In order to win an important baseball game, twelve-year-old Kyle claims to have made a difficult catch, which he actually dropped.

The unearned win gives Kyle and his team an unfair advantage in the championship series, and everyone considers him the hero of the game. But the praise and attention he receives is not enough to silence his conscience. Kyle is afraid of disappointing his family and teammates with the truth, but he is increasingly uneasy in his deception. Then his sports-crazed grandmother tells him about Christy Mathewson, a pitcher whose reputation for honesty had umpires asking him to make calls during games. In the end Kyle learns a valuable lesson about sportsmanship and realizes that being a hero is only worthwhile if you have earned it.

Author Fred Bowen continues his Sports Story series with play-by-play action that’s sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats! An afterword provides the real story of Christy Mathewson.