Free Two Strikes on Johnny by Matt Christopher

1
    “H EY, JOHNNY ! Johnny Doane! You're up!”
    The words were like an alarm clock waking Johnny. He was looking at the baseball that Butchie Long had just hit between left
     and center fields. Butchie was running hard to first base. The man who was on first rounded second and was running for third.
    The Mudhens' left fielder picked up the ball, pegged it in. The shortstop caught it on a bounce, spun on his heel, and threw
     the ball to third. The third baseman touched the runner with the ball, butDavie Randall, the runner, was already on the bag. He was standing on it with both feet, his arms crossed, and a big smile
     on his dark, round face.
    “Safe!” said the ump.
    “Thataway, Butchie!” the gang on the bench yelled. “Thataway to hit that apple!”
    “Ducks on the pond, Johnny!” shouted a man sitting on the stand behind the backstop screen. “Knock 'em in!”
    Johnny knew that ducks on the pond meant men on bases. The man who had yelled was Mr. Greenfield, Buddy's father. Buddy was
     the left fielder for his team, the Cardinals. Johnny picked up his bat and looked toward the stand. Mr. Greenfield smiled
     at him and clapped his hands.
    Then Johnny looked across the emptyspaces of the small grandstand at his younger brother Michael. Michael was sitting on the bottom seat directly behind home
     plate. He had thick blond hair and light blue eyes. A batch of freckles looked like pepper sprinkled around his little round
     nose. He was smiling and waving his right hand.
    Johnny waved and smiled back, even though Michael could not see him. Sand, the big shepherd dog lying on the grass at Michael's
     feet, lifted her long snout from her front paws and flopped her white tail.
    Johnny turned and walked to the batter's box. His stomach tightened into a knot. He did not have to stand in the box to find
     out what he was going to do. He knew already.
    Johnny stood on the left-hand side of the plate. He heard Butchie on second base and Buddy on third. They were leaning off the bags, yelling for him to hit the ball.

    The pitch came in. Johnny didn't know whether to swing or not. The ball was coming in low. Suddenly he swung, but he swung
     too late.
    “Strike!” yelled the masked umpire standing behind the catcher.
    “A nice single, Johnny! Just meet it!” It was Mr. Greenfield again.
    The catcher returned the ball to the pitcher. The pitcher stepped into the box, stretched, and threw. The pitch was fast.
     Johnny watched it with wide eyes. It was high. He was sure it was. And then suddenly he wasn't sure. The pitch looked shoulder-high
     and ready to cut the heart of the plate.
    But Johnny could not move his bat. He just stood there, the bat stuck on his shoulder.
    “Strike two!” yelled the ump.
    “Aw, come on, Johnny!” Buddy yelled from third. “Hit that pun'kin.”
    Even if it was a “pun'kin,” I couldn't hit it, thought Johnny. He felt choked up inside. He wished Michael had not come. He
     would not have felt so bad then. But Michael always wanted to come. He wanted to sit with Sand behind the backstop screen.
     He wanted to hear the teams shout, the crack of the bat as it hit the ball, the pounding of feet as the men raced around the
     bases. But most of all he wanted to hear Johnny hit the ball. Nothing counted half as much as what Johnny did.
    I have to swing this time, thoughtJohnny. If that ball is anywhere near the plate, I have to swing at it, and I must hit it. I must! Or Michael —
    Johnny brushed the thought of Michael out of his mind. He dug his feet into the dirt and gripped the handle of the bat with
     both hands.
    The pitch came in. It was wide. Johnny let it go by.
    “Ball one!” cried the umpire.
    Johnny tugged on the brim of his baseball cap, pulled up on the belt of his pants. He watched the pitch come in. If he could
     only smack the ball between the outfielders, it might go for a home run. Then he would really have something, to tell Michael.
    The ball came in chest-high. Johnny