Rudy grinned through his mask. “It’s what’s come over my face that’s making the difference,” he said mysteriously.

  Barry stared at him, shrugged, then turned to face Sparrow.

  Sparrow’s first pitch was in the dirt in front of home plate. Barry jumped out of the way. But Rudy didn’t even flinch. He snagged the ball before it had a chance to rebound into the backstop.

  “Nice stop, Rudy. Guess what’s over your face is helping,” Barry complimented him. He faced Sparrow again and this time got a good pitch, which he sent through the grass toward first.

  José Mendez took a turn at bat next and hit a bouncing grounder toward second.

  Nicky fielded José’s hit cleanly and stepped on the bag to get Barry out. But he bumbled the throw to first and missed making the double play.

  “That’s okay, Nicky. Save it for the game instead!” Rudy yelled from behind the plate. Nicky waved to show he’d heard.

  Alfie Maples was up next. The coach said a few words to him. Then Alfie adjusted his glasses and stepped to the plate. He let two of Sparrow’s pitches go by. Then, on the third, he suddenly squared his shoulders, slid his top hand toward the fat part of the bat, and tried to lay down a bunt.

  The ball bounced a few feet in front of the plate. Alfie took off to first. José motored to second.

  But Rudy was in motion, too. He scooped up the ball and hurled it to second base just as José prepared to hit the dirt.

  Nicky caught it and whipped his glove around and down to tag José. José’s slide was good, but thanks to Rudy’s accurate throw, Nicky’s tag was better. José was out.

  The play didn’t stop there, though. Alfie Maples still hadn’t touched first base.

  “Double play! Double play!” Rudy screamed.

  Nicky rifled the ball to Turtleneck just in time to get Alfie out.

  “All right!” Rudy cried.

  Coach Parker had substitutes Tootsie Malone and Jack Livingston take a rap, then went through the order two more times.

  Even though it was just a practice, Rudy kept a sharp eye on everything that was going on. Once, he caught Tootsie taking a big lead off first. He suspected Tootsie, a speedy runner, was going to steal second. Sure enough, as Sparrow completed his windup, Tootsie took off.

  Rudy had already jumped up. He caught the ball and rocketed it to Nicky. Tootsie was out by a mile.

  Shortly after that, Coach Parker called it quits.

  “Good practice, guys. Rudy, I haven’t seen you play so well in a while. I don’t know what brought on the sudden change, but keep it up!” The coach went on to compliment each of the other boys or to point out instances where they could improve.

  Rudy grinned from ear to ear. He peeked at the mask in his lap.

  It worked! he thought gleefully. Thanks, Yogi Berra, wherever you are!

  6

  Two days later, the Mudders faced the Bearcats.

  The Bearcats were up first. Rudy crouched behind the plate, ready for action, Y.B. mask in place. He could hardly wait for the first pitch.

  The Bearcats’ catcher, Jimmy Sullivan, led off for his team. Jimmy was husky and muscular for a ten-year-old. He could deliver the ball a mile if he connected squarely.

  That’s just what he did this time. On Sparrow’s third pitch, Jimmy sent the ball to deep left center field. José couldn’t get to it before it hit the ground, and Jimmy made it safely to second.

  That’s where he stayed for a while. A pop fly to short and a grounder to second made it two outs for the Bearcats.

  Then Bus fumbled a snake-sizzling grounder to short. The batter, Stretch Ferguson, made it to first, and Jimmy advanced to third.

  Rudy sized up the situation. “Okay, guys, the play is to second or first,” he shouted. “We only need one!”

  Horace Robb sent a scorching double to Barry McGee’s right side, scoring Jimmy and planting Stretch safely on third.

  Finally, Jack Walker grounded out to second. The Bearcats led, 1-0.

  Sadly, the Peach Street Mudders did nothing their turn at bat.

  Bearcat Boots Finkle came up to bat in the top of the second. Sparrow tried hard, but Boots got on first safely. Then Luke Bonelle came up.

  Rudy squatted behind the plate. Suddenly he realized that Luke might try a sacrifice bunt to send Boots to second base.

  He shifted his position slightly and prepared himself to spring into action.

