Original subtitles

Sister Betrill has always claimed that the most

important part of our orphanage curriculum is baseball.

She says it builds character, but until now,

she has never made it clear what kind

of character she was talking about.

And that is one way, I suppose, that

character is built.

All right, you guys.

Now, we've been here for about an hour

and a half, and all you've done is

argue and complain.

Sister Betrill, I wasn't complaining.

I was just kind of wishing my mitt

was big enough for my hand to fit

into it.

Well, what's more important, a glove you can

catch a ball with or that good old

do or die spirit?

The old do or die spirit.

Right.

And a second ago, Ricardo was beefing about

the bat.

I just happened to mention that it's cracked.

Well, it's cracked for all of us, isn't

it?

And we can let a little crack get

us down, huh?

No, sister.

No.

So why don't we get a little practicing

in, huh?

Gee, all we ever do is practice.

Can't we have a game with somebody sometime?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What are you talking about?

You're too small to even play.

Yeah.

Armando may be small, but he's he's tricky.

Yeah.

Sister Betrill said when we play the game,

I'm going to be the official pinch hitter.

Right.

So why don't you tie your shoelace?

Listen, why don't we get a little pitching

practice in, huh?

Let's go.

Let's go.

Hurry up.

Boy, I hope I get to play pinch

hitter before I'm adopted.

Fernando, one bed pillow was missing from the

linen closet.

A bed pillow?

A bed pillow.

OK, play ball.

Come on, right now.

Sister Betrille knew exactly how to handle the

problem of discontented children.

She gave in and arranged a game with

a strong Lamar team in nearby San Juan.

As always with Sister Betrille, one complication led

to another.

Hi.

Hi.

Ah, hi.

How's everything going?

Fine.

And yourself?

Fine.

What do you want?

Well, I just wanted to know if you

knew whether or not it was illegal.

What's illegal?

To use a baseball in this condition in

the major leagues.

Let me see that.

Who says this is a baseball?

Okay, I got the idea.

I'll get you a new one.

Oh, thank you, Carlos.

And, uh, here's the whole list.

The list of what?

Of the stuff we're gonna need to play

the Lamar school Indians on Saturday.

Goodbye.

Goodbye.

I want you to know, even if the

Indians torpedo us, we'll still pray for your

soul.

Sister Betrille, bribery will get you nowhere.

Sister, I don't want you to pray for

me.

Sister, would you please stop that?

Too late.

I'm in.

Okay, give me that.

Now, I want to point out one thing.

I didn't mention it here, and I didn't

have time to get it into the prayer.

But the team also needs uniforms.

Uniforms?

Here.

Goodbye.

No.

Armando!

Did you get my picture, too?

Yep.

And I'm going to send it to the

nice people who are adopting you.

And will you tell them I'm the official

picture?

Yes, if you tie your shoelace.

Hi, Reverend Mother.

Good morning, boys.

Reverend Mother, say hello to our big leaguers.

Well, Señor Ramirez really is a kind and

wonderful friend, isn't he?

Oh, dear.

Oh, my.

Oh, my.

Reverend Mother, all the sponsors are entitled to

some advertising.

I see.

Well, the opening commercial may stay.

The closing commercial must go.

By the final afternoon before the big game,

thanks to Sister Betril's great spirit and undaunted

pertinacity, the Santanco Orphanage team, even though a

very definite underdog, was steamed up to win.

Hold it.

Hold it now.

Fernando, look at you.

You're choking up on the bat so much.

You've got to hold it down like this,

see?

Spread your feet apart wide.

Put your weight on this foot.

Got it?

Okay, now, here, let me show you.

Get over here.

I'll show you.

I'll show you what I mean.

Okay, let's have your fastball, Marcelo.

Come on.

Better, better, better.

See?

Now, do it right.

Hello.

I came to see my team, my great

coach, my great pitcher.

Come on, Fernando, show me what she's taught

you.

Now, wait a minute.

