4بخش

All right, just take your stupid ball.

Yeah!

Oh!

Medic!

Hold me, I’m so cold.

Come on.

Ow!

Thanks for helping me back there.

No problem.

You were really starting to get the hang of it.

That Tubby Tyler will be picking apple seeds out of his teeth for a week.

Whoa, you can really throw.

“Fastball” is my middle name.

My daddy taught me to pitch when I was four years old.

Really?

Come on, I’ll show you.

Hey, Mom, this is Yankee.

Hi.

Hello.

Pleased to.

Whoa!

Holy mackerel.

My heavens!

This is my dad right here.

He’s a pitcher for the Cincinnati Tigers.

Your dad is Lonnie Brewster?

Lonnie “The Rooster” Brewster?

The king of the curve ball?

That’s right.

He can pitch to me anytime.

I think I’m gonna pitch my lunch.

Whoa.

No-hitter in Cleveland.

That was the ten-inning game that he threw twenty strike-outs.

Grand slam in Milwaukee.

Yeah.

That was the game were my dad made two triple plays.

Triple plays.

Your dad’s incredible.

Yeah, he sure is.

He’s my hero.

My dad works at Yankee Stadium.

Really?

Do you ever dream of playing at Yankee Stadium?

Oh, yeah, all the time.

But I’m kind of in a slump right now.

I’ll never be good enough.

Yankee, did you run away from home?

I’m not running away.

I’m on a mission.

This is Babe Ruth’s bat.

That’s not Darlin’, is it?

Yeah.

I have to get her to Babe, in Chicago, right away.

Hey, maybe my dad can help.

His team is heading there tomorrow.

Hello.

May I help you?

Hello.

I’ve been worried sick about my son.

You know, since he’s my son and everything.

Just give this to my dad.

He’s playing in Toledo.

Thanks.

Yankee, your dad’s here.

Dad?

Come on, son.

Time to go.

He’s not my dad!

Run, Yankee.

Out of my way.

Marti!

Are you okay?

I’m all right.

You stop it right there, Mister.

Whoa!

Just you wait till the police get here.

Oh!

Run, Yankee!

Run, Yankee.

Run!

Give me the bat.

Give me the bat.

Give me that bat.

Okay, kid, you’ve had your fun.

Now give me the bat back.

No.

I’m taking her to Chicago, and giving her back to Babe.

You tell him, Yank.

I stole this thing fair and square.

My dad’s gonna get his job back.

Yeah, well, I want my job back.

I’m a pitcher.

I pitch.

What does a janitor do?

Janit?

Oh, oh, my nose.

Oh!

Take that, you bum.

You okay?

Yeah, I’m okay.

Marti, I just want to say.

Mmm-hmm?

I want the bat.

Yankee, let’s get out of here.

The bat.

Go find my dad.

Where’s the bat?

See you later, Yankee.

Where’s the bat?

Where’s the bat?

Thanks, Marti!

Gimme the bat.

Why can’t you stay on your side of the pack?

Because if I stay on that side, I’ll get all wet and I don’t wanna get all swollen.

You know, you’re right.

You are getting swollen.

Where, where?

In your big fat bat head.

Oh, you are gonna get it.

You and that horse you came off of.

Oh, is that a threat?

Give me your best swing.

My best swing, and your stitches are gonna need stitches.

Will you two just knock it off!

Well, what’s wrong with him?

I’ll tell you what’s wrong with him.

He’s a ten-year-old kid, stuck in the middle of nowhere with a selfish bat who treats him like a pack mule.

I do not treat him like a pack mule.

Oh, yeah?

Ever thank him for saving you from Lefty, or carting you all the way back to Chicago?

I.

Yankee, it occurs to me that I have not properly thanked you from saving me from that ruffian, Lefty Maginnis, and carrying me all this way.

That’s okay.

No, it most certainly is not.

My mama would just be mortified at my behavior, and I just want to tell you how much I appreciate what you’re doing for me.

Yankee, is there something else bothering you?

I miss my mom and dad.

You know what?

Sometimes, Babe misses his family when he’s on the road, too.

Why?

He’s surrounded by reporters and fans and everything.

That’s true, but they’re not there ‘cause they’re his friends.

They just hang around ‘cause he’s famous.

