The Baseball Game

 

Midge and Booker-T walked along the sidewalk going to Jake's house. As they turned the corner, they saw a group of human boys walking in the street. They each had blue shirts and each had a different number on them.

"What are they doing?" asked Booker-T.

"I think they are the boys who are going to play baseball at the new field," said Midge. "Lets hurry to Jake's house."

They ran the rest of the way to Jake's house. When they entered his yard, they found him napping on the porch swing. Midge took her foot and pushed the swing.

"Hey Jake!" called Midge. "Wake up now!"

"I'm awake," said Jake as he sat up in the swing.

"Nope," laughed Booker-T. "You were asleep."

"My eyes were closed but I heard you come through the gate," smiled Jake.

"You can hear in your sleep?" asked Midge.

"I wasn't sleeping," said Jake. "I was just laying here with my eyes closed."

"I think you were sleeping," laughed Booker-T.

"No," said Jake shaking his head. "Just resting the eyes."

"Why?" asked Midge.
"Did your eyes need to sleep?" asked Booker-T.

"I was just laying here on the swing," said Jake. "And watching the boys walking along the street when all of a sudden, my eyes closed but I could still hear the boys walking along the street and I heard you two talking when you came into the yard."

"Do you want to go see what those boys are doing?" asked Booker-T.

"I think they are going to play a ball game," said Jake.

"Can we go see the ball game?" asked Booker-T.

"Lets go Jake," said Midge. "Maybe I can play with them."

"Midge," said Jake. "You can't play with them."

"They are going to play with a ball," said Midge. "I can play with a ball and I can chase it."

"They wouldn't like it if you go get the ball from them," said Jake.

"Maybe Midge can help them when they lose the ball," suggested Booker-T.

"They don't lose the ball," laughed Jake.

"They might lose it," smiled Midge. "And if they do, I will be there to fetch it."

"They always know where the ball is," said Jake.

"How do you know?" asked Booker-T.

"My owner likes to watch the ball game on TV," said Jake. "I sat with her and watched them play."

"What do they do?" asked Midge.

"Well," said Jake. "There is some human who stands with a stick and this other human throws the ball at him."

"Does the other one catch the ball?" asked Booker-T.

"No," said Jake. "The human with the stick tries to hit the ball with the stick."

"That's funny," said Midge.

"Why does he hit the ball?" asked Booker-T. "Why didn't he catch it?"

"I don't know," said Jake.

"What happens if he hits the ball?" asked Midge.

"If he hits the ball," said Jake. "Someone else goes running after it and sometimes, the ball goes up in the air and someone catches it and then some guy yells, Out!"

"Out?" asked Midge. "He can't play the game anymore?"

"No," said Jake. "He still plays the game, but he's out. I don't know what out means."

"Lets go see what they do," said Midge. "Come on Jake."

The three walked out of the gate and followed a couple of little boys walking up the street. When they reached the park near the school, they saw a lot of big humans sitting on benches near the park behind a tall fence.

"Are they going to watch the boys play with the ball?" asked Booker-T.

"Yes," said Jake. "Lets go over there."

As they walked to the benches, Midge stopped before they reached the bench.

"Come on Midge," said Jake.

"I want to watch from here," said Midge.

"Why?" asked Booker-T.

"I might be able to help them," suggested Midge.

"You can't play ball with them," said Jake. "Come on."

Midge sat down and watched what was going on. She saw a young boy walk up holding a stick in his hands. Out standing in the dirt, was another boy with a ball.

"Batter up!" yelled some big human in a funny mask and a funny glove on one hand.

"Who is he?" asked Midge.

"I don't know," said Jake. "He just stands there."

The boy with the stick walked in front of the funny looking guy in the mask and stood there with the stick in the air near his shoulder. The other little boy with the ball waved his arm around and around and then threw the ball at the boy with the stick. The ball hit the boy with the stick in the arm and the big guy with the funny mask screamed,"Ball!"

"Is he telling everyone that the small boy got hit with the ball?" asked Booker-T.

"Maybe," said Jake.

"Why?" asked Midge.

The boy with the stick, stood again and waited. The boy with the ball threw it at the one with the stick again and once again the ball hit the young boy in the arm.

"Ball!" screams the funny man in the mask. "Walk!"

"Where is the young boy going?" asked Midge. "Is he going home?"

"No," said Jake. "I don't think so."

They young boy walks out to the field and stops. Under his feet is a white square pad.

"What is he doing there?" asked Booker-T.

"Looks like he is just standing there," said Midge. "Is he going to catch the ball now?"

"I don't know," said Jake.

"This is a funny game," laughed Midge. "I want to go catch the ball for them."

"You can't," said Jake. "Just watch what they are doing."

"Is that all the one with the stick does?" asked Booker-T. "Just stand and get hit with the ball

and then walks away?"

"I don't know," said Jake. "Here comes another young boy and he has a stick."

They watched and the boy with the ball tossed it at the new one with the stick. The boy swung the stick and hit the ball. He threw down the stick and started to run toward the spot where the other little boy stood on the white pad.

"Where did the other human boy go?" asked Booker-T.

"He ran over there," said Midge looking confused. "Are they running away from the ball?"

"I don't know," said Jake.

"What kind of funny game is this?" asked Midge.

"I think they call it baseball," said Jake.

"I want to play baseball," said Midge. "I can chase the ball like that little boy in the field did."

"I saw him pick up the ball and throw it to someone else," said Booker-T. "How would you throw the ball?"

"I can run with the ball and give it to the other boy," said Midge.

"I don't think you can pick it up," said Jake.

"Sure I can," said Midge.

Suddenly another little boy hit the ball with the stick and Midge started running toward the ball. People in the stands were laughing. She picked up the ball before a boy reached it. She started to run to the boy standing in the middle of the field.

"Go go," screamed the boy as he grabbed the ball from Midge. "Shoo shoo!"

"Midge!" called Jake. "Come on lets go!"

Midge ran back to Jake with the big guy in the funny mask and 4 of the boys running after her. As they got close, Midge ran after Booker-T and Jake who started to run off the field.

"I think we better go home," said Jake as he stopped and saw the boys go back to the game.