We can't afford to lose that ball.

You know, Sister, if you ever get out

of your batting slump, you can be a

great ball player.

Okay, better about this.

Hey, Ramirez.

Oh, excuse me, Sister.

Okay, guys, let's get a little hustling in

this game.

All right, get going.

Come on.

Hello, Delgado.

What brings you here?

Curiosity.

So, this is the team you're sponsoring, huh?

They're cute.

I don't like the way you laugh.

How about a little bit, just for laughs?

Why not?

How much?

Ten dollars.

Oh, come now.

Fifty dollars?

You don't have much belief in your team,

Carlos.

A hundred dollars.

You got a deal?

When do I get into a little pinch

hitting practice?

You're next, honey.

That peanut is your pinch hitter?

Mickey Mantle was also a peanut.

To show you I'm not afraid of your

Mickey Mantle, how about doubling the bet?

You are on.

Sister Bertru?

I'm afraid that I have a disappointment for

your official pinch hitter.

The couple who are adopting him just called

me, and they're here in San Juan, and

they're coming to take him tomorrow in the

morning.

Oh, no, Reverend Mother.

He's just got to play in that game.

It'll break his heart.

I know, but I don't know what I

can do about it, Sister Bertru.

Armando, I would like to see you in

my office, please.

Okay, Reverend Mother.

Just as soon as I get my third

strike.

Hey, Marcelo.

Hey.

I don't want to rub it in, Carlos,

but we have a girl on our team

who can...

Excuse me, senor.

The Indians do have a girl on their

team?

That's right.

So what?

Show Mr. Delgado your fastball.

Vroom.

He's so fast you can't see it.

Come on, show him.

Do they let her bat?

In the cleanup spot.

Her average is 360.

So what?

Show him your fastball.

Come on.

That's a fastball.

He looks more like a bowling ball to

me.

I'll see you at the game tomorrow, huh?

Fine.

Come on, Marcelo.

Loosen up.

Just a little tight.

That's all.

Loosen up.

Carlos, he's really got great stuff.

He's just a little wild right now.

I can't help it, Sister, but she makes

me nervous.

Who?

Who makes you nervous?

The girl on their team.

Well, she's not up to bat now.

But she will be.

Marcelo.

Are you still awake?

Listen, will you take my word for it?

Pitching to a girl is just the same

as pitching to a boy.

But supposing I accidentally hit her with one

of my fastballs?

Well, then she walks to first, just like

anyone else.

But supposing she cries?

If she cries, she's no ball player.

Go to sleep.

Armando, why aren't you in bed?

I'm not sleepy.

Sister Petrillo, why can't I stay for the

game tomorrow?

Because you and your new mother and father

have to be in Miami by tomorrow night.

He's a very important man at the university,

and they're presenting him with an honorary degree.

But what are you going to do without

a pinch hitter?

Well, it'll weaken the bench, all right.

But I guess those are the breaks.

I don't want to weaken the bench.

The team needs me.

Yeah, they do, all right.

But so do your new mother and father.

Boy, just as I get a uniform.

I never had a uniform before in all

my life.

You never had a home before, either.

But a uniform is different.

Well, I'll explain that to you, but first,

will you button your pajamas?

And so the big day arrived.

Sister Petrillo had given the team the old

pep talk.

Now, team, what are we going to do?

Rule the field!

Let's get going!

Bye, Armando.

Bye.

Aren't you lucky to have found so many

wonderful friends?

Sure, lucky.

And even luckier to have found such a

wonderful mother and father.

Sure, luckier.

And when your father receives the honorary degree

in Miami, you'll be very proud of him.

Sure.

Attention, please.

Now batting against Don Drysdale, Armando Escobedo.

Armando.

Armando.

Armando.

Before the game starts, tell Fernando to hold

the bat like this.

And don't let him choke it.

Yes, I shall do that.

Remember what I told you.

Don't be nervous.

I'm not nervous.

You put the glove on the other hand.

