about whether the ball diamond might have been a battlefield in the Civil War and whether there were ghosts of soldiers around. He kept his eyes on the ball, and once, when Jake threw a really fast pitch, he caught Caroline Malloy looking down the bleachers at him and smiling, and he started to smile back before he remembered they were enemies. He turned his eyes toward the pitcher's mound again. All Caroline saw when she looked at him, he was sure, was Wally in his two-sizes-too-small bunny pajamas with floppy ears and feet.
Both teams played well, but the game wasn't especially exciting, Wally decided. After the one home run that Eddie made, there weren't any others. Not until the seventh inning did either team score again.
By the final inning, Buckman was ahead by a run. Clarksburg, however, was at bat, and tension was rising.
This time Eddie was pitching and Jake was at shortstop. There were players on first and second. A tall boystepped up to bat, and the Clarksburg crowd began cheering. All he had to do was hit the ball between two of the outfielders, and his team might get not just one run, not just two, but three. Wally swallowed. So did Josh, beside him.
The boy gripped his bat, his eyes on Eddie. Eddie stood still for a moment, seeming to think it over. Glancing quickly at both runners, she faced the batter again, lifted one foot off the ground, and threw. Strike one. Maybe there was hope yet, Wally thought.
The umpire leaned forward. Eddie pitched again. The batter stood motionless. “Ball one,” the umpire said.
This time Eddie took a longer pause, figuring what to do. Then her arm went back, and before anyone expected it, the ball was on its way. The batter swung, the bat connected, and just as he must have planned it, the tall boy hit a line drive between third base and shortstop.
Jake was in control, however. One arm swooped down and he caught the ball with a soft
plop
in his glove.
“Out!” yelled the umpire. But Jake wasn't through yet.
Both base runners were going at top speed. They skidded around to head back. Jake tagged the boy from second on the shoulder.
“Out!” the umpire yelled again.
Jake wheeled around and fired the ball toward first base. The first baseman caught it and put one foot on the bag before the runner could get back.
“Out!” came the umpire's voice again over the cheers from Buckman fans. All three Clarksburg batters were out.
“A triple play!” Josh yelled.
Out on the field, Eddie was jumping up and down. The second baseman had leaped onto Jake's back, and the rest of the team was swarming around him, throwing their gloves in the air and cheering. The Clarksburg team wasn't cheering, of course, but they too had played well and the score was close.
“Jake, that was something else, let me tell you!” said the coach. “With Eddie's home run and your triple play, I don't think we've ever played better.”
Jake beamed. All the Hatfords were out on the field now, slapping him on the back and talking excitedly. It felt pretty good to be a brother of one of the best sixth-grade ballplayers in the school district, Wally thought. Baseball wasn't so bad when he could sit up in the bleachers and watch his brother make a triple play. Maybe if there were triple plays more often, he wouldn't feel like watching the clouds, or the ants carrying crumbs, or a spider weaving a web. If baseball had a little more action, maybe there would be a little more to watch.should have a parade in Jake's honor, even though the triple play had happened so fast Peter hadn't even seen it and couldn't describe what it was if he tried.
“Well, at least your team will make it to the third game,” said Mr. Hatford. “That much is sure.”
“And I'll just bet they'll be one of those two teams playing the championship game,” said Mrs. Hatford. “I'm certainly glad that Wally is going to watch over the sale tables on the twenty-ninth, because I wouldn't miss that final game for the world.
Both teams played well, but the game wasn't especially exciting, Wally decided. After the one home run that Eddie made, there weren't any others. Not until the seventh inning did either team score again.
By the final inning, Buckman was ahead by a run. Clarksburg, however, was at bat, and tension was rising.
This time Eddie was pitching and Jake was at shortstop. There were players on first and second. A tall boystepped up to bat, and the Clarksburg crowd began cheering. All he had to do was hit the ball between two of the outfielders, and his team might get not just one run, not just two, but three. Wally swallowed. So did Josh, beside him.
The boy gripped his bat, his eyes on Eddie. Eddie stood still for a moment, seeming to think it over. Glancing quickly at both runners, she faced the batter again, lifted one foot off the ground, and threw. Strike one. Maybe there was hope yet, Wally thought.
The umpire leaned forward. Eddie pitched again. The batter stood motionless. “Ball one,” the umpire said.
This time Eddie took a longer pause, figuring what to do. Then her arm went back, and before anyone expected it, the ball was on its way. The batter swung, the bat connected, and just as he must have planned it, the tall boy hit a line drive between third base and shortstop.
Jake was in control, however. One arm swooped down and he caught the ball with a soft
plop
in his glove.
“Out!” yelled the umpire. But Jake wasn't through yet.
Both base runners were going at top speed. They skidded around to head back. Jake tagged the boy from second on the shoulder.
“Out!” the umpire yelled again.
Jake wheeled around and fired the ball toward first base. The first baseman caught it and put one foot on the bag before the runner could get back.
“Out!” came the umpire's voice again over the cheers from Buckman fans. All three Clarksburg batters were out.
“A triple play!” Josh yelled.
Out on the field, Eddie was jumping up and down. The second baseman had leaped onto Jake's back, and the rest of the team was swarming around him, throwing their gloves in the air and cheering. The Clarksburg team wasn't cheering, of course, but they too had played well and the score was close.
“Jake, that was something else, let me tell you!” said the coach. “With Eddie's home run and your triple play, I don't think we've ever played better.”
Jake beamed. All the Hatfords were out on the field now, slapping him on the back and talking excitedly. It felt pretty good to be a brother of one of the best sixth-grade ballplayers in the school district, Wally thought. Baseball wasn't so bad when he could sit up in the bleachers and watch his brother make a triple play. Maybe if there were triple plays more often, he wouldn't feel like watching the clouds, or the ants carrying crumbs, or a spider weaving a web. If baseball had a little more action, maybe there would be a little more to watch.should have a parade in Jake's honor, even though the triple play had happened so fast Peter hadn't even seen it and couldn't describe what it was if he tried.
“Well, at least your team will make it to the third game,” said Mr. Hatford. “That much is sure.”
“And I'll just bet they'll be one of those two teams playing the championship game,” said Mrs. Hatford. “I'm certainly glad that Wally is going to watch over the sale tables on the twenty-ninth, because I wouldn't miss that final game for the world.
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