Beanball Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Dedication

  The Voices

  Part One

  Part Two

  Part Three

  Part Four

  Part Five

  About the Author

  Copyright © 2008 by Gene Fehler

  All rights reserved. Originally published in hardcover in the United States by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2008.

  For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 215 Park Avenue South, New York, New York 10003.

  www.hmhco.com

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

  Fehler, Gene, 1940–

  Beanball / by Gene Fehler.

  p. cm.

  Summary: Relates, from diverse points of view, events surrounding the critical injury of a popular and talented high school athlete, Luke “Wizard” Wallace, when he is hit in the face by a fastball.

  [1. Baseball—Fiction. 2. Sports injuries—Fiction. 3. Interpersonal relations—Fiction. 4. High schools—Fiction. 5. Schools—Fiction.] I. Title.

  PZ7.F3318Bea 2008

  [Fic]—dc22 2007013058

  ISBN: 978-0-618-84348-0 hardcover

  ISBN: 978-0-547-55001-5 paperback

  eISBN 978-0-547-53400-8

  v2.0614

  For

  Polly,

  Andy & Kellie,

  Tim & Jacquelyn,

  Mireille & Gabrielle,

  with love

  Special thanks to

  Marcia Leonard

  Dinah Stevenson

  Caryn Wiseman

  The Voices

  Oak Grove baseball team

  Luke “Wizard” Wallace, center fielder

  Andy Keller, backup infielder

  Paul Gettys, pitcher

  Daryl Hucklebee, coach

  Gordie Anderson, outfielder

  Craig Foltz, second baseman

  Compton baseball team

  Red Bradington, coach

  Kyle Dawkins, pitcher

  Dalton Overmire, shortstop

  Pete Preston, catcher

  Oak Grove High School

  Melody Mercer, student

  Janice Trucelli, English teacher

  Sarah Edgerton, student

  Elaine Cotter, substitute teacher

  Victor Sanderson, history teacher

  Lisalette Dobbs, student

  The Wallace family

  Michelle Wallace, Luke’s mother

  Larry Wallace, Luke’s father

  Randy Wallace, Luke’s grandfather

  Elizabeth Wallace, Luke’s grandmother

  At the hospital

  Dr. Wesley Hunter, ophthalmologist

  Alice Gooding, nurse

  Others

  Tim Burchard, umpire

  Clarissa Keller, Andy’s sister

  Roland Zachary, baseball scout

  Sally Anderson, nurse (and Gordie’s mother)

  Willard Kominski, baseball fan

  Nancy Keller, Andy and Clarissa’s mother

  Part One

  Luke “Wizard” Wallace and Andy Keller

  “This is our year, Andy. I’m sure of it.

  I had this dream last night.”

  “Okay, Wizard. Let’s hear it.”

  “I dreamed it was Awards Night.

  Coach Hucklebee was holding up a big trophy: State champs.

  There were two little statues on top.

  One was you and one was me. Co-MVPs.”

  “Hey, that must mean Coach picked me to start at third base.”

  “Sure. Why else would I have dreamed it?”

  “I hope you’re right.

  Wait’ll you hear about my dream.

  I dreamed I was making out with Lisalette Dobbs.”

  “You and Lisalette? Only in your dreams.”

  “I know she’s out of my league, but . . .”

  “I’ll say this, pal: The chances of you starting at third

  and of us winning State are better than the chances

  of you making out with Lisalette Dobbs.”

  “You think?”

  Clarissa Keller, Andy’s sister

  I saw a shooting star last night.

  If you see one,

  you’re supposed to make a wish.

  So I did.

  I wished that Luke and Andy would stay best friends

  forever and ever.

  Or at least until I’m in high school.

  That would mean Luke will keep coming to our house.

  I know an eleventh grader would never have

  a sixth grader for a girlfriend.

  I’m not dumb.

  But maybe someday he’ll look at me

  and not just see somebody’s little sister.

  I hope Andy and Luke stay friends till then.

  Luke “Wizard” Wallace, Oak Grove center fielder

  What I love most about football

  is when I jump up between two defenders

  and feel the ball slap against my hands and stay there;

  then I break a tackle and know that nobody can catch me.

  In basketball, it’s when I’m on my game,

  and I know, just know,

  that when the ball spins off my fingertips,

  it’ll hit nothing but net.

