Summer of 1964
By Spice-Autumn
Summary: Maybe nothing could compare to that one summer where Benny pickled the beast. But this vary summer came in second and changed the game of baseball for Benny and the sandlot gang.
Chapter 1: Sandy and Elaine
It was June 16, 1964 and school in valley let out for the summer. It was the season Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez loved the most – no school, no homework, no worries – all that mattered was the sandlot and baseball.
Benny enjoyed the touch of the scorching heat that hit him as he walked out of the school yard. He met up with both Scotty Smalls and Hamilton Porter who awaited him in front of the school yard fence.
"How's it going guys?" Benny greeted both boys with a grin.
"Just glad the school year is over!" Ham boasted as he began walking along side Benny and Smalls.
"The year wasn't so bad." Smalls admitted.
"Not bad for you," snorted Ham. "You're always getting straight A's and always being the teachers pet."
Smalls frowned and looked down to the sidewalk feeling like a huge dork. Benny laughed and lightly patted Smalls on his shoulder assuring him not to feel bad. The trio continued walking till they reached they reached the back of Vincent Drug Store where the rest of the remaining gang awaited the three boys.
"Geez, it's about time!" cried Michael "Squints" Palledorous.
"Yeah, yeah, it's about time! I have to get home early today to go babysit my little sister. I want to at least get a game in before going home." Alan "Yeah-Yeah" McClennan complained.
"Ah, don't have a cow! We're here already." Ham wailed at the two boys. "Where's DeNunez?"
"He went to go buy a pack of gum next door." Squints advised the chubby red-headed boy.
Kenny DeNunez came walking in back of Squints and Yeah-Yeah with a pack of bubble gum cigarettes. When you blow bubble gum cigarettes they actually blow smoke, okay it's not really smoke more like powdered sugar.
"Hey, DeNunez," Ham called out. "Give me one of those sticks will ya?"
"Yeah, yeah, give me one too!" requested Yeah-Yeah for one of the candy cigars.
DeNunez just smiled as he handed out each boy a pink powdered bubble gum cigar. Both Benny and Smalls refused to take one. DeNunez shrugged and put the pack of candy cigars in his back pants pocket.
"So what's the plan for today, Benny man?" DeNunez asked the elder boy.
"The usual," Benny smirked. "Let's play some ball till sunset."
Benny and gang left the town center and headed to the sandlot. The small field they all called their "second home." The place where the gang improvised a game of baseball – they never picked sides or kept score – just a never ending game of fun.
Sandra "Sandy" Gutierrez walked alongside her best-friend Elaine Benson. The two girls walked into the valley shopping center to have a soda at the soda fountain – it's where all the local kids hanged out. The girls just gossiped and the boys talked with their buds and sometimes flirted with the girls. But for these two friends they only went for the cool pop and chat amongst themselves.
The bell that hung around the entrance door chimed as both girls entered Eddie's Soda Fountain & Diner. The girls sat near the right corner of the diner by the front window across from each other.
"Sure looks like a blast here," Elaine acknowledged as her bright blue eyes examined the entire diner. "Even Bonnie and Susan are here."
Sandy turned to see Bonnie Rogers and Susan Grant – both her classmates and school friends. Bonnie and Susan saw both girls and waved at them as Sandy and Elaine waved back and smiled sweetly at the girls.
"What can I get you girls?" a waitress asked both girls. Sandy and Elaine were startled for not noticing the waitress.
"We'll both have a coke." Elaine answered.
The waitress smiled as wrote the girls order. "That'll be twenty cents."
Sandy pulled out her coin purse and handed the waitress twenty cents then the waitress left to get the girls their drinks.
"Thanks for paying for me, Sandy. I'll pay you back once I get my allowance this weekend."
Sandy just shrugged. "Don't sweat it, you don't have to pay me back. It's my treat."
Elaine just smiled at her friend and knew Sandy didn't like people to repay her after anything. Even when she tried many times to repay Sandy, she always refused to take the money. The bell chimed as the entrance door opened as six boys entered the diner. The boys voices were loud and made some of the kids turn to see but they would turn away once they got a glance and go back to their conversations.
