Mr. Daley said as he knocked on the door and walked into Jake’s bedroom. He pulled up the window shade and the Saturday morning sunshine poured in. “It’s eight o’clock,” Jake’s dad said in a cheery voice. “Game starts at ten. You guys need to eat a good breakfast and get to the field by 9:30 to warm up.” He slapped Adam on the back. “Especially you, Adam. You’re pitching.” Jake pushed himself up in his bed. “Is anybody else going to pitch?” he asked. “I don’t know. It’s the championship game, so Coach Sanders will only bring in new pitchers if Adam needs help or he runs out of pitches.” Mr. Daley picked some dirty clothes off the floor and dropped them in the hamper. “The rule is that no pitcher can throw more than seventy-five pitches in a game.” “When did they come up with that rule?” Adam asked. “It’s been the rule all year,” Mr. Daley explained. “But it didn’t matter because Coach Sanders usually only lets kids pitch three innings anyway.
