Too Hot to Handle (8 page)

David wasn’t too pleased.

“That error I made cost us two runs,” he said. “That wasn’t good.”

“But a lot of balls came to you after that, and you caught them,” said Don. “And you got two hits. That’s very good, brother.”

The coach started David again in the Bluebirds game on Wednesday. The Bluebirds had had a very poor season. They had won only
one game so far and lost nine.

Southpaw Jerry Hines pitched against them and had difficulty from the very first inning.

When he walked a man, the next hitter would bunt. David certainly had a workout at third during those early innings. Jerry
fielded one bunt, which was laid down between the pitcher’s box and first base. But the others were directed to third.

The bunts helped the Bluebirds. The score was tied 2 and 2 going into the top of the fifth inning. This was a surprise to
the Flickers’ fans. They had expected the game to be a runaway for their team.

Rex, leading off, smashed out a double. David followed it up with another double, scoring Rex. Marty Cass got on when the
second baseman missed a pop fly. The Flickers’ fans cheered lustily. It looked as if this was going to be the Flickers’ big
inning.

Then things began to go wrong for the Flickers. Bonesy tried to bunt to advance the runners. His bunt turned out to be a blooping
fly-ball
to the pitcher. The pitcher caught it and whipped it to first before Marty could get back. Windy grounded out, and that was
it.

The Bluebirds’ leadoff man doubled to start things well for them. The next hitter drove a hard sizzling grounder to third,
just inside the bag. David dove after it. The ball struck his glove and glanced off into foul territory. He got up, raced
after it and picked it up. He saw the runner bolting for home and pegged the ball.

It zipped through the air straight as a string for Rex’s mitt. The Bluebirds’ player hit the dirt just as Rex caught the ball
and put it on him.

“Out!” cried the umpire.

The Flickers’ fans went wild.

“Thataway to throw that ball, David boy!”

“Nice stop, David!”

He could hear Don and Dad and Ann Marie and Mom. And amid all those shouts he heard Mrs. Finch, too.

In the sixth the Flickers picked up another run to make it 4 to 2. The Bluebirds put one
across at their time at bat, but that was all they could do. They lost to the Flickers, 4 to 3, in a game that was thrilling
to the very last out.

“Beautiful play you made there on third, David,” said Don, as he hobbled on his crutches alongside his brother.

“Thanks. But I’ll never be a real good ballplayer,” said David. “Never as good as you. Nor Dad. Nor any of our uncles.”

“You have time,” said Don. “You’re still young, brother.”

Dad put an arm around David’s shoulders. “Don’t worry about being real good, son,” he said. “You did the best you can, and
that’s all anyone expects.”

“You should have heard Mrs. Finch yelling,” chimed in Ann Marie. “She sure rooted for you, David!”

“I sure did,” said a voice behind them.

They looked around, and there was Mrs. Finch herself, and Mr. Finch. “You played a fine game, David.”

“Thanks.” David grinned.

“By the way, I’d like to have you stop at our house before you go home. Can you do that?”

Uh-oh! She has another job for Bonesy and me, thought David. Well, baseball season was all over with. It would make no difference
how late they were now.

“I think so,” he said. He looked at Mom and Dad. They smiled and nodded. It was all right with them.

“How about riding back with us?” suggested Mr. Finch.

David smiled. “Okay.”

They arrived at the house. Mrs. Finch asked David to sit down. He sat there, his cap in his hand, while Mrs. Finch stepped
out of the room. Mr. Finch talked to him about the game a bit, then Mrs. Finch returned. She was holding a paper sack in her
hand.

David stared at the sack. It was flat. It looked very familiar.

“Here, David,” she said. “I’m returning your
coins to you. I’ve decided that a boy who gives up his wonderful coin collection to pay for a small statue is made of good,
honest stuff. I’d rather know that you’re that kind of boy than the greatest player in all Penwood.”

David stared at Mrs. Finch. And he had thought that she was going to give him another job!

“Thanks, Mrs. Finch,” he said, happily. “Thanks a lot!”

He started for the door.

“Don’t you want to check it?” asked Mrs. Finch. “See if I didn’t lose any of it while I had it?”

David pulled the folder out of the sack and opened it. His eyes bulged. Other than the empty slots for coins to be minted
the next year and the next, all the slots were filled! Mrs. Finch had gotten the missing coins herself and had brought the
folder up to date!

David swallowed. “Mrs. Finch, I — I think you’re great! Real great! And any time you want
Bonesy and me to clean up your yard — or do anything — just let us know!”

Mrs. Finch’s hands were clasped tightly together in front of her. She smiled and blinked her eyes several times before she
spoke again.

“Tell your dad and mother,” she said, “that Mr. Finch and I would like to bowl with them sometime.”

David grinned. “I sure will!” he said.

He put the folder back into the sack and went out the door.

He ran down the walk, then paused a moment. There, in the same spot the statue had been before it was broken, was a brand-new
one. This was the first time he had seen it.

It was a statue of a boy sitting on a stone and holding out the same sign: the finches. The boy was smiling.

And he was wearing a baseball cap.

Baseball Pals	Little Lefty
The Basket Counts	Long Shot for Paul
Catch That Pass!	Long Stretch at First Base
Catcher with a Glass Arm	Look Who’s Playing First Base
Challenge at Second Base	Miracle at the Plate
The Counterfeit Tackle	No Arm in Left Field
The Diamond Champs	Red-Hot Hightops