The Homerun Mystery

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  Carl went on. “At the end of the 1908 season, the Grays were in the playoffs. Everyone knew they would win the pennant because Herman had been hitting home runs all season. The next game would bring the Grays fame. And put Pikesville on the map as an important baseball town.”

  “Were you there that day?” asked Benny.

  Once again everyone laughed.

  When Carl finished wiping his eyes, he said, “Benny, I wish I had been there that day. But I wasn’t even born yet!”

  Jessie nudged her little brother. “Emily’s grandfather is about the same age as our grandfather. Grandfather wasn’t around in 1908, either.”

  Carl continued the story. “But everyone in town was at the game, you can bet on that. These stands were packed. A lot of people bought expensive tickets to sit here in the grandstand. Some bought cheaper tickets to sit on those bleachers. The factory bigwigs had a special box down front. Nobody wanted to miss a single inning.”

  Henry could almost hear the sound of vendors calling, “Peanuts! Programs!”

  Carl lowered his voice. “Yet it was the worst game Home Run Herman ever played. He didn’t hit any home runs. He struck out again and again. The Grays lost the game and the championship.”

  “That’s too bad,” said Violet with a sigh. She had hoped this story would have a happy ending.

  Carl nodded. “When the game was over, Herman’s teammates were angry with him. They felt he had let them down. In the clubhouse over there, where the players had lockers to change from their street clothes into their uniforms, somebody found a twenty-dollar bill in the pocket of Herman’s pants. Back then, twenty dollars was a lot of money. More than Herman made in a month at the hat factory.”

  “Where did he get it?” Jessie asked.

  “His teammates figured Herman took a bribe to throw the game.”

  Violet was puzzled. “You mean, lose the game on purpose for money? Why would anybody do that?”

  Carl shook his head. “No honest player would. But not all players are honest.”

  Carl sighed and went on, “Herman said that on his way to the game he had helped a lady whose motorcar had gotten stuck in a ditch and she had given him the money for his trouble. He also said he hurt his shoulder pushing the car. But no one else in the whole town had seen this lady. Nobody believed Herman’s story.”

  “They sure gave up on their hero quickly,” Henry said.

  “Even quicker when the newspapers got hold of the story,” said Carl. “It became a huge scandal. The story was picked up by papers as far away as New York City. The papers called for the mystery lady to come forth, but she never did. Pikesville was in disgrace.”

  Benny wondered about the baseball player. “What happened to Home Run Herman?”

  “He left town,” replied Carl. “He didn’t leave a note or tell anybody. He just up and left. Home Run Herman was never heard from again.”

  The Aldens were silent for a moment after hearing such an astonishing tale.

  “Nothing was ever the same,” Carl concluded. “People blamed everything on Home Run Herman after that. If only Herman hadn’t thrown the game, they’d say. Pikesville would be a big town still.”

  “Would it?” asked Violet. She couldn’t believe that one man losing a single baseball game was the cause of a town falling into ruin.

  “No,” said Carl. “It didn’t help that Pikesville was known for its cheating baseball team. But men’s hats went out of fashion sometime after I began working in the factory. And then the factory closed. Some found other jobs in town, but many had to look elsewhere. It wasn’t like the grand old days when everyone worked at the hat factory and the Pikesville Grays were the champions.”

  “That’s a sad story,” said Benny.

  “You haven’t heard the worst part,” Emily told him. “Remember that name the kid called me when our team lost?”

  “Yeah,” said Jessie. “He said you were just as bad as Home Run Herman. What did he mean by that?”

  Carl put his arm around Emily’s shoulders. “Herman’s last name was Soper. Home Run Herman was my uncle and Emily’s great-granduncle.”

  “Everybody makes fun of our name,” Emily said glumly.

  “The funny part is that Emily is a great batter,” said Carl. “Just like Herman was.” He scratched his chin. “I’d give anything to have our name cleared. So Emily could play without kids comparing her to her great-granduncle.”

  Henry suddenly remembered something Mr. Soper had mentioned earlier. “You said the youth leagues are going to be broken up after the championship game on Friday. How come?” he asked.

