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The fight during the game is based on a true incident between the Dutch baseball teams Neptunus and HCAW on September 8 1999. The rules they use in the story are based on today's rules.
Because Eddie had infected his dad and Uncles to play baseball as well, was there after a few days of practicing and playing no other subject to be talked about than this sport.
“Dad, wouldn’t it be fun if we had a team?”, Eddie asked one evening during supper.
The boy was crazy about baseball since he had learned it at another school.
“I guess it is. But then we must have nine men to have a complete team. Where do you reckon to get them from?” was the question of Buck, his father.
The boy gave it some deep thought and answered then, “I am in and so are you so that makes it two. Of course Uncle Mano and Blue will join in. Mike, Joe and the foreman Sam too. So now we are with ...men.”
Then he stopped with counting because it was too difficult for him. Buck decided to help his little boy.
“Uncle Mano, Blue, you and I are four and Mike, Joe and Sam are three. How much is four and three?”, Buck asked.
Eddie counted on his fingers and said, “Seven.
So we must have yet just two more? We will find them.”
“Eddie, you forget that the team must have a coach as well. Who did you have in mind for that?” John asked then his nephew.
The boy looked at him and said, “You.”
Buck, Manolito and Blue were rolling on the floor laughing but John said seriously, “From now on I am the coach and that means that you must do what I say.”
“But they must always do what you say?” Eddie asked amazed.
“That is so but they don’t do it always”, was John’s answer.
“You don’t always listen to me so you mustn’t say anything about us”, Buck reacted directly.
“I happen to be your child?” Eddie asked directly.
Buck sighted deeply and decided to keep silent because that was to him the smartest thing to do at that moment. They ate quietly further but the foundation for the baseball team was already made.
After supper Eddie went to play outside for a little while with his bat and ball. Eddie threw the ball and hit the object away at the same time. The young Cannon was very adept in this although he had a young age.
In the time that Eddie was playing outside the other Cannons discussed their team.
“I don’t mind that you have started a baseball team but the work mustn’t suffer under it. Then the party is over”, John said right away.
“That won’t happen. Of course we can’t practice everyday but that little lad can”, Buck said.
“They even play it during the breaks at school. It is a wonder that Eddie hasn’t broken any windows yet with that throwing power of his”, Manolito remarked.
“Don’t give him any ideas because you know that he is literal up everything”, Buck said warning.
“Who would give him that?” Blue asked lightly.
Everybody laughed.
Buck came outside to get his son to bed when Eddie accidentally hit the ball to his father.
Buck caught him and said, “You’re out. It is time for your bath and then off to bed.”
“It is still light and then I cannot get to sleep”, Eddie gave as an argument.
“You say that every night so you must come up with something new. Tomorrow you must be well rested because then we start with the practice”, Buck said while he was holding the ball.
“Alright then. Do you come to sit with me for a while?”, Eddie wanted to know.
“I do that every night, don’t I?” Buck asked on his turn.
The boy nodded and gave the bat to Buck.
“Daddy, here is one of your own kind”, Eddie said laughing.
“Very funny kid”, Buck said shaking his head.
The boy went inside quickly. There Eddie said goodnight to everyone and he went to the bathroom.
When Buck came to tuck him in Eddie was asleep for a long time. He knew that the boy was difficult to get to bed but when once he was in there he slept right away.
Buck and Manolito were discussing the line-up.
Buck said, “Now if we put Eddie at third base, then Sam can take in first base. Joe at the position of short stop and then Lance must control the second base. You catch and I am the pitcher.”
“The third baseman always get many balls thrown to. Do you think that Eddie is up to that?” his roommate asked.
“I think he is”, Buck reacted.
He kept silent for a little while and then he continued, “If Eddie is upon the mount he throws all the time 3 times 3 strike. Besides he attracts all the attention to himself and that is not good either for a boy of his age.”
They were so deep in their discussion that they hadn’t noticed that John and Eddie had come inside. The rancher coughed a bit and winked at his nephew.
