Violet and Benny hurried to their seats in the bleachers. They sat behind Emma once again.
“Hi,” said Emma, turning around. “Where are Henry and Jessie?”
“Jessie is getting an autograph,” said Benny. “I’m going to get one, too.”
“It’s fun to get autographs,” said Emma. “Whose autograph do you want?”
Benny looked all around. “I want Carlos’s autograph,” he said.
Emma laughed. “Carlos will be thrilled that you want his autograph, Benny!” She looked around. “Is Henry getting an autograph, too?”
“No,” said Violet. “Henry is sitting in a different seat today.”
“Oh,” said Emma. “Well, I hope it’s a good seat. I wouldn’t want him to miss this game. The Cogs must win.” She pounded the arms of her chair.
Violet and Benny looked all around, taking in the sights and smelling the hot dogs. Soon Jessie arrived.
“Got it!” she said, showing them a score card. Jessie tucked the scorecard into her pocket. “I’m hungry,” she said, looking around. “And here comes Carlos.”
Jessie bought hot dogs for Violet, Benny, and herself. She paid Carlos and gave him a tip. “Thanks,” said Carlos. “Where’s Henry?”
“Oh, he’s around here somewhere,” said Jessie. She didn’t want to say where he was.
Suddenly Benny jumped up. “It’s Wheelie!” he shouted, pointing down to the field. The big, fuzzy, orange mascot ran across the field, tossing rolled-up T-shirts to the fans.
“Wheelie!” shouted Benny. “Up here!”
Emma smiled at Benny. “I didn’t know you liked Wheelie so much,” she said.
“I love Wheelie,” replied Benny.
Just then the mascot threw a rolled-up T-shirt toward their seats. The large cotton bundle came right at Emma. But Emma ducked at the last minute, and Benny caught the T-shirt.
All the fans applauded Benny. “Nice catch!” they shouted.
Benny was very excited. He unwrapped the T-shirt and held it up. Wheelie’s picture was on the front.
“I’m going to ask Wheelie to autograph my shirt,” said Benny.
Jessie and Violet smiled.
Emma frowned. “I don’t know,” she said. “Wheelie doesn’t seem to like to autograph things.”
Down on the field, Wheelie was jumping up and down. He pumped both arms into the air. He spread his fingers in a V for victory. And then Wheelie did cartwheels all the way back to his special door.
The Cogs fans went wild. They applauded long and loud. “Go, Cogs, go!” they shouted. “Cogs will win! Cogs will win!” Of all the fans, Emma Larke shouted the loudest.
Benny kept looking back, to the top of the aisle. He waited for Wheelie. And then he saw the mascot at the top of the stairs.
Wheelie stopped to slap hands with fans. Whenever a fan handed him something to sign, Wheelie autographed it.
“Well, look at that,” said Emma. “Wheelie is autographing everything!”
It took Wheelie a long time to reach the bottom of the aisle. Finally he reached the row where Jessie, Violet, and Benny were. He autographed Benny’s T-shirt.
“Thank you,” said Benny.
Carlos patted Wheelie on an orange shoulder. “Way to go, Wheelie. That’s the right thing to do.”
Wheelie climbed over the railing to his special platform and special seat. The game began!
From inside the mascot’s costume, Henry thought the world looked orange. That was because one of Wheelie’s orange eyelashes was drooping in front of the eye opening. Everything Henry saw from that eye looked a bit orange-y.
Mr. Tanaka had asked Henry to take Winn Winchell’s place inside the mascot costume.
“But I’ve never been a mascot before,” Henry had said. “I’m not sure I’d know what to do.”
“You will do a great job,” Mr. Tanaka had said. “And you will be helping the team.”
So Henry had gone to Wheelie’s dressing room and taken off his shirt and shoes. Just as he finished putting on the mascot’s costume, there was a knock on the door.
Henry had opened the door. A boy about his age was there. He wore a Hatter’s uniform. He handed Wheelie an envelope.
Henry took the envelope, but he didn’t say anything. He knew Wheelie did not talk.
The boy turned and walked away quickly. Henry saw the words Hatters Batboy written across the back of the boy’s uniform.
The envelope that Henry was holding was full of something papery. The handwriting on it said Wheelie. The handwriting slanted to the left! Henry put the envelope in one of the pockets of his shorts. Then he went out onto the field to throw T-shirts to the fans.
It’s fun playing Wheelie, thought Henry, as he settled into his special chair.
The Cogs pitcher struck out the first Hatter, walked the second, and got the third to hit into a double play. In the bottom of the first inning, Reese Dawkins hit a home run with a runner on base. Henry stood up and did five cartwheels across the platform. Then he jumped up and down and pumped his arms in the air. The Cogs were leading, 2-0!
In the top of the second inning, Cody Howard was the first Hatter to bat.
Henry sat in the special chair. He put both feet flat on the platform. He crossed his arms and sat very, very still. Henry knew that if Cody Howard hit a home run, it meant that Carlos was stealing the signs.
