BASEBALL FEVER

There was new kind of fever going around in Virginia City. It was no gold fever but baseball fever. The children had started it and had infected their father with it somehow with this disease.

One afternoon the men were practicing. The Cartwright twins (Mitch and Pam) were watching and couldn’t stop laughing anymore. The Willis children (George and Trudy) came nearer but didn’t find it funny.

Frank Willis threw the ball at Hoss but the round object came halfway on the ground.

George said to Mitch, “My father can pitch much better than you.”

“That is to see yeah. Even a blind man pitches better than your father”, reacted the young Cartwright.

The row between the boys got noticed by Ben and Adam which gave them an idea.

“Boys, come over here for a moment”, called Adam.

George and Mitch came and looked at the men questionable.

“We give you a chance to get a first place in the team.

George, first you throw a ball at Hoss. Then Mitch”, said Ben.

George got a ball and smashed it the wrong way up. It was then the turn of Mitch. He pitched a clean ball to his uncle who caught it in his glove.

“Mitch, you are the pitcher of our team”, said Ben.

“Fine grandpa”, his grandson replied proud.

Frank became furious and said:“I could have known. Because I ain’t no Cartwright I may not pitch. This is a team for adults so that lad may not join in. Besides that he is just crippled.”

Adam didn’t take this remark and sold Frank a big smash up. Trudy and Pam were watching and walked a moment later to Ben.

“May we not join in because we are girls?”, asked Pam.

James came near and snapped, “We form our own team and challenge the Cartwrights for a game. Come on Trudy and George.”

They walked away at once.

“Well Pam, you are hired. Which position do you want to have?”, asked Ben.

“I take first base”, his granddaughter replied.

The whole afternoon there got practiced hard instead of working hard.

At school they heard also about the baseball game.

Trudy said suave, “I do not play along because baseball is for boys and not for young ladies like me.”

“I do enter”, replied Pam.

Mitch wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut just in time.

“Where will that game being held?”, asked George.

“On a field at our ranch”, replied Mitch.

“It won’t be at the spread of the Cartwrights again. They always must interfere with everything and every time”, Trudy said snappy.

“Without us there wouldn’t even come a baseball game”, reacted Mitch.

“Mitch, would I be allowed to play along with your team?”, asked Chipper Jackson, a friend of the Cartwright twins.

“I think so”, replied Pam.

“He may join them and we don’t. The Cartwrights really think that they may do everything”, George said angry.

“You don’t even want to play along so shut up”, Mitch reacted fierce.

George didn’t take this and went to fight with Mitch. The fight didn’t last long because after Mitch had hit his enemy 1 black eye he stopped.

“I can use my strength better with playing baseball than smashing you up”, said the young Cartwright.

George boiled of anger and vowed for revenge. He got up and went into the school building.

“Pa, Mitch has given me a black eye for no reason”, he said moaning.

“Cartwright again? I will expel them both from school for good”, teacher Frank Willis said.

He went outside and called the Cartwright twins near him.

“Because you have misbehaved yourselves I am forced to expel you from school. I don’t want to see you here never again”, said Frank.

“Bet it is because I have hit George a black eye? He started! But alright, we will leave”, Mitch replied fierce.

“You are just like the other Cartwrights: a big mouth and a bother to innocent people. Mitch, you do leave the ball which lies at the playground there”, said Frank.

Mitch and Pam grabbed their stuff and left the school. Mitch saw the ball lying and started to smile. He got it and threw it through a window right to the head of the teacher. A moment later Frank appeared furious outside the door and saw to his annoying the Cartwright twins laughing riding away, together with Chipper.

At the ranch the Cartwrights were busy with their team instead of their chores. It went quite well until the children went to interfere with it.

From a safe distance Mitch said, “I wonder who the bats are: the grownups or the bats themselves.”

“I think the grownups”, his sister reacted.

