It happened on the afternoon of September 30 2000. In the canteen of the baseball stadium of Virginia City was working since a short time a new bar lady. It was far before the game between the Ponderosa Cowboys and the Young Gents. Coach Adam Cartwright was there already with his son Mitch and their shepherd dog Cody. The Cartwrights belonged to the Ponderosa Cowboys. Mitch was the starting pitcher.
“Kid, I have the strange feeling that it won’t become no ordinary game”, Adam said looking across the field.
“Of course it won’t be an ordinary game. I am playing, ain’t I?”, the boy reacted.
Adam sighed and looked at his offspring.
“I just mean”, he said.
Mitch didn’t say anything but did have laughing eyes. They walked to the canteen to drink something.
“Daddy, is that a new one behind the bar?”, asked Mitch.
Adam looked and answered, “Yes, that is a new bar lady. Let’s get acquainted first.”
They walked to the bar and sat down.
“May we have a coffee and a milkshake?”, asked Adam.
The bar lady turned around and looked at the eldest Cartwright boy. The well known sparkle flew over.
“Of course. Which taste must the milkshake be?”, she asked.
“Strawberry”, answered Mitch.
“And for me coffee pure black”, Adam said smiling.
“I am Sally Baxton and work here since a short time”, the bar lady said while she prepared the order.
“I am Adam Cartwright and this is my son Mitch”, said Adam.
“I didn’t know that you liked milkshakes”, Sally said teasing.
“It is for that son of mine. I think he has the taste for milkshakes inherited from his mother because I don’t want them. When his mother was expecting Mitch she had them daily so he had gotten that from her”, reacted Adam.
Rita Jenkins saw Mitch standing and asked Adam, “Your little boy is getting big already. Isn’t it about time for a little brother or sister for him?”
“That is my decision. He is not missing anything. Besides, mind your own business”, answered Adam.
Rita looked angry for a moment and walked away then. Mitch got his milkshake and went to change then.
“Is this stadium yours?”, asked Sally.
“Yes, and we also have a big spread with a ranch house on it. You may come by one time. Then I will show you the most beautiful spots”, answered Adam.
“That date is made by this. And tonight you and your son come to have supper at my place”, said Sally.
They couldn’t be without each other for sure.
There was a strange sphere in the stadium. If the Ponderosa Cowboys would win this game they were the area champions around Virginia City, Nevada.
With much difficulty Adam said a temporary goodbye from Sally and he went to his team.
The boys were very excited and noisy.
“Boys, sit down and listen”, said Adam.
They sat down and were quiet at once.
“You know that you can become area champions today. But then there has to be won. I count it that you will give everything and win the game”, said Adam.
“How big must the difference be?”, asked Matthew Walker.
“At least as big as possible”, answered Adam.
“Something like 100 to 0?”, asked Mitch.
“That is also a bit overdone but do try to keep the zero”, his father answered.
“With Mitch as pitcher that ain’t so difficult. He only throws strikeouts”, Teddy Rashdon remarked.
Everybody laughed.
“I can pitch nothing else”, reacted Mitch.
The boys knew what they had to do and Adam knew that they did that too.
“Boys, one more thing: it is completely sold out so a lot of people are watching you. Just try to play as if there no one sitting on the tribunes”, Adam said as last.
The game began. All seats were taken which ad effect on both teams. The teams got introduced and the Young Gents enjoyed all the attention.
“What are that baddies”, Mitch whispered to Matthew and Teddy.
“You mustn’t praise them so. You insult the other baddies”, said Matthew.
The Young Gents started with hitting. With ease Mitch pitched three times 3 strikeouts in a row. Adam had put his son as fourth in the batting line-up so that he could hit the others in. By quite a few errors Teddy, Matthew and Simon hit the bases. Mitch was then at bat and when he wanted to go to the home plate he saw that Sally had come to watch as well. Cody was with her.
“This homerun is for you and the ball too”, he said to her.
Then he walked to the home plate.
“I am going to give a strikeout too”, said Barry Parker who was the starting pitcher for the Young Gents.
He pitched a ball which he saw as a strikeout but Mitch hit it out of the stadium. Cody ran straight away to get the ball. A moment later he put the ball down by Sally who got it at once. The new bar lady directly loved Adam and Mitch even more.
By the homerun the Ponderosa Cowboys were already ahead with 4 runs and in each inning the head start got extended with 4 runs.
At the seventh inning Barry said to his coach George Miller, “We stop with it. Then we won’t become champions.”
“What are you a bunch of wasters. I use all my valuable time in it to get you to play baseball and you make error after error. Those boys of the Ponderosa Cowboys are the same age as you and they can play it. I will say that you give up”, said George.
He left the team and went to umpire James Palmer.
“My team gives up so the Ponderosa Cowboys are champions”, said George.
Adam heard it too and didn’t mind that the other team had given up. That was also the case for his team.
By the awarding the champions each got a cup and a medal.
Sally asked Ben, “I didn’t know that your grandson was so good at baseball. From whom has he that?”
“Maybe from his mother or it as to be a hidden talent of Adam”, the rancher answered who was also the owner of the stadium.
He noticed that Sally was already very fond of Adam and Mitch.
“Adam and Mitch are having supper at my place tonight so I am afraid that they won’t be home early”, said Sally.
“Then I take Cody home with me”, answered Ben.
Slowly the stadium became more and more emptier. Of the Young Gents nobody was around anymore and their family members had left soon too. But the Ponderosa Cowboys were still celebrating on the field. Though they went home slowly but sure but in a festive mood.
After the game Adam and Mitch drove the house of Sally.
“Are you and her going to look after me now?”, Mitch suddenly asked.
“I think so. Do you mind?”, asked Adam.
“No, not at all. Sally is better than that Rita. And more attractive too”, his son answered.
Adam couldn’t deny that either.
“Would mom approve her too as my second mother?”, asked Mitch.
“I surely do know. Why?”, Adam asked worried about the answer.
“You said that you would give me something if we won this game? Well, then I want that Sally becomes my mother. At school some kids pester me because I only have a father”, answered Mitch.
“Now you are asking me a lot. I do want that but Sally has to want it too. At least we can ask her it”, said Adam.
In the meantime Sally was already busy with supper. She hoped that her guests liked lasagna because that’s was on the menu. Suddenly the bell rang. She answered and saw there her guests standing.
“Miss Baxton, would you like to become my second mother? Then I have two parents again”, Mitch said coming straight to the point.
Adam didn’t know where he had to look and Sally was speechless for a moment.
But with tears in her eyes she said, “If your father wants it I look after you from now on and your dog is also welcome here.”
Adam took her in to his arms and kissed her. Mitch knew enough.
From that day on he had two parents who looked after and loved him.