The Hit-Away Kid Read Online Free Page A

said.
    “Thanks,” said Barry. “But I …” He faltered.
But I missed second base!
he wanted to say.
And no one saw me! I could get away with it, just like I got away with it the time I missed that fly ball! But I can’t do
     that again! I won’t do it again! I wouldn’t be any better than Alec if I did!
    He saw that Jake, the Bunkers’ third baseman, still had the ball, which had been thrown to him from left field. Calmly, Barry
     stepped off the bag.
    “Barry, watch it!” shouted Coach Parker. But Barry showed no reaction that he had heard. Jake jumped toward him and tagged
     him out.
    “Barry! Didn’t you know he had the ball?” the coach demanded.
    Barry nodded. “Yes, Coach. But I hadn’t touched second base,” he said honestly, and loud enough for some of the crowd to hear
     him. “I figured I should be out, anyway.”
    The coach stared at him, his mouth popping open. But no words came out.
    José slammed a triple before the half-inning was over, and T.V. knocked him in, giving the Mudders one more run. They kept
     the Bunkers scoreless during the bottom half of the fourth, then came to bat in the top of the fifth with the score tied,
     Mudders 5, Bunkers 5. Barry worried about what he was going to do the next time he went to the plate.
    Randy led off with a sharp single over Alec’s head. Then Nicky, after fouling off three successive pitches, flied out to center.
    “Come on, Alfie,” Barry said as he stepped out of the dugout and picked up his bat. “Knock him in!”
    Alfie walked.
    Then Zero hit a steaming hot grounder down to third that looked like a sure out, but Jake bobbled it and all the runners were
     safe. The bases were loaded and Barry was the next batter.
    He stepped up to the plate, his heart thumping. He could think of nothing but winningthat figurine back from Alec. If Alec struck him out, it was over. If he knocked a home run, Tommy would get his figurine
     back. But knocking a home run was like asking for a trip to the moon. He’d had one home run already. Expecting to get two
     of them was too much to expect.
    “Strike!” said the ump as Alec blazed in an inside, corner-touching pitch.
    Then, “Ball!”
    Barry stepped out of the box, rubbed his hands up and down on the handle of the bat, and stepped in again.
    “Strike two!” boomed the ump as another inside, corner-touching pitch steamed in.
    Barry’s heart pounded. He waited for the next pitch. In it came. It was almost in the same spot as the last pitch. He swung.
Crack!
The ball sailed out to deep left field! But the wind caught it! It was curving … curving … !
    “Foul ball!” yelled the ump.
    “Oh, no!” groaned the fans.
    Barry was sick. It was so close!
    He popped up the next pitch. Three outs.
    It was over — now Barry would never get Tommy’s toy dog back.
    Turtleneck struck out, and that was it. No one scored.
    The Bunkers came up for their last bats, got two men on, then scored both when Judd Koles lambasted a triple to left center
     field. The Bunkers won, 7 to 5.
    Barry headed off the field immediately, not even wanting to see that smirking look on Alec’s face, or that disappointed look
     on Susan’s.
    “Barry! Wait up!”
    He turned at the sound of the voice and saw Alec running toward him. When Alec reached him, Barry couldn’t hide his frustration.
     “What do you want?”
    Alec suddenly seemed nervous. He stuck his hands in his pockets and said, “Uh, I just wanted to say you played a good game.”

    “Not good enough,” Barry muttered.
    “You know, I’ve been thinking,” Alec said, as he drew something out of his pocket. “What do I want with this thing, anyway?”
     He held out the figurine. “Here,” he said, glancing briefly at Susan, then back at Barry. “It’s yours. You won it fair and
     square. I have to handit to you for telling the coach you missed second base. And if it wasn’t for that wind blowing your ball foul, it would have
     been a home run easily. Here, take