Jackie & Me, published in 1999, is the second novel in the Baseball Card Adventures

Baseball Card Adventures

The Baseball Card Adventures is a novel series is written by Dan Gutman. So far there are 10 books in the series. The 11th book, Ted & Me, is expected to be released in 2012....

 series by Dan Gutman

Dan Gutman

Dan Gutman is an American author from New Jersey. A prolific writer, Gutman has written 80 books, both fictional and non-fictional, under publishers including Penguin Books, Macmillan, Scholastic Press, and HarperCollins...

, the sequel to Honus & Me

Honus & Me

Honus & Me is a children's novel by Dan Gutman, published in 1997, and the first in the Baseball Card Adventures series. It was rejected by many publishers before HarperCollins finally accepted...

.

Plot summary

Joe Stoshack is severely insulted during one of his at-bats in a baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 game by the opposing pitcher, Bobby Fuller, and loses his temper. He charges the mound, determined to teach Fuller a lesson. Mass chaos follows, and Joe ends up getting suspended indefinitely from Little League

Little League

Little League Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States which organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the U.S...

.

He then goes to school the next day to receive an assignment to write a report on an important African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 figure in United States history. Being a baseball fan, he chooses Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...

. He uses his special ability to travel through time with baseball card

Baseball card

A baseball card is a type of trading card relating to baseball, usually printed on some type of paper stock or card stock. A card will usually feature one or more baseball players or other baseball-related sports figures...

s to go back and witness Jackie Robinson’s first Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 game

Game

A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...

. He rescues Dan Bankhead, who takes Joe to McAlpin Hotel. On the way, Joe realizes he is black. After meeting the Robinsons, they take Joe to see the Opening Day game. He becomes a batboy along with Ant, a prejudiced and mental teenager. Joe also buys valuable baseball cards for his father. Soon, Ant thinks Joe is a Communist and steals his Ken Griffey Jr. card, but Joe takes it back and travels back to the present. Joe goes back in time again, this time he is white. Joe travels to Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium

Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...

 for the 1947 World Series with Jackie. There, Ant discovers Joe's Game Boy, but before he can call the cops, Joe leaves. Ant decides to break into Jackie's house. He steals Joe's million-dollar baseball cards. Joe wants to stay for Game 7, but with the cops after him, he knows it is not possible. Joe leaves 1947, this time for good. Back in the present, Joe gives his report and states that Jackie Robinson had to endure all the prejudice going on. It ends up being outstanding, and the teacher proclaims it the best in the class.

His suspension from the Little League is lifted for the last game of the season. He again meets Bobby Fuller in the bottom of the last inning

Inning

Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....

 with the score tied, but this time ignores his heckling and gets a single. After that, he manages to successfully steal second base, third base

Third Base

is a 1978 Japanese film directed by Yōichi Higashi.-External links:...

, and home plate

Home Plate

Home Plate is the fifth album by Bonnie Raitt, released in 1975 .-Track listing:#"What Do You Want the Boy to Do?" – 3:19#"Good Enough" – 2:56#"Run Like a Thief" – 3:02...

, getting the ultimate revenge.

Historic baseball figures appearing in the book include Pee Wee Reese

Pee Wee Reese

Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted...

, Dan Bankhead

Dan Bankhead

Daniel Robert Bankhead , was the first black pitcher in Major League Baseball. After a strong career in the Negro League playing for the Memphis Red Sox, he was signed at age 24 by Branch Rickey to play in the Brooklyn Dodgers' farm system...

, Hugh Casey

Hugh Casey

Hugh Thomas "Fireman" Casey was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Chicago Cubs , the Brooklyn Dodgers , the Pittsburgh Pirates , and the New York Yankees ....

, Dixie Walker

Dixie Walker

Fred E. "Dixie" Walker was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees , Chicago White Sox , Detroit Tigers , Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates...

, Bobby Bragan

Bobby Bragan

Robert Randall Bragan was a shortstop, catcher, manager, and coach in American Major League Baseball. He also was an influential executive in minor league baseball...

 and Eddie Stanky

Eddie Stanky

Edward Raymond Stanky , nicknamed "The Brat", was an American second baseman and manager in Major League Baseball. He played for the Chicago Cubs , Brooklyn Dodgers , Boston Braves , New York Giants , and St. Louis Cardinals...

.