she's alright {benny rodriguez}

~20~

Benny was feeling better the next day, and a few days after the carnival incident, all the boys were back to normal. They all swore off the chew and only got bazooka gum from Vincent's.

The team was back at the sandlot, and Kenny was pitching to Benny. You were standing in the dugout, watching the game before you. Smalls was in for you.

The ball flew towards Benny, and he hit it with a crack. You watch the ball fly through the air, but something falls off and lands in the middle of the field. It was the shell of the ball. Smalls caught the insides, and looked at it.

Yeah-Yeah ran towards the busted outside, and so did everyone else. You looked at Benny in awe, and ran towards the group. The shell lay in the middle of the field, in all its glory. It had to mean something.

You all gathered in a circle around it. "I don't believe it."

"Bitchin'."

"Nah, it ain't."

"C'mon, Benny man. Maybe two or three guys in history have busted the guts out of the ball. Must be an omen," Squints observes.

"Alls it means is we can't play no more. I mean, it's only 12:00, and I just ruined the whole day for us," Benny complains.

"No you didn't, that's the most amazing thing I ever saw!" Kenny exclaims.

"Anybody got any money?" Benny asks.

"No," everybody says.

"Then it ain't okay 'cause now we can't play no more."

"Benny, it's okay. This is amazing!" you exclaim and shove his shoulder.

"Yeah we can," Smalls says.

"What, you got 98 extra cents lying around at home Smalls?"

"No, but I got a ball."

"Got get it!"

~~~~~

"I got it guys! I got it. I got the ball guys, I got it!" Smalls yells, running to the group holding the ball in the air. "Here, Benny."

"Bitchin'. Your ball, your ups. Here you go." Benny hands Smalls the bat and Smalls goes up to bat.

"Baaatter up!" Ham yells. "Fly's open." Smalls checks his zipper, but sees that it's not. He notices the ball coming and tries to hit it, but misses.

"There's one. One, two, three. Three strikes, three pitches." Kenny pitches again, and this time Smalls hits it.

"Oooo, oh man. Oh man," Benny calls as it flies over his head.

"Yeah!" Smalls cheers and runs to first base.

"Way to go, school meat! I taught him everything," Ham says like a proud dad. However, when Smalls saw that the ball went over the fence, he stopped running and walked to the fence.

"Hey, uh, Smalls. Third base is that way," Bertram points. You frown and walk up to him.

"Oh no, oh no."

"Yeah, nice hit Smalls, nice it. Yeah!" Benny cheers for him and runs back. "It's outta here, who's got the big bat now, boys! You did great S... malls." Smalls paid no attention to their cheers and just watched the fence.

"You forgot to turn! You go to third base!" Ham calls while running up. "The hell's he doing?"

"Maybe the shock of his first homer was too much for him," Bertram says.

You all walk up to the kid staring at the fence, and he turns around. "We gotta get that ball back."

"Oh, yeah right. Good one, Smalls," Ham jokes.

"Hey, forget about it man. We'll just get another ball."

"No! You don't understand!"

"Sure we do. You feel bad 'cause you belted a homer, and now we can't play no more."

"No, you don't understand! That wasn't my ball!" he cries, really desperately too. Everyone looks around, confused.

"What. Do you mean, that wasn't your ball," Squints asks after pushing up his glasses.

"Smalls? You okay?" you ask.

"It was my stepdad's- I stole it from his trophy room. It was a present or something, somebody gave it to him. But we gotta get it back, he's gonna kill me!"

"Listen to me, Smalls. It's a matter of life and death. Where did your old man get that ball?"

"What? I dunno. Some lady gave it to him. Why?"

"What? Lady?"

"Yeah, she even signed her name on it. Some lady named... Ruth. Baby Ruth."

"BABE RUTH!?" everybody yells and runs to the fence. You jump up and peek over the green plastic. There was a growl and a huge paw grabbed the ball. You yelled and ran away from the fence. You had guessed Benny busting the ball was an omen, but not a bad one. Now, this had happened.

"The Beast got it," Kenny stated.

"You're dead as a doornail, Smalls," the Timmins brothers claim.

"You're complete toast, bud." You shake your head.

"You mean to tell me that you went home and swiped a ball that was signed by Babe Ruth, and brought it here and actually played with it?" 

"And actually played with it?"

"Yeah! Yeah, but I was gonna bring it back," Smalls defends himself.

"But It was signed by Babe Ruth!" Squints yells.

"Yeah- you keep telling me that. Who... who is she?"

A pause.

"WHAT?!" Ham asks. You're kidding.

"The Sultan of Swat."

"The King of Crash."

"The colossus of Clout."

You all yell, "Babe Ruth!"

"The Great Bambinoooo," Ham emphasizes.

"Oh my god, you mean that's the same guy?!" he exclaims.

"Yes!" you all say

"Smalls, Babe Ruth is the greatest baseball player who ever lived. People say he was less than a god but more than a man. Y'know, like Hercules or something. That ball you aced to the Beast is worth, well, more than your whole life," Benny admits.

"Ben, don't say that," you whisper.

"What? the kid's gotta know," he protests.

"Oh, I don't feel so good." Smalls groans and falls to the ground.

"Uh oh, fan him. Give him air, give him air."

"We have to get that ball back."

Benny sighs. "Alright, when does your old man get home from work?"

"He's gone on business, out of town. But he could be back anytime."

Benny puts on his hat and put on a determined look. "Alright. Find out when. And guys, spread out and look for bottles and cash 'em in. We need 98 cents, we got to buy us a ball."