Man Out at First by Matt Christopher, Ellen Beier Page B
Authors: Matt Christopher, Ellen Beier
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smacked hard into Turtleneck's chest!
Pain shot through him as he staggered back. For a moment he couldn't breathe. He heard yells and gasps from the fans.
All of a sudden, everything seemed to go black.
4
“Turtleneck? Can you hear me, son?”
Turtleneck opened his eyes slowly. He looked up into the worried face of Coach Parker. He struggled to get to his feet.
“Whoa there. Just take your time now,” Coach warned.
He helped Turtleneck over to the dugout. “You look a little better, T, but I think you'd better grab a seat for now.” He handed
him an ice pack. “Here, put this on your chest. The cold will keep the swelling down.”
Bus Mercer pounded his fist into his glove and walked out of the dugout. The rest of the team shuffled their feet as they
looked at Turtleneck. None of them had ever seen anyone pass out before.
Turtleneck felt his face turn red. What a dope I am! he thought. Only 'fraidy cats faint!
Still, the memory of the baseball hitting his chest made him feel sick. It hurt a bit when he breathed in, too. He leaned
back against the dugout wall and held the ice pack to his front.
Coach Parker gave Turtleneck one last look over, then yelled, “Play ball!” Jack Livingston, one of the regular infield subs,
ran to cover first base.
Turtleneck squirmed uneasily on the bench. He wanted to be back in the game more than anything, but it was too late now. He
didn't have a second chance. Not today. He'd not only been late to the game, he'd been benched after his first play in the
field.
I should have known Bus would try for the double play, Turtleneck thought. I should have waited to see him toss the ball back
to Sparrow. Now I'm back on the bench again. I wonder if the guys think this is where I should stay for good.
Turtleneck watched Bus throw the ball to Jack for an easy out at first. The inning ended with the score still 3–3.
Rudy Calhoun was up first for the Mudders at the top of fourth. He was also the first out.
Sparrow took two balls, then hit a single over the shortstop's head. The Devils' pitcher walked Barry McGee. Then José Mendez
struck out. Two outs, two men on.
Jack Livingston stepped to the plate. He let the first pitch go by for a ball. Then he clobbered the second pitch for a double
into right field. Both Sparrow and Barry scored. Cheers rose up from the Mudders' fans. Jack brushed the dirt from his pants
and grinned.
Turtleneck watched the scorekeeper change the number beside the Mudders' name from 3 to 5 and grinned, too.
Coach Parker has to like that! he thought.
Then he had another thought. What if Coach Parker thinks Jack is good enough to replace me for the rest of the season?
Turtleneck's thoughts were interrupted when T.V. struck out, ending the inning.
The Joy Street Devils were two runs behind and seemed to be losing steam. Their first three batters went down swinging to
end the fifth inning.
The Mudders didn't do much better. Nick popped out, and Alfie ticked two foul balls, then struck out.
Then Bus hit a line drive straight at the Devils' pitcher. But at the last second, the pitcher's glove shot up and he caught
it for the last out.
The last inning was just as uneventful, andthe game ended happily for the Mudders. Final score, Mudders 5, Devils 3.
Turtleneck rose slowly from the bench. Well, at least my goof-up didn't keep us from winning, he thought with a sigh.
Still, he wanted to apologize to Bus for having muffed the double play. He glanced around and saw Bus strapping his glove
to his bicycle rack. Turtleneck started toward him.
But before he took two steps, Nick and Rudy called over to him. They wanted to know what had made him faint.
“I thought that only happened if you saw a ghost,” joked Nick.
“Yeah,” Rudy joined in. “Or did you get frightened by a mouse, T?”
“Aw, knock it off,” mumbled Turtleneck. He tossed the ice pack into the trash and picked up his glove.
“Hey, Turtleneck! Think
Pain shot through him as he staggered back. For a moment he couldn't breathe. He heard yells and gasps from the fans.
All of a sudden, everything seemed to go black.
4
“Turtleneck? Can you hear me, son?”
Turtleneck opened his eyes slowly. He looked up into the worried face of Coach Parker. He struggled to get to his feet.
“Whoa there. Just take your time now,” Coach warned.
He helped Turtleneck over to the dugout. “You look a little better, T, but I think you'd better grab a seat for now.” He handed
him an ice pack. “Here, put this on your chest. The cold will keep the swelling down.”
Bus Mercer pounded his fist into his glove and walked out of the dugout. The rest of the team shuffled their feet as they
looked at Turtleneck. None of them had ever seen anyone pass out before.
Turtleneck felt his face turn red. What a dope I am! he thought. Only 'fraidy cats faint!
Still, the memory of the baseball hitting his chest made him feel sick. It hurt a bit when he breathed in, too. He leaned
back against the dugout wall and held the ice pack to his front.
Coach Parker gave Turtleneck one last look over, then yelled, “Play ball!” Jack Livingston, one of the regular infield subs,
ran to cover first base.
Turtleneck squirmed uneasily on the bench. He wanted to be back in the game more than anything, but it was too late now. He
didn't have a second chance. Not today. He'd not only been late to the game, he'd been benched after his first play in the
field.
I should have known Bus would try for the double play, Turtleneck thought. I should have waited to see him toss the ball back
to Sparrow. Now I'm back on the bench again. I wonder if the guys think this is where I should stay for good.
Turtleneck watched Bus throw the ball to Jack for an easy out at first. The inning ended with the score still 3–3.
Rudy Calhoun was up first for the Mudders at the top of fourth. He was also the first out.
Sparrow took two balls, then hit a single over the shortstop's head. The Devils' pitcher walked Barry McGee. Then José Mendez
struck out. Two outs, two men on.
Jack Livingston stepped to the plate. He let the first pitch go by for a ball. Then he clobbered the second pitch for a double
into right field. Both Sparrow and Barry scored. Cheers rose up from the Mudders' fans. Jack brushed the dirt from his pants
and grinned.
Turtleneck watched the scorekeeper change the number beside the Mudders' name from 3 to 5 and grinned, too.
Coach Parker has to like that! he thought.
Then he had another thought. What if Coach Parker thinks Jack is good enough to replace me for the rest of the season?
Turtleneck's thoughts were interrupted when T.V. struck out, ending the inning.
The Joy Street Devils were two runs behind and seemed to be losing steam. Their first three batters went down swinging to
end the fifth inning.
The Mudders didn't do much better. Nick popped out, and Alfie ticked two foul balls, then struck out.
Then Bus hit a line drive straight at the Devils' pitcher. But at the last second, the pitcher's glove shot up and he caught
it for the last out.
The last inning was just as uneventful, andthe game ended happily for the Mudders. Final score, Mudders 5, Devils 3.
Turtleneck rose slowly from the bench. Well, at least my goof-up didn't keep us from winning, he thought with a sigh.
Still, he wanted to apologize to Bus for having muffed the double play. He glanced around and saw Bus strapping his glove
to his bicycle rack. Turtleneck started toward him.
But before he took two steps, Nick and Rudy called over to him. They wanted to know what had made him faint.
“I thought that only happened if you saw a ghost,” joked Nick.
“Yeah,” Rudy joined in. “Or did you get frightened by a mouse, T?”
“Aw, knock it off,” mumbled Turtleneck. He tossed the ice pack into the trash and picked up his glove.
“Hey, Turtleneck! Think
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