  Once more Carl grumbled. “Because the town council has pretty much decided to tear down this ballpark. The kids won’t have anyplace to play in town. They claim in the future they’ll build another ballpark out by the highway.”

  Jessie swallowed. Grandfather was here to help the town council fix up the town. But surely Grandfather wouldn’t agree to tear down the ballpark? He always believed kids should have places of their own to play.

  “They’re going to turn the factory into one of those fancy mini-malls,” Emily added.

  “That won’t be so bad,” said Jessie. “At least the old factory won’t be torn down.”

  “But why tear down the ballpark?” asked Benny. He thought the old grandstand and grassy outfield were neat.

  “Because the council would rather have a big parking lot here.” Carl Soper stood up, and everyone was quiet for a moment. “Well, Emily and I best be heading home,” he finally said.

  “You need to talk to Coach Jenkins about substituting on the Eagles team,” Emily said to Jessie.

  Henry stood up, too. “We’ll be here tomorrow morning. I hope Jessie will talk Coach Jenkins into letting her play. We’ll do everything we can to find out if the other team is cheating.”

  Emily smiled at them. “I’m glad you came to Pikesville. See you tomorrow!” She and her grandfather walked down the bleachers.

  “Well!” declared Violet. “Looks like we have another mystery.”

  Henry held up two fingers. “Not just one mystery. Two.”

  “Two? What are they?” Benny asked.

  Jessie knew. “First, we have to find out if the Catskill Eagles are cheating. And second, maybe we can find out what really happened to Home Run Herman.”

  “Two cases,” said Benny, delighted.

  “In baseball, that’s known as a double-header,” Jessie added, and she went down by herself to talk to Coach Jenkins.

  CHAPTER 3

  “The Factory Is Haunted!”

  “Gosh, I forgot how hungry I was,” said Benny as the waitress led them to their table.

  “Well, that’s a first!” Grandfather said, laughing. “What have you all been doing to make Benny forget his appetite?”

  “It’s really exciting! We can’t wait to tell you,” Violet said, unfolding her napkin in her lap.

  “Let’s order first,” said Henry, studying the large menu. Like Benny, he was famished.

  The Aldens had driven to the nearby town of Croton-on-Hudson to eat at a little seafood place on the river. Luckily, they were able to get a table by a window.

  Benny was fascinated by a tugboat chugging up the Hudson. He would love to be the captain of his own boat someday.

  “Benny, have you decided?” asked Jessie.

  Benny picked up his menu. The choices were written in script. He could read, but only printing.

  “They have a bacon burger,” Jessie pointed out helpfully. “It comes with fries and a salad.”

  “I’ll have that.” Benny closed his menu, hoping there was something chocolate for dessert.

  Jessie ordered the same. Violet and Henry chose tuna burgers and Grandfather decided on a salmon steak.

  The waitress came back with glasses of water and bowls of tortilla chips and salsa. Grandfather ordered for everyone, adding a pitcher of lemonade.

  “Now,” said James Alden, “what have you been up to?”
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  “We visited a ballpark,” Henry answered, dipping a chip into the spicy salsa. “It was behind an old factory.”

  Grandfather nodded. “I heard about that ballpark.”

  “Is it true it’s going to be torn down?” asked Violet.

  “I only sat in on one meeting today,” said Grandfather. “But there was a lot of discussion about that ballpark. Do you know the history of it?”

  Jessie sipped her lemonade. “A little. We watched some kids playing and met a man who told us about Home Run Herman and how he lost a game a long time ago.”

  “That’s what I learned, too,” Grandfather said. “Apparently this young ballplayer was caught with twenty dollars in his pocket. His teammates thought he had been bribed by the other team to lose.”

  “But nobody knows for sure what happened,” Henry put in.

  “Yes, but the scandal left its mark on this town,” said Grandfather. “That’s one reason they’d like to tear down the ballpark. That way, they’ll be rid of that old shame.”

  “But what about the kids who want to play baseball?” asked Benny. “Where will they go?”