  Sparrow went through his windup and let the ball go. Sure enough, Luke squared himself around and bunted. The ball dribbled forward, and Luke took off for first like a scared rabbit.

  But Rudy was already in motion. He scrambled forward, plucked up the ball, and heaved it to Turtleneck. Turtleneck lunged to meet the throw just as Luke was nearing first. The ball socked into Turtleneck’s glove a split second before Luke hit the base.

  “Out!” the umpire cried. But hardly anyone heard him. From his position, Rudy had seen Boots Finkle stumble on his way to second. If Turtleneck threw quickly, they might be able to get Boots out, too.

  “Second! Second!” Rudy yelled at the top of his lungs.

  Turtleneck immediately hurled the ball to Nicky. Nicky stretched, snagged the throw, and swept his glove around in time to tag Boots.

  “Out!” came the second-base umpire’s call.

  The Mudders’ fans went wild. They were still cheering when Jim Jakes flied out to José to end the half inning.

  Coach Parker was all smiles as the Mudders ran in from the field.

  “Nice double play, guys,” he said, clapping his hands. “Good eyes, Rudy. That’s the kind of smarts catchers need to have. Keep up the good work.”

  Rudy grinned and slid his mask from his face. “Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem, Coach. Nope, not a problem at all.”

  7

  The Mudders took their raps, but again their bats were silent. Going into the third inning, the score still read Bearcats 1, Mudders 0.

  Rudy suited up and headed for the plate, carrying his mitt.

  “Okay, Bearcats, look out! We’re going to stop you cold!” he cried out.

  “Fat chance,” said Jimmy Sullivan, the Bearcats’ leadoff batter. “Your pitcher is getting tired.”

  It seemed that Jimmy was right. Sparrow threw three pitches, all bad.

  “Time!” Rudy called. He yanked off his helmet and trotted to the mound. “Take your time, take your time,” he advised Sparrow. “I’m giving you a nice big target here” — he held up his mitt — “and all you have to do is hit it.”

  “I’m doing my best,” Sparrow mumbled.

  “I know, but I’m going to help you do better.” He leaned close to Sparrow. “I’ve noticed that that clown Jimmy has trouble judging pitches that are low and outside. Think you can put one there?”

  Sparrow grinned. “I’ll try.”

  Rudy turned to go, but Sparrow called him back. “Hey, you know this is the first time you’ve ever come out to the mound without the coach?”

  Rudy realized that Sparrow was right. “Well, I have a feeling it won’t be the last time. That okay with you?”

  “I’ll tell you after I see if a low-and-outside pitch works!”

  Rudy jogged back to his position. Crouching low, he held his glove up nice and wide.

  “Hey, Jimmy, why don’t you take a swing at the next one? C’mon, what’ve you got to lose? Or are you afraid you’ll miss?” Rudy goaded the batter.

  “I’ll show you,” Jimmy shot back. “I’ll send this one out of the park!”

  Sparrow went through his windup and delivered. It was a perfect low-and-outside pitch.

  Sure enough, Jimmy cut at it as hard as he could. He missed by a mile.

  “Strike!” yelled the umpire.

  “Two more just like that, Sparrow, two more like that!” Rudy yelled. And in a voice just loud enough for the batter to hear, he added, “Two more just like that, Jimmy!”

  Jimmy growled, but two pitches later, he was stalking back to the Bearcats’ bench. He glared at Rudy over his shoulder.

  “Just you wait until you’re at bat — you and all your Mudder teammates,” he hissed.

  Rudy just smiled.

  Drew Zellar was up next. He hit the first pitch to right center field. Alfie Maples tried to make the catch but fumbled the ball. Drew stood up at second.

  Buck Austin walked. Players at first and second. Stretch came to the plate. He walloped Sparrow’s third pitch head-high down the first base line. It looked like a sure single. The runners took off.

  But at the last moment, Turtleneck Jones stuck out his glove and caught the ball! Buck Austin tried to get back to first, but he was too late. Turtleneck landed smack on the base, and Buck was out.

  The Mudders’ fans cheered as the team jogged in from the field.

  The score was still Bearcats 1, Mudders 0.