They laughed so that the grownups heard it and looked indignant their way

“Dadburnit, if I didn’t think it. That are of course your children again who are laughing at us”, Hoss said indignant.

“In a few years time your and my daughter are laughing along with them at us too”, reacted Adam.

They walked to the children.

“What are you doing here?”, asked Adam.

“Mr Willis has personally expelled us from school because Mitch went to fight with George Willis”, said Pam.

“George started”, her brother reacted at once.

Adam sighed deep. He had heard this story before.

“Alright. Then you get class here. Now you go along practising”,he said.

“We are getting over derived again”, Mitch sighed.

They brought their stuff home and came back a moment later with their baseball gear. The children took in their position and showed the men how they had to do it.

At a certain moment when the Cartwrights were busy a young cowboy passed by and he stopped to watch. The children practises apart from the grownups.

“Look now who the pitcher is?”, Mitch suddenly heard calling behind him.

The young pitcher turned around and looked into the laughing eyes of Matthew Walker.

“Matthew! What are you doing here?”, Mitch called rejoiced when he recognized his friend.

Matthew dismounted and ran to his friend.

“Your grandpa has given my parents a piece of land so they had to come back. What is going on around here?”, asked Matthew.

“We have started a baseball team. My sister Pam has first base and Chipper is the catcher. Are you in?”, Mitch wanted to know.

“Who is Pam?”, Matthew asked curious.

“My twin sister. She got separated from me shortly after our birth and found back after ten years. Mom is shortly after that murdered by my uncle in our words her brother. But daddy is remarried with a sweet woman and we have got a little sister too”, Mitch explained.

“Are you going to introduce me to your sister or not?”, Matthew asked curious.

They got up and walked to Pam and Chipper.

“Matthew, this is my twin sister Pam and that is Chipper Jackson. A friend of ours. Pam and Chipper, this is Matthew Walker”, said Mitch.

They were good friends right away.

“Which position do you want me to take?”, asked Matthew.

“I am the pitcher, Pam is at first base and Chipper is the catcher. Why don’t you go play short stop?”, Mitch suggested.

“I do want to play short stop if Matthew is catcher”, said Chipper.

“Alright. Then we do that”, said Mitch.

“Who is actually the coach of this team? Your father?”, asked Matthew.

“Yes, at least he tries to be that but grandpa has the last saying”, said Pam.

“If we don’t interfere with it”, her brother replied.

Then Adam came to them.

“Mustn’t you practise like I have told you to?”, he asked.

“Matthew plays now at the position of Chipper so now you must play third base”, replied Mitch.

“I don’t mind. You are very good so let’s try it out”, said Adam.

They walked to the others where Matthew got received with open arms.

Ben talked with Mitch and Pam the changed line-up through.

“This is our line-up:

Pitcher : Mitch

Catcher : Matthew

First baseman : Pam

Second baseman : Candy

Third baseman : Adam

Short stop : Chipper

Left fielder : Griff

Mid fielder : Hoss

Right fielder : Joe.

With this team we surely will win”, said the rancher who had the role of coach.

Meanwhile Frank had much difficulty to get a team together. He had hung up posters everywhere in town but no dog reacted. Finally he decided to go to the Ponderosa to do his complaining.

At the yard he saw Ben Cartwright.

“Cartwright, I must see you for a second!”, he said.

“That can. It is about our baseball team, isn’t it?”, asked Ben.

“Yes sure. Due to you I cannot get a team together. That’s why I demand that the kids in your team are going to play in my team”, said Frank.

“You have expelled my grandchildren without giving a good reason. It doesn’t surprise me that Chipper Jackson and Matthew Walker get their class here and so also play in our team”, replied the rancher.

“Your grandchildren are just big nuisances. I understand now from whom they have that”, said Frank.

“My grandchildren are raised better than some of your students”, reacted Ben.

Frank realized that he was beaten and left. Ben realized now that they had no opponent. He went into the ranch house to think about a solution and for a cup of coffee.

