Rhino looked down and scowled. “He lives nearby,” he said. “So he doesn’t need a ride.”
But Rhino didn’t really know where Dylan lived. Actually, he didn’t really know anything about Dylan. He did know that he wanted nothing to do with the bully. There was no way Rhino would invite Dylan into Grandpa James’s car after how he’d acted at practice.
They took a booth by the front window and ordered two pizzas and three salads. Rhino loved the smells coming from the kitchen: pizza crust and garlic and tomato sauce. His mouth was watering. “I’m starving. I could eat an entire pizza in five minutes,” he said. During practice he hadn’t realized how hungry he was.
“Exciting day,” Grandpa said. He picked up his water glass and held it out. “Here’s to Little Rhino’s first day as a real baseball player.” They gently clinked their glasses together as a toast.
Soon they dug into the pizza. Rhino was on his second slice when C.J. spoke up.
“So, who is that kid?” C.J. asked.
Rhino knew which kid C.J. meant. “Dylan,” Rhino mumbled. “He’s a pain.”
“I’ve seen him around,” C.J. said. “He’s always by himself. Doesn’t he have any friends?”
Rhino wasn’t sure. He assumed Dylan had a few friends somewhere, but he couldn’t think of any. “He picks on everybody,” Rhino said. “I don’t know why anyone would want to be his friend.”
“You can just ignore him,” C.J. said.
“He’s hard to ignore,” Rhino replied. “He’s always saying things at school or at practice. He made me mad when I was batting.”
“You have to tune that out,” Grandpa said. “Concentrate on the pitcher. There will always be people trying to distract you or intimidate you when you’re batting.”
“Some people are poor sports,” C.J. said. “I had to deal with that, too.”
“How did you do it?” Rhino asked.
“Like Grandpa said, you tune it out.” C.J. smiled. “The best way to shut them up is to get a hit.”
Rhino nodded. Hitting that double had helped. But Dylan had been just as mean after.
“There’s one other thing to remember,” C.J. said. “Sometimes you can turn an enemy into a friend. It isn’t easy, but I’ve done it. Some kids just don’t know how to start.”
Rhino looked at the pizza crust in his hand. He didn’t want to be friends with Dylan. Why should he even try?
“Do you know what position you’ll be playing?” Grandpa asked.
“Not yet,” Rhino said. “I did pretty well in center field. Then Coach had me try third base. I didn’t like that very much.”
“At your age you should try all of the positions,” Grandpa said. “You never know which one will suit you.”
“Your coach will figure out where you’ll do best,” C.J. said. “You’ve got a strong arm so he might keep you at third base.”
“I hope not.” It was a long throw from third base to first. Plus, he’d have to field some hot grounders. “I like the outfield,” he said. He would certainly make some errors at third base. Dylan would hound him about that. “You need a strong arm out in center field, too.”
“The number one rule is to have fun,” Grandpa said. “Number two is to play hard and learn the game.”
Number three is to ignore Dylan, Rhino thought. That would be the toughest rule of all.
C.J. slid his arm toward Rhino and brought his fist against his brother’s hand. “Hang in there,” he said. “Be yourself.”
Who else could Rhino be? He wasn’t sure what C.J. meant. But he felt a lot better, anyway.
It was much cooler during the Mustangs’ next practice session. A light rain fell on and off. They worked on fielding grounders and making accurate throws. Then Coach Ray called everyone to the dugout.
“We have a practice game scheduled for Saturday,” Coach said. “It won’t count in the league standings, but it will be like a real game. Six innings. Three strikes and you’re out. Umpires.”
Rhino felt a thrill. He’d been waiting for this.
“Do we get uniforms?” Cooper asked.
“We sure do,” Coach said. “Jerseys, pants, and socks. We’ll hand them out after practice.”
Coach opened a box that was sitting on the dugout bench. “Here’s something we can use right now,” he said. He lifted some blue baseball caps from the box. Each one had a big white M above the brim.
“Wow,” Rhino said as he placed the cap on his head. He had a wide grin.
“We’ll spend the rest of practice in a real game situation,” Coach said. “That will help us get ready for Saturday.”
