THE YOUTH TEAM

Each day after school and in the weekends Mitch Cartwright played baseball with his friends. They played at a neighbouring field until the son of the owner of it discovered it.

At that certain Saturdayafternoon Matthew Walker hit the ball to the right field and just missed hitting Barry Parkinson. Barry never played along because he felt he was better than them.

“How dare you to throw a ball at me? I could have been killed”, the boy foamed.

Mitch came near them and checked the damage.

“You ain’t even been hit. So why are you nagging then?”, asked the young Cartwright.

“You may not even come here because this belongs to my father. So hop it”, said Barry said scornful.

“This field is useless to play a good game. I know where we can play very well”, said Mitch.

“Where then?”, Matthew asked amazed.

“At the new baseballstadium”, Mitch answered.

“You will never get in there”, Barry claimed.

“Oh yes we do. My grandpa is the owner of it so I always get in for nothing. Since I am his only grandchild I have certain rights”, Mitch said calm.

“Bragger”, Barry snapped angrily.

“I am not a bragger at all but my Uncle Hoss is”, Mitch said dry.

“How do you mean?”, asked Jerry Baker.

“He always serves out at least three times per meal”, Mitch explained.

Everybody exept Barry laughed.

“Because you happen to be a Cartwright you mustn’t think that you are allowed everything”, Barry snapped at Mitch.

“I don’t think so. I know that for sure!”, Mitch reacted dry.

Because the playing was about to be over everybody went home.

That evening during supper there was a relaxed sphere in the house.

“Grandpa, I want to ask you something”, Mitch said suddenly.

“Fire away”, said the rancher.

“This afternoon we got chased away from the playfield by that Barry Parkinson. It turns out that his father owns the field. Now we got nowhere to play anymore. May we practise at the stadium when there is no training?”, asked the young Cartwright.

“Of course. I do want you to train there”, said Ben.

Mitch looked at his grandfather questionable.

“Do you mean that we play our homegames there?”, he asked amazed.

Ben nodded.

“We don’t even have a coach, own clothes and such”, the boy reacted.

“That will come. I have decided to become your most important sponsor”, said Ben.

Adam said, “As from tomorrow I will give you training. Each Saturday and sundayafternoon and after school.”

“Can we still get out of it?”, Mitch asked sneaky.

Everybody laughed. Adam shook smiling of no.

“Pity”, Mitch said a bit disappointed.

“It won’t be so bad”, said Ben.

“Mitchy, Uncle Joe and I are gonna help too”, said Hoss.

“And may I ask why?”, Adam wanted to know.

“Just in case you can’t handle the children”, Little Joe answered.

During the first training it was notable that the sphere was very relaxed and light-herated. It was also a lovely weather. After the warming-up exercises the children sat with Adam at the field. Hoss and Little Joe watched from a safe distance.

“The meaning of baseball is that you via a bang with the bat hit the ball so hard away that the opposite team cannot catch the ball and you via the bases score a run. From the homeplate, where you hit, you run to the firstbase, then to the second base. Then the third base is ready for a visit of you and so you run to the homeplate. Clear?”, asked Adam.

Mitch just looked at his beloved Uncles for a second and asked then, “There are two bats standing. Must we hit with them?”

Everybody except Hoss and Little Joe laughed.

Adam threw one look at his brothers and said, “Mitch, you mustn’t praise them so because you insult the bats.”

“Hoss, that nephew of ours begins to have more talks again. We shall interfere with the training”, Little Joe whispered.

They left their spot and walke dup to the team.

“Adam, shall we learn the children how to hit and walk bases?”, asked Hoss.

Adam got up and said, “That is okay. Hoss, you are the catcher and Joe stands at second base. I throw the balls to the batter. Get your gear.”

Then the coach walked to the children

“We are gonna hit and run. Mitch, you are first to go batting. Grab your bat and I really don’t mean one of your Uncles”, said Adam.

Mitch got up and the other children went to sit in the dug-out.

The Cartwright brothers grabbed their gear and went to stand on their positions.

Mitch put his bat straight up and looked then from his bat to Hoss and back.

“Uncle Hoss, do you know that when you sit down you are just as big as my bat?”, Mitch asked teasing.

“Very funny indeed. You make sure that you can play baseball in stead of teasing your Uncle”, Hoss reacted.

“I can do both very well”, the young Cartwright reacted.

Adam pitched a ball and Mitch hit it in the direction of his Uncle Joe who stood at second base. But the ball has so much speed that Little Joe couldn’t catch it. Though the ball stopped near him because the ball made Little Joe unconcious. Mitch threw down his bat and ran passed all the bases. At the second base the boy did stop for a second and he looked at his Uncle.

“Then you should have learned a trade”, was the comment of van Mitch.

He ran ahead to third base and then to the homeplate.

“Uncle Joe lies there sleeping”, said the boy.

Adam and Hoss looked at each other and went then to their brother. When they arrived at the second base Little Joe has just woken up.

“What was that say? My head hurts from here to Tokio and back”, Little Joe said complaining.

He felt at his head while he went to sit.

“Adam, I don’t think that baseball is a sport for our little brother. You ask him to stand at second base and then he falls asleep when the first ball has been hit”, said Hoss.

“No, I don’t think so too that Little Joe is here right for. But the bats feel themselves much at home with their congener”, Adam reacted sarcastic.

“Ha ha, very funny. That little son of yours is much too dangerous”, groaned Little Joe.

“How dangerous? He doesn’t do as much dangerous things as you did when you were his age”, answered Adam.

“He does when you give him a ball and a bat”, Little Joe reacted fierce.

Adam checked the head of his youngest brother but couldn’t find anything.

“You are alright so the training goes on. Matthew Walker is at bat”, Adam said sober.

They walked back to their places. For the security Little Joe put a helmet on.

The Cartwright brothers noticed that the children had a lot of fun playing their baseballgame. They could enjoy the pleasure as well.

After the training they let the children live it up at the field.

Watching from the dug-out Adam said, “Boys, I know for sure that we have a great baseballteam. These boys have talent.”