“Who actually gave you permission to determine who plays where?” John asked then.
Buck and Manolito looked at each other and the eldest said, “We thought we might help you with it.”
“I didn’t know that you could think”, Eddie remarked dry.
“Very funny Eddie. Mustn’t you go and practice how to catch?”, Manolito reacted indignant.
“If you help me with it. I mustn’t play that game alone”, his nephew said.
They went to the field where the game would be held. Blue and Sam cmae along too as they were also in the team.
When the day of the game was getting closer Eddie kept himself busy with the organization of the selling of the drinks and food. He was a good support for Victoria who was very busy with making many hot-dogs and drinks. When Manolito came home one afternoon he smelled the smell of the hot-dogs already.
Curiously he walked into the kitchen but his sister said, “Manolito! You get no single hot-dog. The hot-dogs are for people who will be watching the game.”
Manolito looked at his nephew and asked, “Are you going to arrange the sale of the tickets?”
“There is no need for that because it is already sold out. Uncle John has made the tickets in town. The profits go to the orphanage”, Eddie said.
Manolito walked towards his nephew embraced him and said, “I’m proud of you that you arrange all this.”
“From what Aunt Victoria sells goes also everything to the orphanage. The kids there almost have nothing and I have here everything what I want”, the young Cannon said.
In the meantime folks had heard about the baseball team that the Cannons had formed. At a certain moment Derek Taylor ran into John in Tucson.
“Cannon, I have a new offer for that piece of land near your herd. Shall we play a baseball game for it? My boys against yours?” he asked.
John said, “That’s okay. “
“But prepare your team for the fact that we will win”, Derek said.
He walked away laughing.
Sheriff Jim Watkins and Deputy Nick Johnson came to the rancher and the sheriff asked, “What did Taylor want from you?”
“He challenges us for a baseball game for a piece of land that he loves to have. Would you like to be the umpires? Eddie said that there must be at least two. One at the homeplate and one at the third base”, the rancher said.
The two authority carriers agreed.
Everybody in Tucson knew how big the rivalry between the Cannons and the Taylors was so they all came to watch. The game was being held on a Sunday afternoon and the weather was also very well.
It seemed to be a very normal Sunday afternoon. But for the Cannons and their rivals, the Taylors, it wasn’t. On instructions of Eddie they had made a baseball field. The boy was very excited because he loved baseball very much and he was very good at it as well.
Buck took him apart and whispered to him, “You will get many balls up your way. I’m just warning you.”
“Daddy, this game is just good practice for me”, the boy answered.
Buck gave him a wink and together they walked to their team.
Derek Taylor, the coach of the opposite team, asked John, “John, that little lad isn’t playing along, is he?”
“Why not? By the way, it was his idea”, was the answer.
“We simply play him away”, Derek flouted.
John didn’t react to it and walked to his team.
“Boys, this is our line-up:
Pitcher : Buck
Catcher : Manolito
First baseman : Sam
Second baseman : Mike
Third baseman : Eddie
Shortstop : Joe
Left Fielder : Lance
Mid Fielder : Gary
Right Fielder : Joe.
Keep in mind that they can play very dirty and that they certainly will do that. Eddie, Derek said to me that they just want to play you away so you are warned”, The rancher said who was acting as coach.
The youngest of the team which carried the name “Chaparral Cowboys” nodded.
Derek and Jim Watkins came to them and Jim asked, “Are you ready?”
“As ready as can be”, John answered.
“The Chaparral Cowboys are the field team first”, Jim said who had gotten the part of head umpire.
Nick stood near the third base as second umpire. Everyone took their position in. Hank Taylor, the eldest son of Derek was first at bat. Buck threw the first ball to Manolito whereby Hank made a swing.
“One strike”, Jim said.
Again Buck threw a fastball to his brother and then he did it again.
“Hank, you have 3 strikeouts so you are out”, the sheriff said.