"How many balls has Benny busted the guts out of already?" Yeah-Yeah asked as he walked along side Squints.
Squints answered back. "Who knows? I lost track long ago—I'm guessing like trillions!"
Benny rolled his eyes while he listened to the two boys babble. He didn't think it was a big deal but he was angry that he ruined the day for himself and the gang. If Hercules hadn't buried all the baseballs the gang found after Benny pickled the beast. They could have been playing right now but since the English Mastiff buried all the balls who knows where. The boys were out of luck till one of them would be able to pay ninety-eight cents for a new ball.
"Hey… Isn't that guy the one everyone calls The Jet?" Elaine whispered to Sandy. "He pickled the beast two summers ago."
Sandy looked over at the tall slender long-legged boy. Benny and the gang were already seated two tables down from the girls.
"Mmhmm," Sandy mumbled and looked away not caring.
"Hey, Sandy." A voice greeted.
Sandy and Elaine both looked up to see Steven Phillips with a devious smirk on his lips as he looked at Sandy.
Sandy looked away in annoyance and sighed. "Hey,"
"You know, you never gave me an answer when I asked you out."
"Oh, I never did?" Sandy asked sneeringly.
"Yeah," Phillips nodded as he took a seat next to Sandy. "The damn school bell rang before I was able to get answer from you. So why don't you give me answer now?"
Elaine's eyebrows rose awkwardly and she eyed Sandy wondering what her best-friend was going to say.
"I'm not really interested, Phillips." Sandy answered.
The waitress returned with two Coca-Cola glass bottles and straws. The girls thanked the waitress as she just smiled and walked away to get more orders. Phillips made a face for getting turned down by Sandy but he wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Come on, Sandy," Phillips insisted as he put his arm around Sandy's shoulder which she rejected by pushing his arm away.
"I said no," Sandy glared right at Phillips. "Please just leave me alone."
Elaine felt discomfort and smiled nervously. "She gave you an answer. Just leave her alone please, Phillips."
"Shut up, Elaine! This has nothing to do with you." Phillips admonished.
"Hey, you don't talk to her like that you jerk!" Sandy bawled angrily at Phillips.
Phillips stood up and stared at Sandy with a dirty look in his eyes. "You know what—"
"Come on man, just leave them alone!" Benny hollered across the room towards Phillips.
Phillips turned around to face Benny. "Bug out, Rodriguez!"
"You heard him! Just leave 'em alone, you candyass." Ham shouted.
Phillips turned his head slightly insulted and looked at the red-headed boy angrily. "What did you call me? What did you say, you fat slob?"
"Don't play stupid, Phillips. You heard me, I called you a candyass!"
All boys laughed even the girls were giggling nearly chocking on their sodas. Phillips feeling humiliated rolled his eyes and walked away from the scene but glared at Sandy before he left out the door with his friends following from behind.
Elaine laughed still as she murmured. "I guess he really is a candyass. He didn't even say anything back to those guys."
Sandy just smiled amusingly and shook her head as she continued to sip her soda pop. She looked at the table Benny and the boys were seated at with the corner of her eyes. The boys just laughed and received their sodas from the waitress.
Sandy was about to get out from her seat to go thank Benny and Ham for getting Phillips to go away. But noticed a group of girls had walked over to the boy's table acting flirty and cute around the boys but mostly towards Benny. Sandy sat back down with all the girls that were surrounding the table she didn't want to look like a peppy flirtatious girl like the rest.
"They are sure popular with the girls." Elaine laughed.
"It's only The Jet who is the popular one out of all of 'em." Sandy snorted.
Elaine looked over at boy's table all the girls were smiling flirtatiously and laughing cutely while talking to the boys but were mostly trying to Benny's attention. Some only flirted with the rest of the boys just because they were friends of Benny "The Jet" Rodriguez which none of the boys seem to mind they just liked having some attention being given from the ladies.
"Let's split," Sandy said to Elaine who quickly turned to face her friend. "The place is becoming a drag."
Elaine stood up and followed her best-friend out of the diner while taking one last glance at the boys before leaving. Sandy was already ahead of her and she began to walk faster to catch up with the girl.
"You should have thanked them before leaving, Sandy." Elaine urged Sandy.