  8

  “Okay, okay, let’s see some good hitting out there!” Coach Parker yelled. It was the bottom of the third inning, and Rudy knew that the coach wanted them to get on the scoreboard.

  Rudy took off his equipment and laid everything but the mask in a pile. The mask he held on to tightly.

  Turtleneck was up first. He took three swings, all foul balls. The fourth pitch was wild. So were the next three. Turtleneck had a free ride to first.

  Next up was José. Sometimes José hit well; other times he struck out.

  Today was one of the strikeout days. José returned to the bench and tossed his helmet aside angrily.

  “That’s okay, José,” Rudy said consolingly. “Everybody makes outs.”

  “I’m not mad about that,” José replied. “I’m mad because of what that Jimmy Sullivan said while I was up. He called the Mudders losers and said we’d have better luck playing against five-year-olds in T-ball. That guy really gets me steamed!”

  Rudy nodded. He wasn’t surprised that Jimmy was bad-mouthing the batters. But he didn’t tell José that he, Rudy, had started it. Instead, he decided he’d cool it the next time he was behind the plate. After all, he didn’t want to do anything that might hurt his team.

  If Jimmy Sullivan said anything nasty to T.V. Adams, T.V. apparently didn’t let it bother him. He swung at the first pitch and made it on base. Turtleneck advanced safely to second. Suddenly it looked like the Mudders had a chance to score a run.

  Then Nicky hit a shallow pop fly. The Bearcats’ second baseman took one step back and caught it. Two outs.

  Alfie Maples was up next.

  “C’mon, Alfie, you can do it!” Rudy yelled. But he didn’t really believe that. Alfie usually got out.

  This time was no exception. Although Alfie connected with the ball, it dribbled down the first base line. Bearcats pitcher Stretch Ferguson fielded it easily and sent it to the first baseman for the out.

  “Rats,” Rudy said. He worked his way into his gear and walked to the plate.

  Three batters later, he was walking back to the bench. Sparrow had found his stride and was pitching like a big leaguer.

  Unfortunately so was Stretch Ferguson. Bus, Rudy, and Sparrow all struck out.

  “You losers didn’t even last long enough for me to open my mouth,” Jimmy Sullivan crowed as he passed Rudy. “I got to sit back and watch you dig yourselves into a deeper hole!”

  Rudy seethed but held his tongue. Then the Bearcats went down one, two, three, with Jimmy making the third out. Rudy couldn’t stop himself.

  “Funny, I don’t hear anything coming from your mouth now,” he called to the Bearcats’ catcher.

  “Yeah, well, one look at the scoreboard shows who the winners of this game are gonna be,” Jimmy shot back.

  “C’mon, c’mon, let’s get cracking,” Coach Parker interrupted. “It’s the bottom of the fifth. Let’s give our fans something to cheer about — what do you say?”

  The Mudders all shouted their agreement.

  Barry McGee followed through on the coach’s instructions. He sent Stretch Ferguson’s fourth pitch over the fence for a home run. Suddenly it was a tie ball game, 1-1.

  Turtleneck Jones helped by hitting a double. Then José redeemed himself by socking a single. Turtleneck wisely stayed on second.

  T.V. shouldered the bat and narrowed his eyes at the Bearcats’ pitcher. Rudy could tell he wanted nothing more than to send both Turtleneck and José home.

  He didn’t. He struck out.

  But Nicky came through with a shallow pop fly that fell behind the second baseman and in front of the center fielder. Turtleneck’s legs churned up the dirt as he rounded third and headed for home.

  The center fielder got his hands on the ball and heaved it to Jimmy. The Mudders were on their feet, screaming for Turtleneck to slide.

  Turtleneck did. Jimmy caught the throw, swept his glove around — and dropped the ball!

  Turtleneck was safe, and the Mudders had the lead!

  Even though Alfie hit into a double play, the Mudders were all smiles as they took to the field. Rudy didn’t say a word as he passed Jimmy. He didn’t have to. From the look on Jimmy’s face, he knew Jimmy was yelling at himself for his error.

  Well, I know what that’s like, Rudy thought, feeling just the tiniest bit sorry for the other catcher.