“Hop Sing! Hop Sing”, he called but there came no reaction from the kitchen.

Again Ben called. But now a bit harder. And again there came no reaction. Finally the rancher went to look into the kitchen. But what he found there, no Hop Sing. Ben sighed deep. He decided to make the coffee himself. Near the coffee jar there was a note where was written on:

Ben sighed again. Not only he had to change his line-up but now his faithful cook had started a baseball team in which his grandchildren played.

After he had made the coffee Ben walked into the living room. By co-incidence his daughters-in-law Sally and Betsy came just walking downstairs. The rancher looked at them and got a good idea.

“Ladies, sit down because I need you”, Ben said inviting.

Sally and Betsy looked at each other worried because they had heard this more often. They went to sit on the settee and looked at their father-in-law.

“Hop Sing is temporary away and returns after he has played with his team against us. Would you like to do the household chores for that reason?”, asked Ben.

“Of course we do that”, Betsy said spontaneously.

“I suspect that Mitch and Pam are playing in the team of Hop Sing?”, Sally asked carefully.

Ben nodded and said, “And their 2 friends too.”

“Don’t let Adam hear that”, Sally said laughing.

“He will find out by himself”, reacted Ben.

At the practise of the Chinese team was a jollyful atmosphere. Due to the Cartwright twins the Chinese learned to play baseball well. Mitch showed Lee Sing how he had to hit.

“Pam, throw a ball to me so that I can hit it away”, Mitch called to his sister.

Pam threw a fast ball and Mitch hit it away. Chipper caught it.

“I will try”, said Lee Sing.

He got a bat and Mitch grabbed his glove and a ball. Here after he walked to the mount to pitch. Pam walked to first base. Mitch pitched a ball and again Lee hit it away. The other Chinese followed his example.

After the practise Hop Sing said to the Cartwright twins, “Kids tell at home that we are ready for game. Chinese team must win. Or Hop Sing take long vacation.”

“Especially uncle Hoss won’t like that”, Mitch chuckled.

“We shall tell it. See you tomorrow”, said Pam.

They got their gear and went back home.

At home at the ranch the men were complaining bitterly. Ben had told the men what Hop Sing had done.

“Dadburnit, it wouldn’t surprise me if those twins are behind it. They happen to be so sneaky”, said Hoss.

“They do mean it well though”, reacted Adam.

Though he didn’t find it a good idea. But his wife didn’t agree with him.

“Adam, be glad that they play together with other children. You always stimulate that. And now they are doing it it is not alright either”, Sally said about her stepchildren.

“That is so but they mustn’t let our team down”, reacted Adam.

“Just don’t give them no allows anymore for the rest of the year”, Little Joe suggested.

“Then they just are going to work for it. My children are smart enough to discover that”, his eldest brother replied.

“That’s why they are yours too”, Hoss said reluctantly.

When the twins came home Adam gave them a treatment right away.

“Why have you let us down?”, he asked coming straight to the point.

“Hop Sing offered us a better team. They are really good and because we still have to grow Pam and I decided to play for his team. Are you angry?”, Mitch asked as optimistic as possible.

Adam sighed and looked at his children.

“Why can I hardly get angry with you?”, he asked.

“Because we are always very good?”, Pam asked carefully.

“Hop Sing said to us to say to you that his team must win from you because he will take a very long vacation”, said Mitch.

“Paid by grandpa”, his sister added.

Everyone except Ben laughed.

“We are ready for the game. Hopefully you are that too”, Mitch said when everyone had finished laughing.

“Then we are going to start with supper. And you two are doing the dishes after supper”, Sally said to the twins.

They nodded. Sally and Betsy went to the kitchen to prepare supper. Meanwhile Adam helped the kids with their homework.

The next day finally the long expected baseball game began. After a heavy breakfast the Cartwrights went to the baseball field.