Oh, yeah, sure.

Yeah, sure.

Come on, guys!

Come on, team!

Let's...

I mean, let's see that old pertinacity!

The first thing we're going to do when

we get you home...

The first thing we're going to do when

we get you home is fit you for

a field dismiss and a brand new bat

and even a uniform.

Thanks, but I'm quitting baseball.

I am.

I don't like childhood memories.

Ball one.

Oh, please.

Ball two.

Atta boy, Marcelo!

Keep them guessing!

Ball three.

Oh, no.

Señor Ramirez, have you no faith?

Faith I have.

But it is 13 to nothing.

I know.

But wait until our team comes to bat.

Never mind her.

Just close your eyes and pitch!

Awful.

Go ahead.

Take your base.

Clumsy!

Umpire!

Your manners not count.

Umpire, that girl is heckling the pitcher.

What a time to get a flat tire.

You'll love your new school, Armando.

The children learn so much.

I've been learning a lot, too.

Did you know that if Sister Patrull puts

her left hand on her right shoulder, it

doesn't mean anything?

But if she puts her right hand on

her other shoulder, that doesn't mean anything either.

But if she scratches her arm, it means

still third.

But if she does this, just forget everything.

It confuses them.

See?

Isn't that interesting?

Yeah.

What good is it gonna do me now?

What are you looking at me like that

for?

What do you want me to do?

Whatever you think best.

I don't know.

Maybe...

Maybe you're right.

This is no way to get started.

That flat tire might be a good omen.

Here I...

You're out.

What do you mean you're out?

You're out.

No, that was interference.

He's out.

He's out.

We shall pray for your eyesight, umpire.

And so, that made two out in the

nines.

The score was Indians 43, the Convince-Santanco

nothing.

Fernando was about to bat when onto the

field with his shoelace flying came...

Sister Patrull, I'm back.

Oh, honey, how...

What happened?

My parents couldn't stand it.

They said they felt like ogres.

Whatever that is.

Come on.

Come on.

Ladies and gentlemen, Armando Escobedo batting for Fernando

Arias.

Now I've seen everything.

Honey, whatever you do, don't swing that bat.

Your strike zone is so low that he'll

never be able to get the ball between

here and here.

So, crouch.

Okay.

Okay.

And remember, don't swing the bat.

Just stand there.

He'll have to walk you.

Got it?

Okay.

Girls, go.

Go.

Go.

Out you.

Ball what?

Ball two.

T-W-O.

Which means ball the second.

Now, wait a second.

A coach questioning an umpire's call can be

suspended for up to six months.

I'm not questioning his call.

I'm telling him.

That ball caught the corner of the plate

this much.

Throw this sore head out of the game,

Mom.

You're out.

Now, look it.

You let me do the umpiring.

You do the praying.

Now get back to the dugout, both of

you.

Play ball.

Take a picture, Armando.

Come on.

Ball three.

Here I...

Armando, don't swing that bat.

Take two.

Armando, make him pitch to you.

Go.

Go to second.

Go.

Armando, go.

Go.

Run.

Don't go back, boy.

Run.

Don't go back and get it.

Come on.

Nice line.

He's safe.

We won.

We won.

We won.

How do you figure that out?

It's 43 to 1.

Don't you know a moral victory when you

score?

We won.

We won.

We won.

Senor Escobedo, we happen to know that, for

our sakes, you gave up receiving a very

important honorary degree.

So in its place, we'd like you to

have the ball with which Armando hit our

very first home run.

All I can say is, that's my boy.

Well, I guess we should be going.

Yeah.

Thank you very much, sister.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Bye, Armando.

Bye.

Bye-bye.

Goodbye.

Bye.

Hurt, that city, hurt.

Hurt, that city, hurt, that city, hurt.

There's nothing like a father's lessons about life.

Are you married?

Love.

He's his father's son.

And matters of the heart.

I'm in love.

The Courtship of Eddie's Father.

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