Henry stared at Cody. It seemed like Cody Howard was staring right back at him! Of course Cody didn’t know he was looking at Henry, since Henry was dressed as Wheelie. Cody hit a foul ball on the first pitch. He looked out toward the bleachers. He pointed his bat at the bleachers, then pounded it on home plate.
Henry heard a clang-clang-clang behind him. Carlos was banging the lid of his hot dog box up and down.
Now Henry realized what Carlos was doing. Carlos wanted to upset Cody Howard and make him miss! Carlos is a true Cogs fan, thought Henry.
Cody swung at the second pitch and missed.
The Cogs fans cheered loudly.
Cody stepped out of the batter’s box and walked around. Finally the umpire made him step back into the box. Cody pointed his bat toward the bleachers.
Henry did not move a muscle. He sat as still as a statue. He knew Cody wanted Wheelie to tell him what pitch was coming.
Cody swung and missed.
“You’re out!” shouted the umpire. Cody walked back to the Hatters dugout. He glared toward the bleachers.
Carlos tapped Wheelie on the shoulder and handed him a hot dog and soft drink. “I love your new style, Wheelie! The fans love the jumps!” Carlos bent low so only Wheelie could hear him, “I’m glad to see you’re signing autographs for free. That’s what a mascot should do.”
Henry nodded. He looked at his hot dog. How am I going to eat this with a costume on? he wondered.
The Cogs didn’t score in the second or third innings. Neither did the Hatters. The score stood at 2-0. In the top of the fifth, Cody Howard came to bat again.
Once again Henry sat very still. His feet were flat on the platform. His arms were folded against his chest.
Once again Cody Howard seemed to be looking straight at him. Cody pointed his bat and pounded the plate. Henry could see Reese Dawkins hold down two fingers: curve ball. Henry watched the pitcher release the ball. He watched it zoom toward the plate, then curve. He saw Cody Howard swing and miss.
Cody pounded his bat on the plate. He pointed his bat at the bleachers. He scowled.
Wow, thought Henry. Cody is so angry that even if I signaled what pitch was coming, he would swing and miss.
Swing and miss is what Cody did. Strike two.
Cody tried to blast the next pitch out of the park—but his bat hit only air.
“You’re out!” shouted the umpire.
Wheelie jumped up and down. He pumped his arms. The fans roared their approval.
“I love the Cogs!” shouted Emma Larke.
“Go, Cogs!” shouted Carlos. “Go for the pennant!”
“Yay, Cogs!” shouted Benny. “Yay, Wheelie!”
Cody Howard did not get a hit at all. The Cogs won the game, 4-0.
When Henry climbed back over the rail and stood in the aisles, he was mobbed by fans. Some wanted his autograph, which he gave. Others just wanted to pat him on the back.
Wheelie waited until all the fans had left. Then he and Jessie and Violet and Benny walked to the owner’s box.
Mr. Tanaka, Grandfather, and Winn Winchell all sat in the owner’s box.
Jessie saw how happy Mr. Tanaka looked. Grandfather looked happy, too. Winn Winchell did not look happy.
“Henry!” said Mr. Tanaka, jumping up. “You were wonderful!” He helped Henry take off the top half of the Wheelie costume.
“I caught a Wheelie T-shirt!” said Benny, pulling the shirt over his head. “And I got Wheelie’s autograph, too,” he said, pointing to where Henry had signed the shirt Wheelie.
“Yeah, yeah,” growled Winn Winchell. “So the kids all had fun.” He pointed at Henry and said, “But this kid can’t play Wheelie like I can.”
Winn jumped up and clenched his fists. “Tomorrow I’m the mascot again,” he said.
“No,” said Mr. Tanaka, “you’re not.”
“What?!” Winn shouted. “I’m the mascot! This kid isn’t the mascot!”
“The Cogs won today,” Mr. Tanaka said to Winn. “The Cogs and Hatters are tied for first place. Whoever wins tomorrow wins the pennant.”
“What’s that got to do with the mascot?” demanded Winn.
Mr. Tanaka pointed at a chair. “Sit down,” he told Winn.
Winn glared at the owner, but finally Winn sat down.
“The Cogs have lost games they should have won,” said Mr. Tanaka, his voice stern.
“The Cogs have lost because somebody was stealing signs.”
“Stealing signs isn’t a fair way to win,” said Benny.
Winn waved his hand at them. “It’s got nothing to do with me.”
“Yes, it does,” said Henry. “You’re the sign stealer.”
“You’re crazy,” answered Winn.
Henry reached into a pocket and pulled out an envelope. “Today the Hatters batboy came to Wheelie’s dressing room. When I was in costume, he handed me this envelope.”
“That’s mine!” shouted Winn, jumping up.
But before Winn could grab the envelope, Mr. Tanaka stepped forward and took it from Henry’s hand. |