. We often just leave these out there, along the side of the stadium, in case we need to use them.”
The second man raised a finger. “Oh yeah,” he said. “I know someone else who asked to use the ATV this morning. Matt the TV reporter needed to move camera equipment or something.”
Mike looked at Kate and raised his eyebrows.
“Thanks,” Kate said. “That’s helpful.”
The first man tipped his hat to Mike and Kate. “You’re welcome,” he said. “Glad we could help.”
Mike and Kate walked back outside and stopped when they were out of earshot.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Kate asked.
Mike nodded. “Yup!” he said. “Our TV reporter friend could have been the one who stole the bags!”
“Exactly!” Kate said. “He was in the right place at the right time. And he has a motive! He’s trying to sabotage the Cooperstown team to get more viewers for his TV show!”
“We’ve got to stop him!” Mike said.
Kate nodded. She checked the time. “The next game hasn’t started yet,” she said. “So he may be at the All-Star Sports Network booth on the other side of the stadium. I saw them doing a broadcast from there earlier.”
Mike and Kate ran along the outside of Lamade Stadium to a big booth near the Fun Zone area. Large TV cameras stood facing the booth.
“That’s him!” Kate said as they entered the booth. Matt was sitting behind a big table, with another reporter next to him. They were both holding microphones and talking to the cameras.
“Well, at least now we know where he is,” Mike said. “Let’s wait here and follow him when he’s done.”
“Good idea,” Kate said. They watched the reporters talk. But after a few minutes, Mike got bored and started looking around. He noticed the hickory smoke rising from the barbecue stand.
“Mmm! That barbecue sure smells good,” Mike said. “It doesn’t look like Matt’s going anywhere soon. Maybe we should head over there and get some extra energy for all this detective work. I could go for a pulled-pork sandwich and a PowerPunch!”
“Food’s not a bad idea,” Kate said. “But one of us should stay here and keep an eye on Matt.”
Mike raised his hand. “I’ll go!” he said as he sniffed the air a few more times. “I’ll get the food and be back faster than a cardboard sled going down that hill!”
Kate stared at Mike. “What did you say?” she asked.
Mike bounced up and down and pretended to sprint. “I’ll go faster than the sleds we used yesterday! Why, you want me to go faster?”
Kate glanced back at Matt. He was still talking into his microphone and looking at the camera.
“We have a problem. Matt can’t be the one interfering with Colin’s team,” Kate said. “He wasn’t at the rest stop yesterday, so he couldn’t have destroyed the tires on the bus.”
“How do we know he wasn’t there?” Mike asked.
“Because I almost slid into him yesterday with the cardboard sleds, remember?” Kate said. “He was on the hill with us at the same time the bus was at the rest stop. It’s not him!”
Mike looked from Kate to the TV reporter and back. He nodded. Then he clicked his fingers. “Unless…,” he said.
Kate leaned forward. “Unless what?” she asked.
“Unless he hired someone else to do it for him!” Mike said. “What if he hired someone at the rest stop to slit the tires and slow the team down?”
“And then he stole the bags himself today!” Kate said. She nodded. “You’re right. It might be him!”
Before Mike or Kate could decide what to do next, they heard a rustling noise behind them.
Mike and Kate turned around. A boy with an orange baseball cap was running straight at them! He skidded to a halt.
“I’ve been looking all over for you two!” the boy said. “I found him!”
“You found Matt the TV reporter?” Mike asked. “We already know where he is! He’s right over there.” He pointed to the broadcast booth.
“No!” said the boy. “I found the kid with the neon green T-shirt that you were looking for! You said you’d give us your founder’s pin if we found him, and I did!”
“Really?” Kate asked. “Where is he?”
The boy held out his hand. “Not so fast,” he said. “Where’s the founder’s pin?”
Kate glanced at Mike. “He has it in his pocket,” she said. “But we can’t give it to you until we actually see the kid in the neon green T-shirt.”
The boy thought for a moment and nodded. “Okay, deal,” he said. “Follow me!”
The boy led them around the outside of Lamade Stadium. They passed the main gift shop, the pin-trading tent, a
large food court, and the restrooms. On the far side of the stadium the boy followed the sidewalk leading to the giant scoreboard on the hill behind the outfield.
“Where’s he taking us?” Kate whispered to Mike.
But just before passing the edge of the stadium, the boy stopped. He waited for Mike and Kate to catch up and then pointed across the sidewalk to a green-and-yellow lemonade stand.
“The kid you’re looking for is right there!” the boy said.
He was right!
The boy who Mike and Kate had chased at the parade was working at the lemonade stand. In the back of the stand, an older man wearing a green shirt was preparing big glasses of freshly squeezed lemonade. Up at the front of the stand a girl was taking orders and handing customers drinks. The boy who Mike and Kate were looking for was restocking cups and getting lemons for the older man. And he was wearing the neon green T-shirt!
“That’s him, all right,” Mike said.
Kate nodded. “That’s definitely the kid we saw at the parade!”
The boy who led them there held out his hand. “Okay, great!” he said. “I think I delivered the goods. Now it’s your turn.”
Mike glanced at the boy’s outstretched hand. He dug into his pocket and pulled out the founder’s pin. He held it up for Kate to see. She nodded. Mike took one last look at it and dropped it into the boy’s hand.
“Thanks for helping us!” he said. “Can you let the rest of the pin traders know that we found our man?”
The boy smiled. “Oh, you know I will,” he said. “They’re going to know big-time because now I’ve got one of the best pins ever to show off! See you later!”
He put the pin in his pocket and raced toward the pin-trading tent.
“We’ve got him!” Kate said as she and Mike turned back to face the lemonade stand.
“Yes, but how do we get him?” Mike asked. “He’s working!”
The World Series Kids Page 3
