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with the coach again. No fun
     warming the bench.
    The coach rapped out grounders for ten minutes, then the Rainbows took over the field. At 6:30, game time, Sam Suzuki still
     hadn’t appeared.
    The Rainbows had first raps. Tom Rolf, pitching for the Mohawks, walked the lead-off man. The second man blasted a hot grounder
     directly at Stogie. Stogie stooped to snare it — it looked like a soft catch — but the ball zipped past his glove, through
     his legs, and to the outfield!
    “Get your tail down, Stogie!” yelled a fan.
    Playing second base wasn’t as easy as he had thought!
    Stogie rushed back, caught the throw-infrom right fielder Bernie Drake, and held it. The man on first had advanced to third, and the hitter was standing comfortably
     on first.
    “Sorry, Tom,” said Stogie, tossing the ball to the pitcher. Tom’s tightened lips showed that he wasn’t at all happy with that
     play.
    Tom winged in two outside pitches on the next hitter, then struck him out. A Texas leaguer over short scored a run. Jim Albanese
     pulled in a fly for the second out, and Bob Sobus caught a pop fly for the third.
    “Wish Sam would show up,” said Fuzzy in the dugout, tapping his bat against the tips of his sneakers. “He’s smaller than most
     of us, but he’s good.”
    Daren Holden grinned at Stogie. “You don’t think so, though, do you, Stoge?”
    Stogie shrugged. “Who says I don’t? Sure, he’s good.”
    “But you don’t like him. You don’t like his taking over your favorite position.”
    Stogie’s control shattered like glass. “You’d better close your trap and keep it closed, Holden!”
    Daren chuckled and Stogie, his face still burning, turned his attention to Jim Albanese standing at the plate. He wished more
     than ever that Sam would return.
I hope that when I tell him what I saw he’ll forget about the ruined glove and be my friend
, Stogie thought.
I really want him to be
my
friend
.
    Fats Cornell couldn’t get one over and Jim Albanese got a free ticket to first. Lee Cragg, up next, laid down a nice bunt
     between third base and the pitcher, advancing Jim. Fats threw Lee out at first.
    Dennis Krupa fouled the first two pitches, then blasted a high fly to left. The Rainbow left fielder caught it. Fuzzy Caliel
     went after a high pitch for strike one, then slammed a low one in a crazy, sizzling grounder to Fats. Fats dropped to his
     knees, trapped the ball between his fat legs, and threw Fuzzy out.
    Three away. No runs, no hits, no errors.
    And still no Sam.

11
    T HE RAINBOW lead-off hitter socked a belt-high pitch directly back at Tom Rolf. Tom caught it and stared at the ball in the
     pocket of his glove as if he were surprised he had it. He tossed it to first and the ball zipped around the horn.
    “Two more, Tom!” Bob Sobus hollered. “Let’s get two more!”
    The second Rainbow hitter blasted Tom’s first pitch to right center for two bases. Then a grass-cutting grounder zipped down
     to short. Dennis fielded itand threw it wild to first. A run scored and the hitter trotted to second.
    Stogie kicked a pebble, then picked it up and threw it beyond the foul line. It was only the top of the second inning and
     he could already foresee the end of the ball game. The Rainbows were going to smear the Mohawks but good.
    The next batter socked a high-bouncing grounder to third. Fuzzy snared it and whipped it to first. Out! Bob Sobus shifted
     his position to peg to third, but the runner stayed glued on second.
    A hard blow over Tom’s head scored the Rainbows’ second run. He struck out the next man to retire the side. Rainbows 3, Mohawks
     0.
    “Start it off, Stogie,” encouraged Coach Dirkus. “Get a hit.”
    Fats Cornell wound up and breezed apitch past Stogie’s ear. Stogie reared back. “Ball!” yelled the ump.
    Fats’s second pitch cut the outside corner. “Steeerike!”
    Fats’s third started to cut the center of the plate and Stogie swung.
Crack
! The ball zoomed out to left