  “Mrs. Percy, who’s on the council, said there are plans to build a new ballpark outside of town sometime in the future. No one could give me any more information. I only know this town wants to attract tourists and get young families to move here. Those are the things that keep a town alive.”

  Just then the waitress came with their meals. Plates were handed around and no one spoke for a few minutes except to ask for the ketchup or the salt.

  “We’re going to the playoff game tomorrow,” Henry told Grandfather. “In fact, Jessie is substituting for a sidelined player.”

  “How did that come about?” Grandfather asked.

  Henry told Grandfather of their suspicions about the Eagles, and that it had only taken Coach Jenkins five minutes of watching Jessie throw, catch, and bat before he agreed to let her play.

  “Good,” said Grandfather. “There’s not much excitement in Pikesville. I’m glad you found something to do.”

  The kids looked at one another. They had two mysteries to solve. That was excitement enough!

  Jessie was still confused over the fate of the ballpark. “Is the ballpark going to be torn down for sure?”

  “The town council will vote Friday.” Grandfather cut into his salmon. “The plan is to tear down the ballpark and make it into a parking lot for the mini-mall they will put in the old factory.”

  “A mini-mall?” queried Benny. He had been to malls before, but not a little tiny one.

  “It’s a large building that’s been converted into small shops and restaurants,” explained Grandfather. “The old hat factory is ideal. It’s a solid building with plenty of space to divide into shops. And it’s better than letting the building just fall down.”

  “That’s good,” said Benny.

  Grandfather nodded in agreement. “There is one condition that might save the ballpark, but it’s pretty slim.”

  “What is it?” asked Violet.

  “The factory has already been declared historical and can’t be torn down. If the property around it can be declared historical, too, then the town won’t tear down the ballpark,” said Grandfather. “But they need a very good reason to list the ballpark as historical. Right now the land is just a reminder of the old baseball scandal, and several members of the town council would like to see it paved over and made into a parking lot.”

  Violet looked at Henry. So there is hope, isn’t there? her look seemed to say.

  Grandfather asked, “Does anyone want dessert?”

  “Does the sun rise in the east?” joked Henry.

  “I don’t know about the sun, but I want a chocolate sundae,” Benny said, making them all laugh.

  “I think you have a hollow leg,” Grandfather said, ruffling Benny’s hair. “Where do you put all that food?”

  When dinner was over, they drove back to Pikesville. It was still light outdoors. Grandfather settled in the cozy sitting area with Bud Towers, the owner of the inn.

  “May we take a walk?” Jessie asked Grandfather.

  James Alden gave his permission. “Don’t be gone long. You’ve all had a busy day.”

  Outside, the Aldens headed for the ballpark. Twilight was just beginning to close over the town.

  “This is a good idea,” Henry said to Jessie. “We have a chance to look for clues and talk about the mystery.”

  “Two mysteries,” Benny corrected. “We have to find out if that other team is cheating —”

  “And we need to find out what happened to Home Run Herman,” Violet finished for him. “That’s a pretty big job. We only have three days.”

  “We’ve solved tougher cases with less time,” Henry said. “I don’t think it’ll be too hard to catch the Eagles at cheating — if they are cheating — with all four of us watching them.”

  “And I’ll be on the team,” Jessie reminded them. “I hope I don’t make the other players suspicious!”

  “You’ll be fine,” Violet reassured her older sister.

  They reached the ballpark. Crossing the weed-choked lot, the children walked into the playing field. Shadows from the grandstand stretched nearly to the old clubhouse.

  “It’s a shame this place has to be torn down,” said Jessie wistfully. “I wonder if we could do anything to help save it.”

  “Grandfather said if the council can find a good reason to make the ballpark historical property, it might be saved,” said Henry.

  “We’ve already got two mysteries to solve! Let’s just add that to our list,” Violet said lightly.

  Then she looked beyond the ballpark. The empty factory was shrouded in falling darkness.

  She stared at the old brick building, letting her eyes adjust to the gathering gloom. Was that a light in that lower right-hand window? She rubbed her eyes. The light was gone. No, there it was, two windows away.

