as he tossed Dick the ball.
“Forget it,” said Dick. “Get two.”
Sandy started the chatter. He wasn’t going to let that error bother him. His teammates quickly joined in. Dick threw. A long
drive to left center! Sandy took the throw-in from Cookie and relayed it home. It was a long triple, scoring a run.
Then Nibbs missed a hot grounder, and the man on third scored. Nibbs was scowling.
“Forget it, Nibbs!” yelled Sandy. “Let’s get two!”
Nibbs looked at him. A smile broke across his face. Sandy smiled back.
Nibbs spat into his glove. “C’mon!” he shouted. “Let’s go!”
A blistering grounder to second. Sandy ran over to cover. Nibbs fielded the ball and tossed it to Sandy. Sandy caught it,
touched the bag and pegged to first. A double play!
The Spacemen got a hit in the bottom of the second but failed to score. In the top of the third the Sharks couldn’t score,
either. Sandy started off the bottom of the inning with a double. Cookie singled. Sandy ran as hard as he could around third
and slid into home under the Sharks’ catchers mitt. Safe!
“Nice run, Sandy!” cried Kerry. “Hey, isn’t it almost time you left for home?”
“I don’t have to watch my kid sisters today.” Sandy grinned, pointing at the stands. “They’re here with my mother. She doesn’t
have to work today.”
Kerry, and some of the other guys who heard him, stared. “Is that why you always quit so early?”
“Sure. What other reason would there be?”
He expected a laugh. But they just looked at him, sort of dumbfounded.
Red Billings seemed shaken as he walked Marty. But then he struck out Stubby. That didn’t dim the Spacemen’shopes, though. Keeping up their steady chatter, they sounded like a chorus. It was like it used to be. Only better. Much better.
“Blast it, Ken!” they shouted as Ken Bockman stepped to the plate. “Out of the park!”
Ken almost did. The long blast to right center went for three bases, scoring Cookie and Marty. Punk flied out. The shortstop
missed Dick’s sizzling grounder, and Ken scored. Kerry flied out to end the big half-inning.
The Sharks picked up two in the top of the fourth. The Spacemen got them back on a double by Nibbs, a single by Sandy, and
an error. The Sharks hit Dick Regan hard in the fifth, collecting two runs. Two men were on when Coach Malone took Dick out
and put in Duke Miller.
Duke seemed to have trouble getting the ball over the plate. He walked the batter. A scratch single drove in the Sharks’ third
run of the inning. Then Duke bore down and, with the help of his teammates, retired the Sharks.
Duke led off in the bottom of the fifth. A cheer greeted him as he strode to the plate.
Crack!
A high-hopping grounder over Red’s head for a single. Then Frank Mintz, who had taken Kerry’s place at third, lined one out
to deep left. It kept going… going… It was gone! A home run!
Nibbs singled, then was put out when Ike Norman hit into a double play. Jules ended the bottom half of the inning by flying
out.
The Sharks came up for their last try to go ahead again. The Spacemen wereleading 9 to 7. A strikeout by Duke, a fly ball to Oink Decker in center field, and a grounder to Nibbs ended the ball game.
“Way to pitch!” yelled Sandy as he rushed out to Duke and grabbed his hand. “Nice going, Nibbs! Looked as if you had a magnetic
glove!”
Nibbs laughed. “How about going swimming after we get out of these monkey suits?”
“Sure!” exclaimed Sandy. “How about it, Jules?”
“Swimming? Man, I’m beat! But, sure! Why not?”
They started off the field together.
“Sandor! Wait for us!” came a cry behind them.
Sandy looked over his shoulder. There were Mom and his two sisters running after him, all three smiling happily.
How many of these Matt Christopher
sports classics have you read?
Baseball Pals
Long Stretch at First Base
The Basket Counts
Look Who’s Playing First Base
Catch That Pass!
Miracle at
“Forget it,” said Dick. “Get two.”
Sandy started the chatter. He wasn’t going to let that error bother him. His teammates quickly joined in. Dick threw. A long
drive to left center! Sandy took the throw-in from Cookie and relayed it home. It was a long triple, scoring a run.
Then Nibbs missed a hot grounder, and the man on third scored. Nibbs was scowling.
“Forget it, Nibbs!” yelled Sandy. “Let’s get two!”
Nibbs looked at him. A smile broke across his face. Sandy smiled back.
Nibbs spat into his glove. “C’mon!” he shouted. “Let’s go!”
A blistering grounder to second. Sandy ran over to cover. Nibbs fielded the ball and tossed it to Sandy. Sandy caught it,
touched the bag and pegged to first. A double play!
The Spacemen got a hit in the bottom of the second but failed to score. In the top of the third the Sharks couldn’t score,
either. Sandy started off the bottom of the inning with a double. Cookie singled. Sandy ran as hard as he could around third
and slid into home under the Sharks’ catchers mitt. Safe!
“Nice run, Sandy!” cried Kerry. “Hey, isn’t it almost time you left for home?”
“I don’t have to watch my kid sisters today.” Sandy grinned, pointing at the stands. “They’re here with my mother. She doesn’t
have to work today.”
Kerry, and some of the other guys who heard him, stared. “Is that why you always quit so early?”
“Sure. What other reason would there be?”
He expected a laugh. But they just looked at him, sort of dumbfounded.
Red Billings seemed shaken as he walked Marty. But then he struck out Stubby. That didn’t dim the Spacemen’shopes, though. Keeping up their steady chatter, they sounded like a chorus. It was like it used to be. Only better. Much better.
“Blast it, Ken!” they shouted as Ken Bockman stepped to the plate. “Out of the park!”
Ken almost did. The long blast to right center went for three bases, scoring Cookie and Marty. Punk flied out. The shortstop
missed Dick’s sizzling grounder, and Ken scored. Kerry flied out to end the big half-inning.
The Sharks picked up two in the top of the fourth. The Spacemen got them back on a double by Nibbs, a single by Sandy, and
an error. The Sharks hit Dick Regan hard in the fifth, collecting two runs. Two men were on when Coach Malone took Dick out
and put in Duke Miller.
Duke seemed to have trouble getting the ball over the plate. He walked the batter. A scratch single drove in the Sharks’ third
run of the inning. Then Duke bore down and, with the help of his teammates, retired the Sharks.
Duke led off in the bottom of the fifth. A cheer greeted him as he strode to the plate.
Crack!
A high-hopping grounder over Red’s head for a single. Then Frank Mintz, who had taken Kerry’s place at third, lined one out
to deep left. It kept going… going… It was gone! A home run!
Nibbs singled, then was put out when Ike Norman hit into a double play. Jules ended the bottom half of the inning by flying
out.
The Sharks came up for their last try to go ahead again. The Spacemen wereleading 9 to 7. A strikeout by Duke, a fly ball to Oink Decker in center field, and a grounder to Nibbs ended the ball game.
“Way to pitch!” yelled Sandy as he rushed out to Duke and grabbed his hand. “Nice going, Nibbs! Looked as if you had a magnetic
glove!”
Nibbs laughed. “How about going swimming after we get out of these monkey suits?”
“Sure!” exclaimed Sandy. “How about it, Jules?”
“Swimming? Man, I’m beat! But, sure! Why not?”
They started off the field together.
“Sandor! Wait for us!” came a cry behind them.
Sandy looked over his shoulder. There were Mom and his two sisters running after him, all three smiling happily.
How many of these Matt Christopher
sports classics have you read?
Baseball Pals
Long Stretch at First Base
The Basket Counts
Look Who’s Playing First Base
Catch That Pass!
Miracle at
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