Sandy only shrugged without a care. "I'll just thank them the next time I them." She advised.
Elaine only sighed and shook her head at Sandy but said nothing more about it and walked beside her friend.
It was the first day of summer vacation, Sandy was being forcefully pulled by Elaine towards unknown location. Sandy's eyes wondered as she observed the area Elaine has dragged her to. It was just a shabby unkempt baseball field.
"You dragged me all way to a broken-down baseball field?" Sandy questioned Elaine as she looked over at her with a confused look on her face.
"This broken-down baseball field is what they call the sandlot," Elaine explained.
"Who are they?" Sandy interrogated.
Elaine just laughed. "This is where the jet pickled the beast."
Sandy groaned. "We came all the way here just so you can tell me that?"
"No," Elaine objected. "I dragged you here so you can thank them." The girl clarified.
Sandy's right eyebrow rose in irritation she couldn't believe she was dragged out of the shopping center just show gratitude towards boys she wasn't familiarized with.
"Well they aren't here so let's just get out of here." Sandy advised as she began to walk out of the sandlot but Elaine grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back.
"I'm sure they'll be here at any minute. Let's just wait a bit, will ya?"
Sandy just sighed and walked over to a shabby covered bench area and sat down. Elaine flopped besides Sandy.
"Damn you for dragging me all the way over here just to pay gratitude and appreciation for something ridiculous." Sandy whined.
"Ah quit complaining and have some manners, Sandra." Elaine compelled while laughing.
Sandy only rolled her eyes and kicked her feet back and forth as she sat waiting for these guys to here so she can leave. There were voices being heard as footsteps stepped on the unkempt grass crunched and rustled.
"They're here," Elaine smiled as she stood up. Sandy got up as well and followed her friend and the boys had already entered the sandlot but stopped still as they saw both girls standing there.
The boys looked at one another confused about the girls being at the sandlot but looked back at the two girls curiously and oddly.
Elaine cleared her throat and nudged Sandy who sighed and walked towards Benny and Ham. She looked back at Elaine who just moved her hands telling her to proceed.
"Hey," Sandy began to say nervously. "Uhm for yesterday… I never got to thank you for getting that jerk to leave me alone. So, thank you."
"Let's go, Elaine!"
Elaine ran up to the group and put her hand on Sandy's shoulder and laughed nervously. "She's not that great at showing appreciation."
Sandy just looked away humiliated – not for what Elaine said but just because she came all the way to the sandlot for nothing.
Benny smiled at Sandy. "No problem, no need to thank me," And with that being said he walked away towards the batter box with gang following from behind.
"Say," Sandy called out to Benny. "Did you really bust the guts out of a ball?"
Benny turned around to face Sandy and was about to say something before the whole gang answered for him.
"Yeah-yeah, he seriously did we all saw it with our own eyes!" Yeah-Yeah stated.
"The whole outer part of the ball came clean off." Squints bragged.
"It was the most wicked thing I ever saw in my entire life." Ham mused.
Sandy looked at the three boys. "Mmhmm," she mumbled in disbelief.
"What? You don't believe that Benny has busted the guts out of a ball?" Ham asked outraged.
"Just leave it alone, man. Who cares what she thinks girls don't know nothing about baseball anyways." DeNunez pointed out to Ham.
Ham nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right girls don't know anything about baseball. So why don't you two girls bug out and go play with your dolls?"
"Girls don't know anything about baseball, huh?" Sandy questioned aggravated. "I bet I can hit a home run over the fence!"
All boys stood quiet before all of them – except Benny and Smalls – burst into laughter. Elaine grabbed Sandy by the arm.
"Let's just go, Sandy." She whispered to her furious friend. Sandy jerked her arm back and shook her head.
"No way, I want to prove these dorks wrong that some girls do know a lot about baseball – especially knowing how to play the game!" Sandy shouted while glaring at the four laughing boys.
This only made Ham, Squints, Yeah-Yeah, and DeNunez laugh even harder than before.
"Oh, man! This girl is pullin' my leg here!" Ham laughed and the other boys nodded in agreement laughing while holding their stomachs.