  Baseball—that’s the best of all.

  I’m in center field, a sea of green all around me.

  I see the batter swing,

  and I know that if the ball is hit anywhere near me,

  I’ll make the catch.

  I read a book about an old-time ballplayer,

  Shoeless Joe Jackson.

  He was such a great fielder, people called his glove

  “the place where triples go to die.”

  Standing out in center field, I think, “That’s me, too.”

  Nobody can ever take that feeling away.

  Andy Keller, Oak Grove backup infielder

  Sure I’m disappointed. Who wouldn’t be?

  I thought I’d be the starting third baseman.

  Luke thought so, too.

  But with just a few days to go before our first game,

  Coach came up with this brainstorm:

  Move Ricky from right field to third.

  Coach figures he’ll get more batting punch

  if he puts Ricky at third and Julio in right,

  but I think I’m as strong a hitter as either of them.

  Coach has given me a fair shot;

  I’m not saying he hasn’t.

  It’s just that I haven’t hit as well as I know I can.

  Luke thinks I’m trying too hard,

  putting too much pressure on myself.

  He says I should keep my head up, that I’ll get my chance.

  I hope he’s right.

  Paul Gettys, Oak Grove pitcher

  Coach has a saying: “You can’t go undefeated

  unless you win the first one.”

  I owe this win to the Wizard.

  I wasn’t sharp. Gave up six runs.

  Didn’t deserve to win.

  It was in the low forties today. Brrr.

  I like it hot.

  Sweat dripping down.

  My right arm as loose as an old sock.

  I’d never let Coach hear me blame the cold, though.

  Shoot, Coach hates excuses.

  He says, “An excuse is a crutch for losers”

  and “An excuse is like trying to patch

  an amputated arm with a Band-Aid.”

  Hucklebee’s a great coach,

  eve
n if he does go overboard with his cornball sayings.

  Anyway, I just wasn’t getting my pitches where I wanted them.

  That’s the whole thing.

  Lucky for me, our offense pounded the ball.

  Got me seven runs to work with.

  Last ups, they loaded the bases with two outs.

  Then a guy I should have been able to strike out

  blooped one into short center.

  It was a sure hit. No human could get to it.

  But the Wizard—Luke Wallace—came out of nowhere

  and made a sliding catch

  to save the game.

  I didn’t deserve the win, but I’ll take it.

  My team came through for me.

  Andy Keller, Oak Grove backup infielder

  I’ll take credit for Luke’s nickname:

  The Wizard.

  Oh, yeah.

  I started calling him that

  ’cause he’s a wizard with the mitt.

  I’ve known him since fifth grade,

  and the times I’ve seen him drop a ball,

  even in practice,

  I could count on one hand.

  Hey, I’d even have a few fingers left over.

  He can outrun any fly ball,

  and once he gets to it, it sticks to his glove

  like a piece of fuzz to a sweater.

  I bet there aren’t many big leaguers

  who can play the outfield better.

  Luke “Wizard” Wallace, Oak Grove center fielder

  I feel bad for Andy.

  He was counting on starting,

  which didn’t happen,

  and then he only got in for an inning

  in our first game.

  But he’s a good ballplayer,

  and this will just make him more determined.

  Hell break into the starting lineup yet.

  Coach is fair. He likes guys who hustle,

  and nobody hustles more than Andy.

  What he lacks in raw talent,

  he makes up for in desire.

  We’ve been best friends for years,

  practiced together thousands of hours—

  baseball, football, basketball.

  The thing about him that amazes me:

  I know he thinks it all comes so easy for me,

  but he’s never acted jealous,

  not even once.

  Melody Mercer, Oak Grove student

  I’m going to have to decide—

  who to go to prom with, I mean.

  I expect at least three guys will ask me.

  It’s a pain, having to decide,

  but I guess my problem isn’t the worst one a girl can have.

  I know some girls who won’t get asked at all.

  I don’t know why anybody would want

  to go steady with one boy.

  High school is too early to get tied down.

  Look at my mom.

  She dated the same guy all through high school.

  She was married at nineteen

  and divorced before she was thirty.

  I want to make sure I pick the right guy—

  if I ever decide to get married.

  I wouldn’t mind going to prom with Luke.