Coach Ray sent Cooper to the pitcher’s mound. Dylan put on the catcher’s mask and other gear and set up behind the plate. The assistant coach stood behind Dylan as the umpire.
“Let’s start you in center,” Coach Ray said to Rhino.
Rhino grabbed his glove and sprinted to the outfield. He jumped over second base. Sandy mud splattered onto his legs. He didn’t care. He smiled at Bella, who was in right field.
I hope they hit it to me every time, Rhino thought.
The first batter did just that. Cooper’s pitch came in high and hard, and the batter connected. The ball soared to the gap between right field and center. Rhino raced toward it. He followed the ball as it fell toward the ground. Could he reach it in time?
Rhino stretched. The ball was out of reach. He dove toward it. He felt the ball hit his glove as he rolled in the wet grass. Did he have it?
Yes! The ball was firmly in the webbing of the glove. Coach Ray shouted, “Great play!” Rhino’s teammates cheered.
Rhino tossed the ball back to the infield. He picked up his cap, which had fallen off when he dove. Then he wiped his wet hands on his shirt and jogged back to his position.
Rhino let out a deep breath. That was a great start. He was ready for more.
The next few batters did not hit the ball out of the infield. Rhino bounced on his toes to stay ready.
Then two more batters struck out. Coach Ray turned and waved his arm. “Let’s bring Rhino and Cooper in,” he called. He sent two players to take their places.
Rhino was excited after that great catch he’d made. He was ready to hit a home run. He picked up a bat and waited as another boy stepped up to bat.
“Dinosaur weather,” Cooper said with a smile.
Rhino laughed. He pointed to his shirt, which was wet from the diving catch. “It’s swampy out there.”
“Great conditions for duck-billed dinos,” Cooper said. “These caps make us look like them.”
Rhino nodded. The bills of the caps stuck out like the beaks of the duckbills. “They’d like that wet grass,” he said.
“Watch out for T. rex,” Cooper said. “They preyed on the duckbills.”
Soon it was Rhino’s turn to bat. He was feeling great as he strode to the batter’s box. He’d forget about Dylan, who was squatting behind the plate in the face mask and chest protector.
“Lucky catch,” Dylan whispered. “You’ll never do that again.”
Ignore him, Rhino thought. That’s what C.J. had told him. I bet he wouldn’t have been able to make that catch in the outfield, Rhino thought.
The first pitch looked too low to Rhino. He watched it go by.
“Strike,” called the umpire.
Rhino dug his left foot into the dirt. He concentrated on the pitcher. He’d smack this next one over the fence.
“Easy out!” Dylan called. “He’s afraid to swing.”
Could Dylan be any more annoying? Rhino was not afraid to swing. He gripped the bat tighter. He took a powerful cut at the pitch, but the ball was high and outside.
“Strike two,” said the umpire.
Dylan laughed. “You’re choking,” he whispered. “Can’t take the pressure.”
Shut up, you bully, Rhino thought. But he didn’t say it out loud.
Rhino connected with the next pitch, but the ball rolled behind third base.
“Fou
l ball,” called the umpire.
Rhino blew out his breath. His hands stung a little. He hadn’t hit that ball solidly.
This one, he thought.
The pitcher threw a fast one.
“Swing, batter!” Dylan blurted.
Rhino hesitated. The pitch was coming straight down the middle. But Dylan’s words shook him. He swung too late. The ball whizzed past.
“Strike three,” said the umpire.
Rhino’s eyes stung. He stared at the pitcher.
“Clear out,” Dylan said. “Let’s get a real batter in here.”
“That’s enough of that,” the assistant coach said. “Take off the gear, Dylan. You’re done for the day.”
Rhino walked back to the dugout and sat on the bench. He barely paid attention as Cooper hit a single right up the middle.
After practice, Coach handed out the rest of the equipment. “Great job today,” he said to Rhino as he gave him a blue jersey with the number 6. “You made the best catch of the day. We’ll start you in center field on Saturday.”
