The final book in the out-of-the-park series by legendary short-stop
and a veteran sportswriter Cal Ripkin.
Danny Connolly is a back-up pitcher with the Dulaney Orioles. He knows
what that means: not good enough to start. When he does get into games,
he hasn't exactly been the shut-down reliever the team needs. To make
matters worse, he's playing in the shadow of his older brother, Joey, a
lights-out high school lefty with a 90-mph fastball who's attracting
lots of attention from college recruiters and major league scouts. It's
bad enough that Danny's parents seem to fawn over Joey and barely talk
about what Danny does in his games. But now, as his big brother's mound
exploits draw more and more attention, Danny's starting to get the
why-aren't-you-as-good-as-Joey comments from the Orioles, too. The
pressure to live up to Joey's success is stifling.
Lonely and frustrated, Danny embarks on a secret project designed to
make his family and teammates sit up and take notice. Aided by a
mysterious stranger with an uncanny knowledge of the aerodynamics of a
thrown baseball, he attempts to learn a new pitch. A pitch no one has
ever seen before. The clock is ticking on Danny as the O's try to repeat
as league champions. But if his audacious plan works and he can master
the magical fluttering pitch known as "The Terminator," he'll soon be
the talk of the league -- and the dependable closer the Orioles
desperately need.