All-Star Fever Page 3

  Bus was cheering for Turtleneck Jones when he heard Coach Parker call his name.

  “Bus, grab a glove and warm up with Rudy. Jack, you’ve played a good couple of innings, but now it’s Bus’s turn.”

  Bus wasted no time. He and Rudy played catch for about ten minutes, watching first José, then T.V. get out at first. The inning ended when Nicky hit a pop fly that the pitcher caught.

  Bus ran out onto the field, determined to make every play count. And he did just that.

  His throws hit their mark every time. He remembered to “keep his tailgate down,” as Coach Parker would say, when fielding grounders. He covered second and third base when Nicky and T.V. needed backup support. He even managed to make a double play by catching a line drive and throwing the runner out before he could get back to first.

  And at bat, he concentrated on each pitch as never before. He was rewarded with two singles, plus a double that scored Alfie Maples. By the end of the fifth inning, the Mudders had earned five runs. The Bulls had three.

  The Bulls looked ready to change that score at the beginning of the sixth and last inning. The first batter socked a high fly ball to deep center field. José Méndez was just able to catch it before it could go sailing for a home run. One out.

  “Okay, Sparrow! One down, two to go!” Bus yelled.

  The second batter singled.

  Then Sparrow threw three strikes for the second out. But the next batter blasted a double. Men on second and third, two out.

  The crowd was shouting their encouragement to both teams as Sparrow let the next pitch fly. But their cheers couldn’t drown out the sound of bat connecting with ball. A hard-hit baseball shot toward Bus. If he missed this catch, at least one man would score. Maybe two.

  He had only a second to react. Up shot his glove. The ball hit so hard, it made the palm of his hand sting. But he had caught it!

  The game ended with the score reading Mudders 5, Bulls 3.

  Bus was congratulated by all his teammates and Coach Parker. He hadn’t felt so good for a long time.

  Only one thing can top this,he thought as he hopped on his bicycle to ride home. And that would be getting a call from the All-Star scouts tonight!

  He had started to pedal away when he heard a loud wooffrom the stands. He looked up and saw two familiar faces grinning down at him. It was the brown dog and the man who had fixed his bike! The man waved but disappeared into the crowd before Bus had a chance to get near him.

  I wonder who the heck he was,Bus thought. Sure wish I could thank him again.

  Instead, Bus called out to T.V. to wait for him. Together, the two boys rode home.

  It wasn’t until later that night that Bus found out who the strange man was. He and his parents had just finished eating dinner when the doorbell rang. Bus answered it.

  “Coach Parker! What are you doing here?” he asked.

  Bus stepped aside to let Coach Parker and a second man in. He almost fell back in surprise when he saw who the second man was.

  “Hello, Bus,” the man said with a grin. “Bet you didn’t expect to see me again.”

  Before Bus had a chance to answer, Coach Parker interrupted. “I think an introduction is in order. James Crandall, meet Bus Mercer. Bus Mercer, meet James Crandall — head scout for the county All-Star team.”

  Bus just stared, open-mouthed.

  Bus’s parents came into the room. “What’s this all about?” his father asked.

  “I wanted to talk to Bus face-to-face about the rosters for the All-Star team,” Mr. Crandall said. He turned to Bus and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Bus, you’re a fine shortstop. But I’m afraid there are two shortstops in the county who have better statistics than you. We had to choose those two players for the All-Star squad.

  “However,” he added before Bus had a chance to react, “you showed me something in today’s game that impressed me. You showed you’re not afraid to admit when you’ve made some mistakes, and you’re willing to work to correct them. Bus, I would very much like for you to accept the position of substitute shortstop for the team.”

  Bus looked up, confused. “Substitute?”

  Mr. Crandall explained, “If for some reason one of the other two shortstops couldn’t play in a game or missed too many practices or something like that, you would play for the team in his or her place. As a substitute, you would practice with the team, get a uniform, and be at every game. Your name would be listed with all the other team members. You might even get a chance to play in one of the games. What do you say?”

  Bus didn’t even have to think about it. “When do we start?” he asked eagerly.

  The four adults laughed. Then Coach Parker and Mr. Crandall said they had to be going.

  After they left, Mr. and Mrs. Mercer gave Bus a big hug. “We’re so proud of you, Bus. It’s not every parent who has a good athlete anda good sport for a son.”

  Bus grinned. “And the best thing is, I have something to shoot for next year! Look out, All-Star team! Bus Mercer hasn’t given up yet!”

  The Peach Street Mudders return in another action-packed adventure!

  Bus Mercer, shortstop for the Peach Street Mudders baseball team, would give his right arm to be picked for the county All-Star team. And except for one error, his performance during the first game the All-Star scouts attend is good. Bus is determined to improve his playing in the next two games but finds his concentration is broken by an unlikely distraction: his new mountain bike! The day after he receives the bike, Bus makes the mistake of breaking the rules of riding set by his parents. When he doesn’t confess to his disobedience, he is plagued by guilty feelings — and these feelings start to affect his playing ability. Will Bus set the matter right and prove he’s All-Star quality — on andoff the field?

  Matt Christopher is the bestselling name behind more than seventy sports novels for young readers, including eight other books in the Peach Street Mudders series. For a complete list of these titles, please turn to the inside back cover of this book.