That made Rhino feel confident. He knew he could hit the ball. Striking out was part of the game. And on Saturday, Dylan wouldn’t be the catcher when Rhino was batting. They were teammates, even though it didn’t seem like that. Teammates weren’t supposed to root against each other.
Bella, Cooper, and some others were putting on their new jerseys. Rhino carefully folded his. He wanted to put it on, but he’d wait until he was home. He didn’t want it to get wet or muddy. Not yet. The jersey would be clean and new for Saturday.
And Rhino would show them all that he wasn’t just a great fielder. He’d hit the ball every time.
Just connect, he thought. I’ll show them that I am an awesome hitter.
Rhino and Cooper wore their new baseball caps to school the next day. They weren’t allowed to wear them during class. Rhino kept his in his desk. He peeked at it every few minutes. Between classes, he ran his fingers over the big white M.
“Mustangs!” Rhino whispered to Cooper.
Cooper gave him a thumbs-up and said the same thing.
“What did you bring for lunch?” Cooper said as they headed toward the cafeteria.
“Same as always,” Rhino said. “Peanut butter and jelly. BBQ chips. An apple.”
“Don’t you get bored with the same lunch every day?”
Rhino laughed. “I could eat it three times a day. Every day. Except pizza day.”
Rhino headed straight for the dinosaur table. Cooper stayed back, but Rhino waved him over. “Just be yourself,” Rhino said, recalling what C.J. had said about him. “You know plenty about dinosaurs to speak up.”
Cooper frowned. But he followed Rhino to the dinosaur table.
Today the talk was about T. rex again. No one ever got tired of talking about the giant meat-eaters. T. rex was the most feared dinosaur.
Rhino listened, but he didn’t say anything yet. He took small bites of his sandwich. He wanted to make it last. He was very hungry today. He wished he had two.
“I wouldn’t be scared of a T. rex,” said the boy with red hair.
“Sure you wouldn’t,” Bella said. “You’d run faster than a deer if you saw one.”
“I don’t think they were so tough,” the red-haired boy said. “I heard they might have been scavengers. They just ate animals that were already dead. Like vultures do now.”
Rhino had heard that idea. But he was quite sure T. rex was a predator. They hunted other dinosaurs.
“They couldn’t kill a sauropod,” the boy said. “Those things were way too big.”
“There were plenty of smaller dinosaurs,” Bella said. “A beast like T. rex had lots of animals to prey on.”
“Like what?” the boy asked. He was ready to argue.
Rhino looked across the table. “I’ll bet Cooper knows.”
Cooper winced, but Rhino knew he had the answer. Everyone was looking at Cooper.
Cooper swallowed hard. He took a sip of milk and kept looking down. But then he spoke. “There were lots of duckbills when T. rex lived,” Cooper said. “They were gentle plant-eaters, and they were a lot smaller than the giant sauropods.”
“So what?” said the redhead.
“They would have made nice meals for a T. rex,” Cooper said. He finally looked up. He had a small smile on his lips. “A tasty snack.” Cooper took the last bite of his sandwich and smacked his lips. Rhino and Bella laughed.
“Look who finally found his voice,” said the girl with black braids. She pointed at Cooper and smiled. “Nice to see that you’re awake.”
Cooper blushed. The others kidded him a bit, too.
“I thought you were under special orders to stay quiet,” the red-haired boy said. “Welcome to the world of talkers.”
Rhino reached over and smacked hands with Cooper. He was happy for his friend and could tell that all the teasing was good-natured.
“So why did some dinosaurs have bills, anyway?” Bella asked. “Seems like a strange thing to have on your face.”
Rhino knew that answer. “They ate very tough plants,” he said. “The bills were like hard beaks, for chewing.”
Bella picked up a hunk of bread from her plate. “I could use one of those today,” she said. “This roll is stale enough to break a tooth.”
The lunch period ended. “Next time let’s talk about triceratops,” said the girl with the braids.
Rhino didn’t know much about triceratops. He’d be sure to study his dinosaur book. He needed to learn as many facts as he could. He and Cooper would both have plenty to say next time.
