Mitch Cartwright just had become 4 when he really got infected with the baseball virus. The guilty one for this was his father Adam Cartwright. He was coach of a youth team and took the little boy often along. Adam did this so he didn’t have to appeal to his father Ben and/or brothers Hoss and Joe to babysit. But this had great consequences for father and son Cartwright.
Adam had given Mitch for his 4th birthday a shirt of his favorite clubs (the Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees). Ben had given his grandson a baseball glove. From his uncles the boy got a foam bat and ball. Of course Mitch thought this was great but his father not really because he already saw trouble ahead.
Not long after Christmas 1996 Mitch came to Adam with the question, “Daddy?”
“Yes lad?”, asked Adam.
“Can you teach me how to hit? With a bat I mean”, said Mitch.
Adam looked at his son and said smiling, “Of course I can and will teach you that.”
They put on their coats and went outside.
Adam said, “Kid, you make a high mountain of the snow. I am in the shed for a moment.”
Mitch nodded and went to make with the shepherd dog Cody a big mountain of snow. Adam went to the shed where his brothers were.
“Adam, your bat is ready”, said Hoss.
“I didn’t know that there was something wrong with Joe”, Adam reacted dry.
Hoss laughed but Joe didn’t.
“If you want that we help you, you surely must go on like this, Adam Poindexter Cartwright!”, Joe said insulted.
“Joe, you must see it this way: this way Mitch learns too how he must work with others together to accomplish something. Are you coming?”, asked Adam.
Hoss and Joe nodded and took the wooden bat to the yard.
Mitch had made a big mountain and waited with Cody for Adam. Finally the brothers came to the boy.
“Mitch, look a new bat for you”, said Adam.
Joe held the bat tight which led to the question of his nephew, “Daddy, who is the bat?”
Adam and Hoss couldn’t stop laughing anymore but Joe was fed up with it. He threw the bat down and angry inside.
Mitch asked amazed, “Have I said something wrong?”
“Mitchy, your uncle isn’t jolly all day already”, answered Hoss.
“Then we just do it without him. Mitch, get your bat. Go to stand at the other end of the yard with uncle Hoss. I throw a snowball and you try to hit it away”, said Adam.
That happened and first Mitch missed lots of hits so that Hoss got pelted with snowballs to big hilarity of Adam and Mitch. Cody ran excited across the yard and snapped at the snow.
“Mitchy, as soon as you see the ball coming you move the bat”, said Hoss.
The little boy did that and now Adam got hit.
“So good?”, asked Mitch.
“Indeed. That’s the way to do it. But Hoss, shall we switch places? Mitch has to earn to hit away hard balls too”, Adam suggested strategic.
The brothers changed places and again Hoss got the full snow blast over him. Though they both saw that Mitch was learning it fast.
“Daddy, are we going to eat?”, Mitch asked after a few hours.
“Your son is right because I have a big appetite too”, said Hoss.
“You always have a big appetite. But w ego inside and after lunch we do the same thing but then with grandpa and uncle Joe as audience”, said Adam.
They went inside where Ben and Joe were. Mitch wanted to run to Ben but Adam and Hoss stopped him.
“First clean your boots and taken them off and that also goes for your coat”, said Adam.
Mitch did with reluctance what his father wanted and ran then to Ben.
“Grandpa, I can hit very well now. Do you want to see it?”, the boy asked enthusiastic.
“Of course I want to see it but after lunch”, said the rancher.
He got up and picked up his grandson who began to yell of fun. They walked to the dining room where the Chinese cook Hop Sing had set up a delicious lunch.
After lunch said Adam, “Mitch, just go and make lots of snowballs. We will come in a minute.”
The boy dressed himself up warm and went outside with Cody. Quickly the young Cartwright made a lot of snowballs. A moment later the men came outside. Adam and Hoss walked to Mitch while Ben and Joe remained on the porch.
“Mitch, we do the same thing as this morning. Show grandpa and uncle Joe what we have taught you”, said Adam.
They took their positions in and the demonstration began. Now Mitch hit all the balls away to great joy of the Cartwrights.
“Well Joe, you know what this means?”, Ben asked his youngest son.
“No, explain that pa”, said Joe.
“This means that my grandson won’t be working at the Ponderosa but in a baseball stadium and also that you have to work even harder and train your later children to work at the ranch”, answered Ben.
But the rancher had resolved himself to support his grandson in his future career. That also went for the brothers.