⬛️[Alpha] V.2

*Whoosh*

*Pah*

Leonardo, who played shortstop (SS), just between the 2nd and 3rd base, caught the ball from the outfield and lobbed it towards the catcher hoping to stop the Cubs' runner from scoring.

"OUT!" Umpire Harold called it just as Bitty was tagged by the River Giants' catcher.

"Two outs!!"

"Not too bad," Alfie muttered, smiling at Emmet and the 3rd stringers.

It was the bottom half of the 4th, and they were doing well to keep up with the River Giants.

As Leonardo and his team had some good hitters and runners, Alfie wasn't surprised that they had a lead in the first inning, but Emmet and the others kept up.

He didn't expect them to completely demolish the River Giants themselves, but he wanted the 3rd stringers to get some experience for themselves.

The game had a score of 7-5 in River Giants' favor with three more innings to go, so Alfie thought it might be time to switch things up a bit as Emmet, Bitty, and the others seemed to be out of gas.

Hammy, a chubby ginger, walked out behind the screen on the Morris Cubs' side as he was the next batter.

"Ham!" Alfie called out. "Use your muscles and hit it out there."

"Yes, boss!"

Alfie didn't have much hope for them to keep it going; the Cubs had the bases loaded while Ginger Hammy was at bat, it didn't look too good.

"Make a run for the 3rd and possibly home base if the ball goes out, but if it's a ground ball just make it safely to 2nd base," Alfie whispered to Bart, the recent batter now on 1st base.

As Bart nodded, Alfie stepped out of the foul ground and walked to the screen where the Cubs were at.

"Hugh, Earl, and Jackson," he called out to the 2nd string players, to which their ears perked and their heads jerked towards him in excitement.

"Warm up," he simply said, to which everyone heard excited steps were taken as the three made their way to a grassy area to warm up.

"What about us?! Alfie, let us play!" Billy shouted frustratedly, to which Alfie ignored, heading back to relay signals for the Cubs' runners and hitters.

"Alfie! You sorry sap!"

And just as Alfie thought, the play didn't last too long.

Hammy hit the ball just a bit over the in-field, where the 2nd baseman intercepted and passed it to Leonardo, who quickly stepped onto 2nd base before the River Giants made their way to their respective rest zone, ready for the 5th inning.

"It's okay, buddy. It happens," Alfie comforted the chubby ginger and the others with a warm smile.

He let them play their defense for a little bit more, with the Giants scoring two more points against the Cubs, making it 9-5.

After some effort, Emmet struck out the last batter, concluding the top half of the 5th inning.

Alfie then called for the 2nd stringers, Hugh, Earl, and Jackson, who appeared as if they had teleported.

"Smalls, you're batting first, as for Bitty, Emmet, and Benny, get some rest; you guys did good. Hugh, Earl, and Jackson will sub in for you guys. Jackson, I'm putting you as the cleaner, so make sure you hit it well," Alfie informed Uncle Harold of the change-up before the game resumed.

Smalls had a good handle on his batting, securing 1st base.

Hugh, Earl, and Jackson were the best hitters on the 2nd string; it showed when Leonardo and his team seemed rattled by the substitutes and their skills.

Smalls, Hugh, and Earl quickly loaded all the bases as the Giants became nervous and focused.

Alfie stood in front of the Cubs' rest area with a smirk. If he had to rank the best hitter for the 2nd string, then Jackson would be it.

The Cubs seemed to agree as they got rowdy behind the screen.

He was also the best runner and could easily steal bases during practice and games against other teams.

Alfie considered him his own little Jackie Robinson.

*Thwack*

On the first pitch, Jackson hit the ball directly, sending it out to the far left of the outfield, just a few meters to be considered a home run.

"HOME!! HOME!!"

"RUN!!"

"RUN, FORREST!!"

The moment Jackson hit the ball, Smalls, Hugh, and Earl stepped off the plates, with the goal of hitting the home base after running through the respective bases.

The crowd and the Cubs shouted at the top of their lungs, cheering for the runners.

Leonardo shouted to the outfielders to be quick as he stepped between the outfield and infield, trying to make a smooth transition to the home base and stop the Cubs.

Bitty, the first one to make it to home base, cheered, followed by Hugh and Earl after a short while.

"Stay!!" Alfie suddenly shouted to Jackson, who was about to run from 3rd base to home.

Had he run, the ball in Leonardo's hand would've made it to the home base catcher faster than he could run it.

"Good!" Alfie shouted before he turned to the next batter.

Just as excited as everyone, Larry, a 3rd stringer who plays 3rd base on the defense.

Alfie quickly judged his batting average and chances before speaking. "Larry," he got his attention. "Bunt it."

"Hehe, yes sir." Larry took his favorite bat, which he obtained from one of their games with the rich kids in the Bronx.

As Leonardo and his team readied themselves, putting on a tight defense thinking Larry would hit it near the outfield as he did the previous few innings, they were surprised when he bunted it.

Seeing the ball close, yet so far, the Giants' catcher scrambled for the ball just ahead of him, but just as he did, another hand reached for it, the pitcher had the same thoughts as the catcher, which they collided together.

