The Boy Who Saved Baseball

US: Scholastic, 2000. Paperback. Very Good. This novel goes beyond the usual baseball story by introducing the deeper i ssue of big developers encroaching upon nature and small-town life in rural California. Doc Altenheimer, an 87-year-old apple rancher, seems to be rea dy to sell his 320 acres of prime real estate that makes up a good part of Dillontown and its baseball field. He surprises young Tom and the rest of t he residents by proposing that the decision should ride on a baseball game between the locals and the well-equipped summer-camp team down the road. De spite the odds against Dillontown, a surprise ending is in store. Character s are colorful and intriguing. There is the villainous mayor who believes t here will be great prosperity if new roads and expensive houses are built. A mysterious boy, Cruz de la Cruz, arrives on horseback claiming to know th e secret of hitting, and brings hope and spirit back to the residents. He a nd Tom seek out an old baseball legend, Dante Del Gato, a recluse who walke d away from the majors many years before, and convince him to be their coac h. Ritter's descriptive passages will have readers feeling they are actuall y at the ballpark tasting the swirling dust amid the authentic Mexican food cooked by the supportive townspeople. Spanish phrases blend in unobtrusive ly throughout the saga. This tale is peppered with both optimism and dilemm as; it has plenty of play-by-play action, lots of humor, and a triumphant e nding.