Free Shadow Over Second by Matt Christopher, Anna Dewdney

1

    “STEEE-RIKE!” boomed the ump as Bucky Neal breezed in a pitch past T.V. Adams.
    “C’mon, T.V.,” Nicky Chong muttered. He was on deck. There were two outs, and it was the top of the third inning. “Save me
     a rap.”
    Nicky had good reason to want another time at bat this game. He had doubled his first time up and hoped to do it again this
     time. And if he did, he stood a good chance of leading the league in runs batted in.
    Maybe that record wasn’t as glamorous as hitting the most home runs or pitching a no-hitter. But it was a record he knew he
     would be proud to hold. And he was only six RBIs away from making it.
    “Steee-rike two!” the umpire called.
    “Oh, no!” Nicky moaned. “What’re you waiting for, T.V.?”
    T.V. had struck out the first time up, and it looked as if he was heading down that same route again. So far the score was
     Mudders 1, Green Dragons 0. A single from T.V. would put José Mendez on second. And if Nicky was the man to bat José home,
     he’d be one RBI closer to his record.
    The next pitch was a knee-high blazer. “Swing!” Nicky muttered. T.V. did, and belted a sizzling grounder to third.
    “Good shot!” Nicky yelled. The Dragons’ third baseman bobbled the ball, then recovered and whipped it to second. José was
     safe! Second baseman Dale Emerson relayed to first. T.V. was safe by a step!
    Nicky picked up a bat. But he didn’t go directly to the batter’s box. He went through a ritual he performed each time he prepared
     to bat.
     

    First he tapped his right foot with the bat. Then his left. Then he took two swings. Finally he stepped into the batter’s
     box and touched the outside left corner with the bat, then the right. Only then did he face the pitcher.
    He let the first two pitches go by for balls, then swung at the third — and sent it soaring over the fence for a home run!
     He was a third of the way to first base before he tossed the bat aside.
    Worked again!
he thought with glee.
That ol’ ritual hasn’t failed me yet this season!
    The Mudders’ fans cheered loudly. As Nicky trotted over home plate, the team was waiting to congratulate him.
    “Way to go, Nicky!” called T.V. Adams. “Three more runs for the Mudders! And you’re that much closer to you-know-what!”
    Nicky smiled and took a seat on the bench. But secretly he wished T.V. hadn’t said anything. The Mudders had only two moregames left this season, so breaking the record would be no easy task. And like many ballplayers, Nicky was superstitious.
     He was afraid that talking about his chances might jinx him.
    Just to be on the safe side, he rapped his knuckles on the bench.
    Knock on wood
, he thought.
That should counteract T.V.’s blunder!

2

    The score still read Mudders 4, Dragons 0, when Alfie Maples popped out to third to end the Mudders’ turn at bat.
    The Dragons started out strong. The first batter slugged a triple into right field. A moment later, he crossed home plate
     on a single by Eddie Kolski.
    “That’s enough!” Nicky yelled from his second base position. “Let’s buckle down and get them out!”
    The infield chatter must have helped. The next two batters got out on a pop-up and a strikeout. Then T.V. gloved a hot bouncer
     tothird. He pegged it to second for the forced out.
    Mudders 4, Dragons 1.
    “All right! How about some hits, team!” shouted Coach Parker. “Start it off, Bus!”
    Bus didn’t. Neither did Rudy or Sparrow. As a matter of fact, neither the Mudders nor the Dragons scored again until the last
     inning.
    Nicky was first up at the top of the sixth.
Tap, tap, swing, swing, touch, touch
, he murmured to himself.
    Bucky Neal threw the first pitch — and Nicky connected for a scorching shot over the shortstop’s head! The ball bounded out
     to the left center field fence before Greg Barnes scooped it up and whipped it to third. Nicky wisely held up at second.
    “Boy, are you having a hot day!” said Dale Emerson, the Dragons’ second