While the Giants' catcher and pitcher steadied themselves and stood back up, Jackson already walked towards the Cubs' rest area with a victorious smile.

Larry, on the other hand, stood safely on 1st base with a mocking smile on his face.

Jackson scoring turned the game into a tie, 9-9.

Leonardo and his team felt the pressure as not only the Cubs but the crowd outside the field cheered.

The embarrassment of this loss, which Leonardo thought would happen, would be worse than any other times the Cubs beat them on their own turf.

He quickly straightened and called out to his team, making sure they were ready as the game wasn't over yet.

The Cubs still occupied 1st base with Larry, and there were no outs yet; they had to stop the Cubs from scoring and passing them in points.

Alfie continued to manage and coach the team; with the score tied up, he took an easier but effective approach.

Mind games.

Depending on the batters, he made them either hit far or bunt the ball, which scattered the Giants all over the field unsure of what to expect.

The Cubs had two runners out before Larry scored, putting them in the lead with 9-10, before a turnover.

Now they focused on defense.

Alfie put Hugh as the pitcher, Earl as catcher, and Jackson on shortstop.

He also subbed in some 2nd string players, taking Smalls and Hammy out of the outfield to make a stronger and renewed defense line-up.

The Giants also moved around some players, subbing in and out, but it didn't work as much as they hoped.

The 2nd stringers are the best right after Alfie's 1st string players.

When he brought together the team, he had Billy, Rose, Timmy, Rolo, and a few others whom he trained a little too intensely for simple outdoor baseball.

But they got better thanks to that training, and over time more of them joined in the neighborhood. Alfie trained most of them during practice.

He set up scrimmage games with his 1st string against the 2nd string almost every day, pitting them against each other to the point they went home fatigued.

Of course, as they are still kids, many complained and refused to comply, but Alfie was dealing with kids, easily manipulated kids so it didn't take long before he took control.

His reputation as Bully McBride also helped quite a lot, but for the majority of the Cubs, they were simply victims of bullying to which Alfie strong-armed the bullies himself.

So a few of them were more than willing to listen.

It took them this far; now they were about to become the best ball players in the Bronx.

It was already set in stone, which the Cubs found hilarious because every single team in the bracket had lost to them at least once.

But it was still fun.

By the end of the last inning, the Cubs won by 5 points, 10-15.

Hugh, Earl, Jackson, and the other 2nd string players proved how good they were, and also showed the difference between them and the 3rd string players.

What's even more surprising is that Alfie and his 1st strings were even more impressive than the 2nd stringers.

"Leo."

Alfie went towards the Giants' rest area, watching them pack up depressedly.

"Good game, guys," he said.

"Yeah…thanks for going easy on us, I guess," Leo said as he scratched his head, feeling awkward.

It could've been worse for them; in the past, whenever Alfie brought the Cubs to Riverdale to face the River Giants, they could see the significant gap between them.

There were times when they couldn't even score against the Cubs; the worst score they ever had was a whopping 20-0 in the Cubs' favor.

It was embarrassing, and it was on their turf too.

The 1st string Cubs, especially with Alfie playing, held the strongest defense and offense; it was simply ridiculous.

Had that been the result today, in front of the whole crowd, then the River Giants just might not show their faces around the Morris neighborhood anymore.

"Sure, you guys wanna come and practice with us sometimes? I'll straighten you guys up just like the Cubs," Alfie offered.

"Uhhh…" Leo paused, he turned his head towards the Cubs, a gang of diverse-colored people here and there.

Alfie chuckled, knowing his thoughts. "Just come by whenever; you know where to find us.

"You boys need me to escort you home?" Officer/Umpire Harold walked up to Leonardo and his team, asking.

"No thank you, sir, we should be fine," Leonardo said gratefully.

"Well good game today; you guys did good. Get home safely," the Officer/Umpire stated before walking off.

"Well, it's our loss. Who are you guys going against next?" Leonardo asked curiously.

"Not sure, the Castle Knights are going against the Roller Rockers on their turf, so whoever wins between them will be our next opponent," Alfie said thoughtfully.

"Will it be a home game?"

"No, we've already had our home game, so whoever wins tomorrow, we're either going South to Castle Hill or up North to Kingsbridge."

"Hmm, well, if it happens to be in Kingsbridge against the Roller Rockers, we'll be there to watch," Leonardo said.

They then bid their goodbyes before riding out before it gets dark.

As most of the Cubs went home with their parents, Alfie found Rolo walking up towards him.

Alfie grinned. "You ready?"

•••••••••

Claremont.

The Claremont Cyclones had their own game today, on their own turf against the Belmont Striders.

As the skies turned orange, the sun touched the horizon, starting to disappear.

The Belmont Striders were a formidable opponent for the Claremont Cyclones, but in the end, they were still defeated.

The only ones capable of defeating them are the Morris Cubs, which the Cyclones were not willing to admit, especially when a bunch of blacks, browns, and girls are in the Cubs.

Their game didn't involve any umpires or spectators; it was just a typical game they were used to against other teams around the Bronx.

