Parts that are direct lines from the movie are in [].
"Tommy, throw it to second!" But Tommy didn't throw it to second. And Benny didn't hit it to Tommy. Everyone stared at the bunch of guys on bicycles headed our way. The whole team threw down their equipment and marched over to confront them. I followed their lead. Benny grabbed a bat.
"It's pretty easy to play with a bunch of blockheads like this, Rodriguez," said the leader of pack. He saw me and laughed. "Now you're even playing with a girl! Ah, this is too rich."
["Shut your mouth, Phillips!"] Benny smacked is bat.
"What'd you call us, crapface?" Ham asked.
The insults continued to fly from one side to the other. Each of Ham's insults was responded by a general "yeah!" from the rest of us. Finally, Ham delivered the knockout punch.
["You play ball like a girl!"]
Silence.
"Wait-" I tried to object.
["Noon, tomorrow, our place," Phillips said, his voice cracking. "Beat it butt breath."]
["Count on it, pee-drinking crapface!"] Ham retorted. Phillip's boys left a trail of dust behind them.
So at noon the next day, we showed up at their "place", a diamond complete with bleachers and a score board. It was my first actual game of baseball. I definitely could not let the team down.
Our team was doing well. It was hit after hit. I was on deck, trying not to crap in my pants.
Benny came up to me. "Hit it into left field. Number 2 is having a rough time out there," he whispered. "You'll score at least two, maybe even three."
"I can't hit it anywhere I want like you, Benny," I reminded him.
"Sure you can. Just think about where you want it to go, and hit it there. Easy." He looked at me. "I know you can do it. Your name's not Ruth for nothing." He patted me on the back and I stumbled to the plate.
"Haha, look who's up to bat!" Phillips sneered. "This should be good."
Fury flowed through my veins. I took the first pitch and sent it flying to left field. Number 2 tried to catch it but missed by a mile. It was a clean double for me, but it scored the three base runners. Benny gave me a knowing look and a thumbs up. Everyone else stood with their mouths hanging open.
Benny was up next. He positioned himself over the base like a Greek statue, lean and muscular. I was staring so hard I almost forgot to run when he sent it sailing over the fence.
Benny's POV
After our victory, we decided to celebrate like champions and go to the fair.
"Hey guys, I've got something," Bertram said. He pulled out a box of chaw. "I was saving it for something special. Take a piece." He offered it to everyone.
"Aw, cool man!"
"Now we're like the big leaguers!"
Ruth declined. "Sorry, even the smell of the stuff makes me sick." That should have been our first warning.
"Hey, let's go ride that tilt-a-whirl!" Smalls suggested.
"Yeah yeah, looks pretty great!"
"Uh, I'm gonna go get a corndog. Anyone else want anything?" Ruth asked. Ham started rambling off his order: popcorn, two hotdogs, a Coke… Ruth nodded, trying to remember the order. When Ham was done, we all got on. Everyone waved to Ruth. She waved back, smiling and shaking her head. Then, the ride started and everything was a blur.
"Oh, man, I don't feel too good," Bertram moaned as the ride was slowing down.
"Yeah yeah, I'm feeling pretty crappy."
"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Ham blew chunks all down the front of his shirt. That started a chain reaction. Soon, all of us were covered in barf that looked suspiciously like tobacco juice.
We stumbled off the ride. Ruth was waiting there, Ham's huge order in her arms. "What happened to you guys?" She asked, trying not to breathe through her nose.
"Guess we're not cut out for the hard stuff yet," Kenny responded.
We all stared at Ham as he stuffed a hot dog into his mouth.
"Wha?"