Rhino woke up early on Saturday. He hurried downstairs and ate a big bowl of cereal and an orange. Then he carefully unfolded his new jersey and held it up. The big 6 and the word MUSTANGS made him proud. He put on his uniform pants and socks, the jersey, and the cap. He liked how he looked in the mirror.
Grandpa laughed when he saw Rhino all suited up. “The game doesn’t start for three hours,” he said.
“I wish I could make it get here sooner,” Rhino said. “Can we practice?”
“Sure,” Grandpa replied. He set down his coffee cup. “But put on a different shirt for now. It’s still a little wet out there.”
The sun was out and there was little chance of rain, but the grass was damp. Rhino ran onto the lawn. He did twenty jumping jacks.
“Let’s not overdo it.” Grandpa smiled as he tossed the ball. “Save your energy for the game. We’ll just warm up a little.”
Rhino had never been more excited about anything. His first game. Even though it was just a practice game, it was a big deal. He could picture himself walking into a Major League stadium.
They threw the ball back and forth for a while. Rhino knew that two other teams would be having a practice game before the Mustangs played. “Can we go early to watch?” he asked.
“Yes, but it’s too soon yet,” Grandpa said. “Why don’t you read for a half hour?”
Rhino read about triceratops. He read about Mars and Venus. He even read about football. But his mind kept turning to the baseball game. Would he make another great catch? Would he strike out? Would Dylan be a bigger pain than ever?
It seemed to take forever, but finally they drove to the field. Teams in yellow shirts and purple shirts were finishing their game. Rhino saw some of his teammates gathered in the bleachers.
When their time came, the Mustangs followed Coach Ray onto the field. It felt very different than a practice session. The bleachers were full of parents, and three umpires in blue-and-gray uniforms were waiting. The base paths had been raked and home plate was shiny clean. The grass had been cut and it smelled fresh.
Most important of all, another team was on the field. The Tigers had orange jerseys and black caps. Rhino recognized a few of the players from school. They were good athletes. Strong and fast.
Rhino and Cooper began tossing a ball back and forth. Their teammates broke into pairs and did the same.
As usual, Dylan
arrived late, climbing over the fence in right field instead of entering through the gate. He ran over and picked up a ball. He threw it into the air and caught it.
Cooper’s next throw was high, and Rhino had to jump to grab it. He glanced over at Dylan, who was still having a catch by himself. Rhino gripped the ball tight. Then he threw it back to Cooper.
Rhino kept looking at Dylan. No one had asked him to join their pair.
“Hey, Dylan,” Rhino said. He didn’t say it in a friendly way. He just wanted to get Dylan’s attention.
Dylan looked over and scowled. “What?” he said.
Rhino threw him the ball. “Catch.”
Dylan looked surprised. He caught the ball and threw it back to Rhino. Rhino threw it to Cooper. And Cooper threw it to Dylan.
They didn’t say anything more. Rhino, Cooper, and Dylan continued their three-way catch until Coach called everyone to the dugout.
“Why’d you do that?” Cooper asked as he caught up to Rhino.
Rhino shrugged. “He needed to warm up, too.” Rhino didn’t like to admit it, but Dylan was a part of their team. They were all on the same side today.
“He was okay when we let him in,” Rhino said. “He wasn’t paired up with anybody. I think he just doesn’t know how to make friends.”
Batter up!”
Rhino’s eyes grew wide. He swallowed hard. The home-plate umpire was looking at him. So was everyone else at the ballpark.
On the pitcher’s mound, a tall boy was smacking his glove with his fist. He’d struck out every batter he’d faced so far. None of Rhino’s teammates had even hit a foul ball.
Rhino stepped up to the plate. The pitcher sneered. He glared at Rhino. Rhino glared back. This is the real deal. This is what Grandpa and I have been practicing for. This is what wearing my number 6 jersey is all about!
It was the bottom of the second inning. Neither team had scored any runs. The ball hadn’t been hit to Rhino in center field. So this was his first true action of the game.
The infielders chattered as the pitcher got set to throw. “No batter!” “Blaze it right past him, Gibby.” “He can’t hit!”
My New Team Page 3