You know something?

You remind me a lot of Babe.

Oh, please.

Really?

Oh, yes.

You know, I believe he’s gonna like meeting you.

Thanks, Darlin’.

No, no.

Thank you, Yankee.

Oh, brother.

You could pour this stuff on pancakes.

It’s a home run!

The crowd goes wild!

They’re going nuts in Chicago!

I’d like to thank all the little people.

But especially myself!

What?

Mr. Cross.

It’s Lefty.

Lefty, my boy, the plan is working.

The Series is virtually in the bag.

Where are you?

Where am I?

I’m on the.

I’m on the phone in Toledo, Ohio.

I.

I just needed to change trains.

Do you have the at-bay with you?

The bat is.

It’s on its way to Chicago, boss.

If the bat’s on its way, but you’re in Toledo,

I’m feeling like you’re not being completely honest with me, Lefty.

You don’t have the bat, do you?

I’m.

I.

You moron!

There’s one game left in this Series.

If I don’t have that bat in my paws before it starts, you don’t have a job, Lefty.

All right?

You know what I think?

I think there’s trouble with this line, boss.

Hello?

I think the phone isn’t working!

Operator.

Operator?

Can you hear me, boss?

Operator.

Hello!

Hello!

Lefty, hello?

What a jerk!

What was that, Lefty?

I said the phone doesn’t work.

Lefty.

Work!

Who has the bat?

Doesn’t work!

I said who has it, Lefty?

Work!

Work!

Work!

Hello?

Fine.

Would you autograph my program, please?

Sure thing, miss.

Hey!

Hey, now.

Hey.

Hello.

Oh, hi!

Hello, thank you so much.

Hey, bat girl, they’re not cheering for you.

Oh, but they should be.

Gee, Mr. Brewster, would you sign this for us, please?

Sure.

Sure, kids.

Thank you.

Yes!

There you go.

You keep on rooting for us, all right?

Thank you, Mr. Brewster.

Thank you.

See you soon.

Excuse me, Mr. Brewster?

Cap, let’s go.

All right, Hank.

All right.

Yankee fan, huh?

Your boys gonna be able to pull themselves out of the fire?

What do you mean?

Yankees lost again last night.

Got beat bad.

Oh, no!

Lost again?

Yup.

The Series is all tied up.

Only one game left.

All right, Willie.

Let’s get something going here.

Watch your head, son.

Whoa!

I could have caught that with my eyes closed.

What are they doing?

Oh, my gosh!

They’re mimes.

Get me out of here.

Never seen anyone play shadow ball before, huh?

Keeps us on top of our game.

Hey, everybody.

This is Yankee Irving and he’s riding with us to Chicago.

How’re you doing, Yankee?

Hey, Willie, are we still playing?

Yankee here’s gonna pinch hit for me.

You think you can handle it?

I can hit anything Hank can throw.

Get on up there, hip-pockets.

Welcome to the big leagues, son.

Batter up.

Yankee.

Hey, just a minute, y’all.

Look here, son, your stance has got all kinds of style.

Yeah, you look good.

You just ain’t gonna hit nothing.

Half of hittin’ is balance.

You get your feet set right and you could hit anything you can reach.

Keep your knees bent and your head down.

I’m not sure I can take much more of this.

Hey, hey.

Yank’s got a baseball right here.

What happened to the invisible ball?

Oh, relax, you knuckle ball.

How can something so round be so square?

Whoa!

Balance, that’s the key to hittin’ the ball.

Now you’re getting it.

Whoa!

I’m afraid of heights!

I got it, I got it, I got it.

That was kind of fun, but don’t do it again, okay?

What am I saying?

That was fun.

Whoa!

Come on.

Come on, put some pepper on me.

I want more.

Give me more!

I’m a screwball!

He looks like a pro.

Look at you.

You’ve got great form.

Really?

Look at me, Yank.

Coming through.

Look at this.

Yippety-do!

Come on, come on, come on.

Okay, now you go ahead, you show them how to do it.

Here comes the gas.

This is easy.

I can do this.

That’s the way you swing it!

All right.

Yeah!

Did you see me?

I did it!

We’re having fun now.

Oh, this boy means business.

This is a little tiny Babe right here.

Wow.