The Team That Stopped Moving (8 page)

The boys’ full attention was riveted on him.

“That thing is sportsmanship and teammanship,” Jack explained seriously. “Without those two qualities no team could last very
long. You could see it for yourselves. Since you started to play you became more like enemies, not friends. You saw what happened
today. Half of the boys wanted to play, half didn’t. All because of you two.”

A lump rose in Dick’s throat as he looked at Stan and Stan looked at him.

“I was hoping that Coach Banks would
drive this point home to you,” Jack said. “Since he neglected to do so, I decided that I should.”

“I-I’m glad you did, Mr. Wanda,” Stan said humbly. “It’s been me. I know. I … I have always been too mouthy. Most of the time
I just can’t help it.” He looked at Dick. “I’m sorry, Dick.”

Dick smiled. “Aw, forget it,” he said.

“Okay,” Jack said. “Go back to your positions. Win or lose, play so that your fans will be real proud of you. Promise?”

“We promise!” both boys answered at once.

They returned to their positions. Suddenly Jack was gone, and everything was back to normal again. Dick noticed, too, that
Stan had not followed through with his kick. He had spun around and was now smiling pleasantly at him.

“Let’s go, gang!” Stan shouted. “Let’s get em!”

As if the Tigers had drunk some kind of magic potion, they began to play much better than they had before and proceeded to
keep the Foxes from scoring. Then, during the bottom of the fourth inning, they began to hit Jack Munson to the tune of eight
hits and seven runs. In the fifth inning they garnered three more to tie up the score, 10-10.

“One more run!” Dick shouted as the Tigers came to bat in the bottom of the sixth. “Just one more!”

Stan led off and smashed out a scorching double. Andy flied out to center. Dick, stepping up nervously to the plate, realized
that the game could go into an extra inning unless he, or Eddie, got a hit to score Stan.

“Knock me in, Dick!” Stan shouted from second base. “Powder it!”

Dick watched Jack Munson’s first pitch breeze by him. “Strike!” cried the ump.

Another pitch rifled in. “Strike two!” bellowed the ump.

“Dick — please!” Stan yelled.

Crack!
A long, shallow blow to deep left center field! Thunder rocked the Tigers’ bench as Dick dropped his bat and raced around
the bases, holding up at third.

It was over. The Tigers won, 11-10.

The boys jumped up and down and hugged each other as if they had won the championship.

“I can’t believe it!” Coach Banks exclaimed as he stood among them, beaming proudly. “Stan, your coming to finish up the game
with us made all the difference in the world!”

Stan’s eyes shone like bright lights. “It wasn’t only me, Coach. It was Dick, too. And Jack Wanda.”

The Coach frowned. “Jack who?”

Dick laughed. “Jack Wanda!” he cried. “A new friend of ours, Coach! You should meet him sometime! Right, Eddie?”

“Right!”

Coach Banks’ eyebrows rose in wonder and amusement. “You guys!” He laughed. “What are you going to think of next?”

Dick Farrar was glum. The baseball team he had helped organize couldn’t seem to get a winning combination together.

Then one day, in the midst of an important play, something happens to Dick. For some strange reason, all the action on the
field seems to freeze, and a man who calls himself a wizard appears and begins to talk to him. The wizard gives him pointers
on how to improve his play, and after everyone starts to move again, Dick sparks a rally that enables them to win the game.

Combining baseball and the supernatural, Matt Christopher weaves an exciting story in this his fortieth book for young readers.

Illustrated by Byron Goto

What would you do if a warlock put a hex on you?

Jerry Steele couldn’t understand why he had suddenly turned into such a bumbler on the basketball court. Last year he was
his team’s star player, but this year he couldn’t score a point.

When Jerry meets Danny Weather-spoon he really begins to think something strange is going on — for Danny says he’s a warlock
who is purposely preventing Jerry from scoring.

Why Danny feels he has a good reason to hex Jerry and how Jerry reacts to Danny’s claim of supernatural powers make up the
intriguing plot of this fast-paced sports story by one of the most popular authors of stories for young readers.

Illustrated by Byron Goto

BASEBALL BOOKS

The Lucky Baseball Bat

Baseball Pals

Two Strikes on Johnny

Little Lefty

Long Stretch at First Base

Challenge at Second Base

Baseball Flyhawk

Catcher with a Glass Arm

Too Hot to Handle

The Reluctant Pitcher

Miracle at the Plate

The Year Mom Won the Pennant

Hard Drive to Short

Shortstop from Tokyo

Look Who’s Playing First Base

The Kid Who Only Hit Homers

Mystery Coach

No Arm in Left Field

Jinx Glove

The Team That Stopped Moving

BASKETBALL BOOKS

The Basket Counts

Basketball Sparkplug

Break for the Basket

Tall Man in the Pivot

Sink It, Rusty

Long Shot for Paul

Johnny Long Legs

Front Court Hex

FOOTBALL BOOKS

Touchdown for Tommy

Crackerjack Halfback

Counterfeit Tackle

The Team That Couldn’t Lose

Catch That Pass!

Tough to Tackle

Glue Fingers

HOCKEY BOOKS

Wingman on Ice

Face-Off

Ice Magic

Lucky Seven: Sports Stories by Matt Christopher

ANIMAL STORIES

Desperate Search

Stranded