  The Bearcats were fired up at the top of the sixth and final inning. They seemed determined to take back their lead. If they succeeded, the Mudders would have to win the game with their last raps. But if they failed, the game would end right then with the Mudders victorious.

  Rudy tugged his Hall-of-Famer mask into place.

  Okay, Yogi, he said to himself, let’s see what we can do to end this game early!

  9

  Drew Zellar was up first for the Bearcats. He hit a clean single.

  “That’s okay, guys, that’s okay!” Rudy called. “The play is to first or second, first or second. Heck, let’s make it to first and second for the double play!”

  The crowd chuckled.

  Buck Austin quieted them, however, when he laid down a perfect bunt. It was closer to Sparrow than to Rudy, so Rudy shouted for Sparrow to take it. Sparrow did, and tried to get Drew out at second. But Nicky flubbed the play, and Drew sped on to third!

  Rudy looked up to see who the next batter for the Bearcats was. It was Stretch Ferguson, a good hitter. But Stretch wasn’t walking to the plate yet. He was talking with the Bearcats’ coach.

  The coach patted Stretch on the back and sent him to the plate. Stretch stood outside the batter’s box for a moment, running his hands up and down the bat and adjusting his helmet.

  Stretch looks nervous, Rudy thought, puzzled. He glanced at the field, sizing up the situation.

  There are no outs. Buck might try to steal second. But why would that make Stretch nervous? All he has to do is make it hard for me to get off a good throw to Nicky.

  Then Rudy’s gaze fell on third base. He caught the Bearcats’ third-base coach whispering to Drew.

  What’s he saying? Rudy wondered as he watched Drew slowly nod. He was even more puzzled when he saw Drew shift his position. He looks like he’s getting ready to run. But he’s not going to be forced to move because there isn’t a runner at second.

  Right at that moment, Stretch stepped into the batter’s box — and suddenly Rudy realized what was about to happen.

  They’re going to try to fake us out with a suicide squeeze play!

  Rudy had just read about the squeeze play in the baseball book Mr. Turnball had given him. On the play, the batter bunted the ball in front of the plate halfway between the catcher and the pitcher. The runner at first took off for second, the batter took off for first — and the runner at third, hoping that the catcher and pitcher would field the ball in the traditional manner and throw to second or first, ran as fast as he could for home! If the play worked, they would earn a run and still have at least one runner on base.

  It all depended on the batter laying down the perfect bunt — and the catcher being fooled into making the play to first or second.

  No wonder Stretch is nervous. But they’re not fooling me! Rudy could scarcely contain his excitement. I’m ready for them. Oh, boy, am I ready for them!

  Sparrow reared back and threw. Just as Rudy suspected, Drew and Buck took off as fast as they could. Stretch tried to bunt.

  The minute Stretch’s bat met the ball, Rudy knew the Bearcats were in big trouble. Instead of sending the ball into the dirt, Stretch popped it a few feet straight up into the air!

  Rudy threw off his mask and lunged forward. Plop! The ball landed smack in the middle of his glove. One out!

  But Rudy didn’t stop there. Drew and Buck hadn’t counted on his making the catch. They were still running.

  That was all Rudy needed. He fired a throw to T.V. at third, praying that T.V. was ready to catch it.

  He was! He stepped on the bag in plenty of time to get Drew out.

  By now, the fans were screaming. Rudy was yelling at the top of his lungs, too, but not with happiness. He was yelling instructions for T.V.

  10

  “First! First! Throw to first!”

  T.V. reared back and threw a bullet to Turtleneck.

  Rudy held his breath. Buck was a fast runner and was already on his way back to the bag. Would T.V.’s throw beat him?

  Turtleneck reached out as far as he could, his toe still on the base. Buck’s arms and legs pumped hard. Then he launched himself into a slide. The ball soared past him and socked into Turtleneck’s glove. Turtleneck flashed his glove downward.

  A cloud of dust rose around first base. For a moment, Rudy couldn’t see what was happening. Then he heard the first-base umpire’s call.

  “Out!”

  The fans went wild. A triple play!

  The Mudders charged in from the field, laughing and cheering. They swarmed around Rudy. Coach Parker’s face was wreathed in smiles.