The next at bat was Frank Taylor. But he also got 3 strikeouts. Then Gary was on the turn. He looked stark at Buck so that Buck threw an easy ball at him. Gary hit it away but Eddie caught the ball and he threw it directly to Sam who owned first base.
“Gary is also out. Team change”, Jim called.
Victoria did very good business with his hot-dog stand. Because everywhere her cooking was well known Victoria had a good income. Before the game had started the Mexican lady had al ready sold everything.
Hank saw Eddie standing near the hitting place and asked snidely, “Bat, where are you going with that kid?”
Eddie replied with, “With this one I can hit and with you not.”
He was the first one at bat and that’s why Hank made it very difficult for him. At least that was what he was thinking. But Eddie saw the first ball coming and he didn’t change his mind. The young Cannon hit the ball right away very far.
“A homerun”, Jim said somewhat amused.
By the homerun of Eddie the Chaparral Cowboys came ahead. The Taylors didn’t like this and were out for revenge. Sam was the next batter. Smiling he walked with his bat to the hitting place. Gary threw the ball just right across his left ear.
“Did you have to do that?” the foreman of the High Chaparral called out loud.
“Shut it Butler”, Gary groaned.
The next ball he threw was so easy that Sam hit it with a hard smash into left field. Hereby Sam could reach the second base. He had to make a sliding to reach the base. Blue was after Sam on the turn. He hit a base hit. Then it was the turn of Manolito to hit. Because he was kind of strange looking at him Gary decided to throw four balls that were outside the home plate. Manolito was the first one to get a walk. All bases were loaded.
John whispered to Buck,” Hit a homerun so that everyone can home.”
“I will”, Buck said smiling.
Eddie stood next to his Uncle to see how his father played. Buck looked at the pitcher and hit the ball so far away that no one could get it. Because Buck hit a grand slam homerun Sam, Manolito, Blue and Buck scored each a point whereby they had a head start of 5-0 in the first inning.
The Chaparral Cowboys started to like the game even more. Especially when they scored more points and the Taylors didn’t get to the scoring point.
Derek became so angry that he said to John, “I demand that your nephew gets disqualified. He is too young to play ball!”
“That is ridiculous. This game was just his idea. You can’t accept the fact that your team is losing. Why don’t you quit?” John asked calm.
“I won’t give you the satisfaction”, Derek said derisory.
It was in the fifth inning. The two teams got more hostile towards each other at the field. Hank ran from the second base to the third when Buck turned around and threw the ball to Eddie to tick him out.
The little boy ticked him out and said, “You’re out.”
But Hank pushed him aside. Eddie got thrown hard on the ground and Hank kicked him against his lame leg. Buck saw what was happening and ran to his earth enemy. Buck kicked him against his leg and began then to fight with him. Manolito took care of his nephew and carried him to the dugout.
At the dugout Eddie said, “I’m fine Uncle Mano. Go help daddy.”
Here after he went to interfere with the fight as well. In the meantime every player had become involved with the fight and although it wasn’t nice Eddie thought it was entertaining.
Jim came up to the ranchers and said, “Let’s separate them and end the game.”
John and Derek nodded and walked with the sheriff to the fighting group.
They stopped with fighting when Jim shot a bullet from his revolver and he said, “The game is over. The Chaparral Cowboys win the game with 9 against 0.”
John and Derek separated their boys.
Derek said angry while he walked away, “Cannon, you win. I don’t want that piece of land anymore!”
His boys followed him like newborn lambs.
“It was actually quite fun to play a game of baseball”, Blue said when they were home again.
“Indeed it was”, Manolito replied.
“Do you know what I liked most?” Eddie asked.
“Well?” John asked smiling.
“The fight”, his nephew answered.
Everybody laughed.
“Let me tell you all right now that the team is annulled. But we will help you with your baseball career if you want that”, the rancher said to Eddie.
The boy nodded and thanked his Uncle by giving him a huge hug.
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