Free The Spy on Third Base by Matt Christopher

1

    He’s going to bunt.
    T. V. Adams, the Peach Street Mudders’ third baseman, studied the Green Dragons’ batter, Dirk Farman. Dirk was holding his
     bat a little lower than usual, and he was leaning forward. T.V. was
sure
he was going to bunt.
    It was the bottom of the first inning. Dale Emerson, the leadoff man, was on second base after he had hit a double off Zero
     Ford.
    Bunting wouldn’t be the greatest idea rightnow, T.V. thought. Not with a man on second base and no outs. But the decision was up to the coach. And, apparently, the Green
     Dragons’ coach had given the batter the bunt sign. It was meant to surprise the Mudders’ infield, and it might have if T.V.
     hadn’t figured out the batter’s move.
    T.V. considered yelling over to first baseman Turtleneck Jones to watch for a bunt. But that would only warn the Dragons’
     coach and he might change his sign. T.V. decided to keep silent.
    T.V. stepped up to the baseline. He was short and stocky, but fast. He ran in a few more steps as Zero steamed in the pitch.
     T.V.’s heart leaped as he saw Dirk lower his bat and lay a perfect bunt down the third-base line!
    T.V. was on it like a dog on a bone. He scooped it up, saw Dale break for third base, then head back for second. But Dale
     was too late. T.V. snapped the ball to second basemanChuck Philips, and Chuck tagged him out.
     

    “Nice going, T.V.!” a fan shouted from the bleachers near him.
    “Thanks,” T.V. murmured, more to himself than out loud.
    Greg Barnes, the Dragons’ center fielder, was up next. T.V. watched him carefully. The Dragons wore light-green, white-trimmed
     uniforms, and Greg’s was clean as a whistle.
    After Zero blazed in two inside, knee-high pitches, T.V. had him pegged. “Keep them up around his chin, Zero,” he said softly.
    Zero winked at him, letting T.V. know that he had gotten the message, then threw three straight pitches up close to Greg’s
     chin. The last pitch would have been a ball, but Greg swung at all three and struck out.
    “That-a-way-to-go, Zee!” T.V. cried, smacking his bare fist into the pocket of his glove.
    Cleanup hitter Eddie Kolski was up next.Eddie was a right-handed batter, and right-handed batters usually pull the ball to left field. But T.V. remembered that Eddie
     hit the ball to right field most of the time during batting practice.
    “Alfie!” he yelled to Alfie Maples, the Mudders’ right fielder. “Play closer to the foul line!”
    Alfie took two steps toward the right-field foul line.
    “More!” T.V. yelled.
    Alfie didn’t move.
    Eddie connected with the next pitch and drove it within ten feet of the right-field foul line for a triple, scoring Dirk.
    “I told you!” T.V. shouted, disgusted.
    Alfie didn’t respond, as if he hadn’t heard him. But T.V. was sure that he had. Alfie had snatched up a blade of grass and
     was chewing it.
    Then Andy Jackson came to bat andslammed a grass-cutting grounder halfway between T.V. and the bag. T.V. dived for it, gloved it, then whipped it to first.
    Too high! The ball sailed over Turtleneck’s head. Eddie scored. Andy went to second base, and T.V. was chalked up with an
     error.
    Peach Street Mudders 0, Green Dragons 2.
    He was sick.

2

    “Guess you didn’t predict that bad throw, did you, T.V.?” a voice said as T.V. headed back to his position.
    T.V. glanced toward the bleachers and saw that the speaker was the same fan who had yelled to him earlier. He was tall and
     husky and wore a red sweatshirt. A short kid with thick glasses was sitting next to him.
    T.V. didn’t answer him. He couldn’t take the time to talk to a fan right now, no matter whose side he was on.
    Cush Boochie popped a fly to Bus Mercer at shortstop, ending the bottom of the first inning.
    “You’re up, T.V.,” said Coach Russ Parker as he headed for the third-base coaching box. “Let’s get on.”
    T.V. got his bat and stepped into the batter’s box. He wished he could predict what right-hander