As the Cyclones packed their stuff and started heading home, Roman, the Claremont Cyclone captain, rode his bike in a different direction along with a few of his team, making their way to their respective homes.

But along the way, as his group started separating, Roman and his three other teammates ran into some trouble.

*Thunk*

*Thunk*

*Thunk*

Roman jerked his head to look at his three teammates on the ground; he turned his head quickly enough to see stones hitting the wheels of their bikes, throwing them off.

Worry and fear crept into his chest as he looked towards where the stones were thrown from, and there he saw a known member of the Morris Cubs, Rolo.

A few days ago, when the Latino kid Rolo came to them to deliver a message, a few of his team decided to mess with Rolo and some Cubs to the point they were bruised.

But seeing Rolo now, Roman couldn't help but not be surprised that he came back looking for revenge.

But what worried him more is the fact that a member of the Morris Cubs was in their turf; if that is the case then what are the chances that the entire gang of Cubs surrounded them at this moment.

Roman looked around every corner of the streets, finding no one else but Rolo and them. He should be relieved, but knowing the Cubs, they never act alone unless it was Alfie McBride himself.

And so he was right.

"Heya, Romie."

*Crash*

Spooked, Roman jumped out of his bike as it fell to the ground; he turned to see him, Alfie McBride.

"Al…Alfie…" He muttered, acknowledging the head of the Morris Cubs.

Alfie was 9 years old this year, two years younger than Roman himself, but the young bastard fought like a beast, no, he fought like a boxer.

For the past two and some years, the Claremont Cyclones had taken it upon themselves to scrap with the Morris Cubs; it became a natural occurrence to the point that they couldn't even finish their game sometimes.

As Roman and his teammate had older kids compared to the Morris Cubs, they usually held the advantage, but adding Alfie to the mix always left them desperate and in realization that he wasn't someone to go one-on-one against.

They would double-team and even fight him with three people, but Alfie always handled them as if they were kids, which they are.

"What are you doing here?" Roman asked, despite knowing well.

"What are WE doing here? We're simply here so Rolo could bruise you guys up a bit," Alfie crossed his arms as he looked at Roman with ridicule. "Heard you guys roughed him and my boys a bit."

"It wasn't me…I didn't do anything!" Roman stated with a scowl on his face.

"Maybe you didn't, but your boys did; as the captain, you should also share the consequences."

Alfie had worked hard to gather his team, and they were willing to do a lot for him, so it should be the same as their leader; he would always lead the Cubs to avenge those who do harm and protect them.

By now, most of the teams around the Bronx should know not to mess with Alfie and his gang, but there are always those who would test them or remain ignorant.

This is a lesson he would gladly teach these Claremont punks every once in a while.

"Run!!"

Roman suddenly shouted as he saw two of his teammates had already made their escape.

Rolo tried holding them down, but going against three kids older than him didn't give him much of a chance.

"Let them go, Rolo. We won't take too much of our time here; focus on that one," Alfie pointed towards the one Rolo held down with his body.

Roman would've also made his escape, but Alfie stood between him and his bike, and so he only had one choice.

Alfie suddenly weaved to the side, avoiding Roman's sudden punch and…

*Pah*

"Stay down, Romi. This isn't about us," Alfie smirked as he countered with a hook to Roman's side of the jaw, dropping him onto his ass.

"Alright, buddy. Do your thing," Alfie gave the green light.

*Pah*

*Pah*

"Ahhh stop!"

*Pah*

"I'm sorry!!"

*Pah*

"It wasn't me!! I didn't touch you last time, please st—!!"

*Pah*

*Pah Pah*

Alfie scratched his head; of course, he felt bad for the kid; he is a kid after all, but he wasn't sure what he should feel right now.

Of course, Rolo didn't feel the same, as he sat atop the older kid throwing haymakers like there was no tomorrow.

"Stop!!" Roman shouted out, attempting to stop Rolo, but Alfie held him by the neck. "Let me go, Alfie!! You have to stop him!"

"Okay," Alfie agreeing surprised Roman.

"Rolo, leave the guy alone; he has enough," Rolo turned to Alfie with a raised brow. "Instead, come beat Romi up."

"What?! Wai—"

*PAH*

A few moments later, both the Claremont kids lay on the ground bruised, sobbing their hearts out.

"I gotta say, Rolo, you're kind of a maniac."

"…" Rolo didn't respond to that, but rather turned to the biggest psycho maniac he knew.

"Don't look at me like that; of course, I beat people up, but I've never been so heartless like this," Alfie chuckled towards Rolo's quiet reaction.

"Hahaha, alright come on, let's go before the escapees call for backup," they quickly made their way to their own bikes before riding out.

But before they could get away from the area…

"THAT'S THEM!!"

Alfie and Rolo turned around to see the two escapees, and behind them a dozen or so kids behind them, no, not kids…teenagers?

"Oh shitt," Alfie chuckled unworried, his behavior betraying his words. "Come Rolo!!"

Alfie zoomed past Rolo with all his might as his laughter was heard.

Worry etched on Rolo's face as he also followed Alfie with all his might.