  He’s the guy I’ve been going out with the most.

  He’s fun. And he likes me a lot.

  I just don’t know if I want to get too serious

  with one of the school’s biggest jocks.

  That’s what Mom did, and look how she ended up.

  Sports were more important to Dad than Mom was.

  Or me, even.

  I like dating Brett. His parents are rich,

  so he has plenty of money to spend on me.

  I think Derek would be the best date, though.

  He’s absolutely gorgeous—the hottest guy in school.

  He should be prom king, for sure,

  and I have a good chance to be queen.

  Wouldn’t that make some photo?

  Derek and me, all dressed up, looking beautiful together?

  Janice Trucelli, Oak Grove English teacher

  Luke Wallace isn’t one of my top students,

  only one of my favorites.

  Not that I’d ever say that in public, of course.

  I know he’s capable of doing A work,

  but it’s pretty obvious he waits until the last minute

  to write his essays and doesn’t leave himself time

  to do any revising or proofreading.

  Oh, he exasperates me!

  To him, the difference between an A and a B- or even a C+

  isn’t worth the extra effort it would take to earn the A.

  He’d rather spend his time and energy on sports.

  He’s such fun to be around, though.

  He always has a smile and a pleasant word.

  He has a knack for making people feel he likes them,

  and I think he truly does.

  I remember during football season last fall

  he kept putting off projects,

  not turning in assignments on time.

  I had to call his parents in for a conference,

  because he was in danger of failing for the quarter.

  I told them I’d never failed a student

  I liked as much as I like Luke.

  But if he gave me no choice, fail he would.

  “Classroom obligations must be met,” I told them.

  Fortunately for us all, he heeded the warning.

  Daryl Hucklebee, Oak Grove coach

  I’m one lucky fellow, to be able to coach at Oak Grove.

  Not only do they have a great baseball tradition,

  but I’ve got a great bunch of kids to work with.

  There’s not one I wouldn’t be proud to call my son.

  Bunker Toomer was baseball coach here for nineteen years

  before I took the job.

  I’d coached against him and had tons of respect for him.

  When he retired, he phoned me—

  said I should interview here.

  It’s the best phone call I ever got.

  I didn’t know how people would react to me,

  the new guy taking over for someone so loved and trusted.

  But it’s my third year here,

  and I can’t say enough about the way I’ve been accepted.

  Maybe it’s because Bunker and I

  are so much alike in our coaching philosophy:

  we try to make the game fun.

  And if you truly like the kids on your team,

  teach them sound, fundamental baseball,

  get them to play hard,

  and let them have fun,

  it’s a lot more likely

  your team will win.

  Red Bradington, Compton coach

  It’s too early in the season to call it a must-win game,

  but, by God, it is.

  It’s one we have to win, just to prove to ourselves we can.

  The last two years it’s been Oak Grove in first place

  and us in second,

  and it looks like it’ll be the two of us battling it out

  for the conference title again this year.

  By God, I’m tired of losing to Hucklebee.

  He gets all the breaks, the lucky bastard.

  Every call goes his way.

  His players make lucky catches, get lucky hits.

  Mine can hit the snot out of the ball

  and it’ll be right at somebody.

  We’re snakebit.

  I’m going to throw Dawkins at them.

  He’s the best pitcher I’ve got.

  We have to whip their butts,

  beat that damn Hucklebee.

  We just have to.

  It’s time for things to go our way.

  Roland Zachary, baseball scout

  I phoned Red Bradington, the Compton coach.

  I asked him when I could see Kyle Dawkins pitch.

&nbs
p; Dawkins is number one on my list

  of high school prospects

  in this part of the state.

  The kid’s got a big league fastball right now.

  I saw him pitch twice last year,

  and I had a long talk with him.

  He’s got the arm.

  Not only that, he’s got the kind of attitude

  you want in a player in your organization.

  Kyle Dawkins, Compton pitcher

  Pro scouts came to some of my games last year.

  I started getting letters from colleges, too,

  wanting me to play for them.

  Coach thinks I might get drafted this year

  by a big league team.

  I won’t turn pro, though.

  Not until after college.

  I want that degree.

  Besides, I’m not ready for pro ball.

  I know that.

  They tell me I’ve already got a big league fastball.