Benny sighed and rolled his at his friends. He had a bat in his hand and began walking towards both girls.
"Here," Benny handed the baseball bat to Sandy. "You wanna prove them wrong? Then prove them wrong."
Sandy grabbed the bat from Benny's hand and walked over to the batter box all four boys stopped laughing at looked over at the older boy with questionable faces.
"You're not serious about this, Benny… Are you?" Squints asked dazed.
Benny ignored the small boys question and told everyone to get in their positions. All boys ran to their spots shaking their heads in disbelief about what they are witnessing for the first time ever a girl was going to place baseball at the sandlot.
Ham crouched behind the home plate next to Sandy and put his catcher's mask on and mitt in his hand. DeNunez stood at the pitcher's mound and looked over at Benny wondering if he was really serious about this.
Benny handed Elaine a mitt. "Your position is second base." And pointed to where Elaine had been placed.
Elaine looked at Benny and simply nodded and walked to her position. Yeah-Yeah watched Elaine as she took over second base were Bertram Grover Weeks used to be positioned before he started hanging around with group of hippies when he entered high school last year. Yeah-Yeah sighed shaking his head and stood in his position at third base.
Sandy had positioned herself and was ready to bat. Ham felt that it was a great time to start distracting the batter.
"You won't be able to hit the ball. Kenny DeNunez has pretty mean throw, just letting you know."
DeNunez threw the ball and Sandy swung but had swung the bat too late. Ham caught the ball and laughed. "That's strike one!" He announced.
Sandy sighed angrily but stayed calm as she got back in position. The ball was thrown again and she missed. Strike two.
"You know what," DeNunez began to say. "I'm gonna give her my heater!" he shouted.
Ham began to laugh again. "There's no way! She won't be able to hit that! I swear she hits this I'll put on my mom's bra!" all the boys started laughing.
Sandy grunted her teeth and got into position. "Throw the damn ball!" she yelled at DeNunez who just nodded and positioned himself to throw the ball once more.
The ball was thrown and this time Sandy hit it—she hit it hard. The ball flew high past all the boys who watched the baseball fly and hit the top of Mr. Mertle's house roof. Sandy grinned and began to run all three bases. All boys starred at the Mr. Mertle's roof astonished at what they all had just witness. The ball began to roll down the roof and landed on the ground that's when Mr. Mertle's English Mastiff—Hercules—ran to get the ball.
"Someone pinch me cause this has to be a dream," Squints mused. "Ouch!" he shouted in pain when Smalls pinched his arm hard.
"It's no dream." Smalls notified the boy.
Sandy ran past home base and turned to face Elaine who went to "high-five" her best-friend. The boys were still astonished that Sandy literally had hit the ball like she said she would and all looked towards the girl.
Sandy turned back around to face Ham. "I hit the ball so that means someone is going to have to wear their momma's bra!" both girls began to laugh.
Benny ran towards the girls and smiled at Sandy. "That was bitchin'!" the tall boy boasted.
"You sure proved them wrong."
Sandy was still grinning and handed Benny the bat he'd given her earlier back. "Well I proved my point. We'll get going now, thanks for everything." Sandy grabbed Elaine's arm as she began to walk away but Elaine stopped her friend.
"I want to try to batting," the girl pleaded.
Sandy turned to face Elaine and sighed then nodded. Benny handed the bat to Elaine and she walked forward to the batter's box.
"You and your friend have any plans for the summer?" Benny asked Sandy.
Sandy just shook her head, no, at Benny. He smiled and handed her the mitt he had given Elaine before she became the batter. Sandy grabbed hold of the mitt and put on her hand and looked back at Benny.
"You two should come play some ball with us from now on for the rest of the summer. If you want to that is." Benny asserted Sandy as he walked away taking his position as shortstop.
Sandy smiled to herself as she took her place as second base like Elaine has been before. The summer has just begun and it already became interesting for both Sandy and Elaine also for the sandlot boys.
Disclaimer: I do not own any related to the movie all rights go to David M. Evans. I only own original characters I made up. Also, note that the movie never stated Phillips real name so that's why I made up his real name to be Steven. The movie had also never stated how Bertram got "into the 60's" with that I made up that he turned into a hippie.