Prime Time Pitcher by Matt Christopher Page A

determination.
    Three straight pitches, and the batter went down swinging for the third out.
    The team hustled in from the field, eager to get their last ups.
    “Wait for your pitch, Cardinals!” ordered Coach Tomashiro. “Let the pitcher pitch to you.”
    Beechie led off with a dribbler right back to the pitcher. He sped down the first base line, but Sammy threw him out by half
     a step.
    Next up: Koby. The fans were on their feet.
    Koby stepped into the box with a resolute look on his face.
    Sammy threw him a speeder down the middle, and Koby scratched out a base hit into short right.
    The crowd and his team were with him all the way.
    K.O. followed with a line out to short. Koby took a few steps but stayed on first.
    Two outs, one man on.
    Tug walked up to the plate.
    “C’mon, Tug, you can do it, you can do it!” Koby hollered. The stands took up the cheer.
    Sammy worked a 2-2 count. Tug took the next pitch and fouled it off the backstop.
    He stepped out of the batter’s box, ran his hands up and down the bat, then stepped back in. The fans were roaring, but now
     Koby was silent. With all his mental strength, he willed Tug to make a hit.
    Sammy bore down and threw the next pitch with everything he had.
    Crack!
    Tug connected for a tape-measure homer that sailed over the left-field fence!
    The Cardinals won the game and the Meadowbrook Conference!
    “Yahoooo!” roared the crowd. “TUG! KOBY! CARDINALS! CARDINALS!”
    As the bench cleared to welcome Koby and Tug to home plate, Coach Tomashiro bear-hugged every player in sight.
    Dan and Buck raced to the plate to catch the excitement on film. Koby and Tug were buried in a pileup. Buck kneeled on the
     ground to get a good shot of Koby.
    Koby yelled loudly and clearly into the camera, “I’m not the story — the Cardinals are!” He pointedto the mass of knees and elbows all around him.
    Dan offered his hand, “Here, Koby, let me help you up!” He pulled a happily grinning Koby free from the pileup.
    “Thanks, Dan. I felt like a sardine down there!”
    Dan ushered Koby away from the crowd.
    “Koby, I hate to pull you away from the celebration, but if we’re going to get to the studio to look through the new material,
     we don’t have any time to waste.”
    Koby nodded quickly. “I’ve got some ideas about some other stuff we can do, Dan. Is that OK?”
    “Why don’t you explain it to me on the ride over?” Dan turned to his cameraman. “Buck, hand me the tape from your camera,
     and you can use a fresh one to finish up here. As soon as you’re done here, race back to the station!”
    “OK, chief !” Buck said with a smile. “But before I forget, Kobe, good going, man! You guys are really champs!”
    “Thanks, Buck, I really appre —”
    “Hey, you guys, don’t get sentimental on me! We’ve got a job to do,” Dan said as he nudged Koby along through the crowd.

14
    D an and Koby pulled into the Channel 5 side lot and parked the van. They hurried into the station but were stopped by a security
     guard behind a giant counter.
    “Hey, Dan, where’s the fire?” the security guard asked.
    “I’ve got a deadline, Fred,” Dan said. “Koby, here, is with me.”
    “OK. He’ll have to sign in, and then I’ll buzz you both through.”
    Koby dashed off his signature and followed Dan down a long hallway. When they reached the stairway, Dan pushed open the heavy
     metal door and took the steps two at a time. Koby tried to keep up with him.
    “Here we are!” Dan said as he pushed open a black door. “This is the editing room. First thing we are going to do is work
     on making a new promo. I’m going to load today’s tape into the editing system. Look at the viewer, and we can decide if we
     can use anything from today’s shooting. Then we’ll finish up the documentary.”
    “Gotcha!” Koby said enthusiastically.
    “This new promo has to be ready to air during tonight’s six o’clock news.”
    “OK, chief,” Koby said with a big