Before the game began Adam said to his twins, “Kids, I don’t know if your former teacher will be there. But if he might be bothering be and /or do to you, let me know right away. You are in the team of Hop Sing but you are and remain my children. And that goes for everything.”

“Understood daddy”, Mitch said on behalf of his sister.

They got their baseball gear and walked to their team .Hop Sing saw the twins coming and was pleased to see them.

“Daddy and uncle Hoss are not pleased that we play in your team”, said Mitch.

“Mr Adam and Mr Hoss not be pleased tonight with losing team”, replied the cook.

“You do come back after your vacation?”, Pam asked worried.

“Hop Sing does come back with Cartwrights”, replied Hop Sing.

Ben discussed the strategy with his team.

“Make sure that that grandson of mine get hit very well with base hits. I am afraid that he will pitch many strikeouts to Matthew. Adam, your task as pitcher is that they don’t come at the bases”, he said.

“I shall think about it. Who is the head umpire?”, asked Adam.

“Sheriff Roy Coffee and deputy Clem Foster stands at third base”, replied Ben.

But then Frank Willis came to them.

“I am the head umpire. The sheriff couldn’t come”, Frank lied.

“Alright then. Just let the game begin”, said Ben.

Everyone took in his/her position. Mitch was the starting pitcher and got as first his father at the home plate. The boy decided to give his father a nice strikeout. So that happened too.

“Adam Cartwright 3 balls and out”, said Frank.

“Didn’t think so. It was clearly a strikeout”, reacted Adam.

“Are you the umpire or I?”, Frank asked angry.

“You apparently but do you happen to know the rules of baseball?”, Adam asked on his turn.

“Better than you all together”, said Frank.

Mitch watched it but didn’t trust it. He grabbed a ball and at a sign of Hoss he threw it at Frank. He was so in a discussion with Adam that he didn’t see the ball coming. Matthew gave Adam a push so that he went out of the way. Frank got the ball straight into his face where after he lost his consciousness.

“Well done Mitch”, Adam called smiling.

Frank got tied up and carried away. Sheriff Roy Coffee came with his deputy and the game got resumed.

Just like his brother Hoss too got a strikeout served and foreman Candy Canaday too. Then the Chinese were on the turn. Mitch was as first at bat. Already with the first ball the boy hit him out of the field.

“A homerun for the team of Hop Sing”, called Roy.

Mitch ran pass all the bases and waved cheerful at his grandpa. The rancher saw that his only grandson was in his element. Pam was then at bat and she also made sure that the scoring got expanded with 1 run. Pam too waved cheerful at Ben who knew that he had to treat it differently. Lee Sing hit a double. Adam wanted to give Matthew a strikeout but that turned out to become something different. The young Walker saw a perfect ball coming up his direction and hit it out of the field.

Ben asked for a time-out and let also Hop Sing come to the umpire.

“I suggest that we play till 10 runs”, the rancher suggested.

“Hop Sing agrees with it. We are ahead with 4 runs. Mr Cartwright is behind”, said the cook.

The game got continued. No matter how hard the Cartwrights did their best too, they didn’t get at the Chinese team. Mitch sent everyone with a strikeout back to the bench. In the dug-out the brothers devised a plan to handle Mitch.

“We let Mitchy do the dishes for a month as punishment”, said Hoss.

“He won’t even mind that. You punish him more with no baseball for a month”, reacted Adam.

Ben came near and said, “Boys, I am afraid that we can’t win this game. Besides, I don’t really feel like Hop Sing taking a very long vacation at my expenses.”

“Let’s give up then. We now know that we better can have Mitch and Pam in our team than in the team which plays against us”, replied Adam.

Everyone agreed with this. Ben went to the dug-out of Hop Sing and made the proposal known. The Chinese team agreed with it. Especially because they were already had scored 10 runs and Cartwright team 0. Though it had become a nice game.

“Daddy, I don’t want to recover from this fever”, Mitch said after the game.

Adam could understand that.