Shortstop from Tokyo Read Online Free PDF Page A

left, bent forward, reached for the hop. Missed it! The ball rolled
     out to right field, where Daren Holden scooped it up and pegged it in.
    I would’ve had that
, reflected Stogie.
    Stretch worked on the next hitter and got a three-two count on him. Then, smack! A hot grounder shooting between short and
     second! Sam bolted after it, caught it, snapped it to second. The ball struck the tips of Dennis’s glove and bounced toward
     first. Both runners were safe.
    Sam looked at Dennis, Dennis at Sam.
    “My fault,” Stogie heard Sam’s apology.
    Stretch was unable to throw a strike on the next batter and walked him.
    “Bases crammed, Mike!” yelled a Duke fan. “Wipe it clean, boy!”
    Mike almost did. He knocked a double, scoring two runs. Then a Duke popped out to first and another grounded out to third,
     ending the top of the first inning.
    “You boys look a little nervous out there,” observed the coach to Sam and Dennis. “Take it easy. Get behind the ball and make
     sure of your throws.”
    Jim walked and Lee Cragg advanced him to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sam Suzuki, up next, waved the bat around as if it were
     a toothpick. He took two strikes, then two balls, then laced a grounder down to third. The throw beat him by a step.
    “Runs like a cat,” said Bob Sobus.
    Fuzzy walloped a straight-as-a-string liner over second for two bases, scoringJim. Dennis was up next. He took a called strike, then blasted a low pitch high over the infield. He was almost at first base
     when the Dukes’ third baseman caught it. Three outs.
    A slow bouncer to third earned a hit for the Dukes’ lead-off batter. The next smashed a grounder to Dennis’s left side. Dennis
     raced behind it, stuck out his glove and speared it. He spun on his heel and pegged it to second to get the double play.
    A wild throw! Sam leaped off the bag after the ball. But instead of returning to it to get the runner out, he heaved the ball
     to first!
    “Out!” yelled the base umpire.
    The fans roared and screamed.
    “Nice play, Sam,” said Stretch.
    Sam grinned. “Thank you,” he said.
    It was a nice play, Stogie had to admit. It was terrific. If he were in Sam’s place he doubted that he would’ve thought to
     throw the ball to first. He would’ve tried for the putout on second base and would’ve failed. Sam wasn’t only a player. He
     was a thinker too.
    A triple scored the man on second, who would’ve been out if Dennis had made his double play throw good. That was all. The
     Mohawks came to bat trailing, 3 to 1.

8
    B OB SOBUS took a called strike, then laced a high pitch to center field. The Duke caught it easily. Daren walked. Tony Francis,
     sweaty dirt streaking the sides of his face, punched a grounder to Toots Martin, the Duke pitcher. Toots snapped it to second.
     It went from there to first for a neat double play.
    The Dukes’ first batter socked a bouncing grounder to second. Stogie knew he could’ve caught it in his hip pocket. Dennis
     fielded it and threw the man out, gettinga mixture of applause and laughter from the crowd.
    A strikeout and a fly to left field retired the Dukes. Stretch, leading off for the Mohawks, laid into the first pitch and
     sent it bouncing between right and center for a double. Jim Albanese singled to score him. Then Lee Cragg flied out and Sam
     Suzuki, going after a low pitch on the third strike, struck out.
    Well
! thought Stogie.
Guess he misses ’em, too
.
    Fuzzy Caliel banged the tip of his bat against the plate a couple of times, took a ball, then connected solidly with a letter-high
     pitch. The ball kept going … going … going …
    It was a home run!
    “Okay, Dennis! Keep the ol’ ball rolling!”
    Toots Martin had trouble getting a pitch over and Dennis won a free ticket to first. Bob Sobus, after fouling three straight
     pitches, popped up to Toots, ending the three-run rally. The Mohawks led, 4 to 3.
    Top of the fourth. Stretch fanned the lead-off hitter, then got two strikes