  She grabbed Henry’s arm. “Look,” she said, and pointed to the pale yellow glow bobbing in the window.

  “I thought that place was empty,” Benny said.

  “It is,” said Violet. “Mr. Soper told us the hat factory closed years ago.”

  “I think we should go back to the inn,” Henry decided. “We need to find out more about that place before we go hunting for clues.”

  Violet was glad. Usually she was ready to dive into a new case, but that light was spooky.

  She shivered, though the evening was warm. The factory may have been shut down, but it was definitely not empty. Someone — or something — was in there tonight!

  The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of muffins, granola, juice, and scrambled eggs, the Aldens walked to the ballpark.

  The teams were already on the field, warming up. Benny spotted Carl Soper in the grandstand and waved. He went with Henry and Violet to watch along the sidelines.

  Jessie found Emily swinging a bat for practice out of sight of the Eagles. “How’s your arm?” she asked her.

  “It’s okay,” said Emily. “I want to thank you guys for helping me out.”

  “We haven’t done anything yet,” said Jessie.

  “No, but you will.” Emily was confident. “You told Coach Jenkins you can play center field?”

  “Yes.” Jessie nodded. “He made me show him my throwing and catching. Said I’m a fair batter, too.”

  “Good. I want you to meet our pitcher,” Emily said as a dark-haired boy came up. “Jessie, this is Brandon. Brandon, this is Jessie Alden. She and her brothers and sister are going to help us.”

  Brandon nodded, looking around to make sure none of the Eagles players could hear or see them. “Emily said you guys solve mysteries.”

  “Sometimes,” Jessie said modestly.

  Then she heard Coach Jenkins whistle to get his team’s attention and Jessie trotted out to join her team.

  “You’re ready to play?” he asked Jessie.

  “Yes,” replied Jessie. She knew center fiel
d meant a lot of running after fly balls.

  Danny Jenkins, the pitcher, joined them.

  “This is my brother Danny,” said the coach. “Jessie is our new center fielder. I tried her out yesterday. She’s pretty good.”

  Then Coach Jenkins gave Jessie a ball cap and matching red T-shirt to pull on over her regular shirt.

  It was time to begin. The players took their positions.

  It was hot out on the field, even though the game was starting early. Jessie adjusted the visor of her cap to keep the sun out of her eyes. The coaches argued again about the call at second base the previous day, which delayed the opening pitch. They really didn’t seem to like each other.

  Jessie glanced over at the factory. There were no lights in the broken windows this morning. Had they all imagined that light last night? Maybe it was some trick of dusk.

  “Going to be a hot one today,” commented Danny, who had left the pitcher’s mound.

  “I’m afraid so.” She looked back at the factory.

  “You keep staring at the hat factory,” said Danny.

  “Well, it’s a very old building.”

  “It’s more than that.” Danny lowered his voice. “I see lights in there at night. The factory is haunted! I’d stay away if I were you!”

  CHAPTER 4

  A Message for Violet

  Jessie tried to keep the shock out of her voice. “Are you sure? Maybe it’s just the night watchman.”

  Danny shook his head. “Nobody guards the fectory at night anymore. It’s a ghost, I tell you!”

  In the hot sun, Jessie felt a finger of ice trace her backbone. “Why would a ghost haunt an old hat factory?”

  At that moment, the coaches stopped arguing.

  “Got to go,” Danny told Jessie. “I hear you’re a great batter.”

  “Not great,” said Jessie honestly. “Fair.”

  “We’re all great batters on this team,” Danny bragged. “Way better than the other team.” He jogged across the diamond to the pitcher’s mound and warmed up with a few practice pitches.

  Then the umpire bawled, “Play ball!”

  Danny threw the opening pitch. Emily was first in the batting order. Danny threw hard and fast to her. Emily’s bat connected with the ball. Jessie watched as the ball sailed toward right field. The girl playing that position called the ball as she ran backward, glove held high. But she missed the catch and the ball dropped behind her.