Sluggers

The year is 1899, and the Travelin' Nine are criss-crossing the good ol' U.S. of A., raising money to pay off the Payne family's big-league debt! Griffith knows the most about his family's troubles. So it's his job to set things right, because that's what his father would have done. Ruby has noticed a change in her big brother. Suddenly he's acting anxious and secretive, and she's determined to find out why. Graham just wants to hit the field. Deep down inside, he knows that everything would be fine if his brother and sister would let him step up to the plate and swing for the fences. And then there's the baseball that, when held simultaneously by Griffith, Ruby, and Graham, triggers the miraculous.

Things are getting alittle clearer for the Payne children, well, at least for Griffith. Uncle Owen has finally let him in on some of the big secrets that the kids have been dying to find out. He even told him some things that Griffith never wanted to know about, like The Chancellor. The very name strikes fear into Griffith's heart. And he knows that unless he and his siblings can figure out the magic baseball and start winning some games, the chancellor will do a lot more than strike fear into their hearts.

PREGAME RECAP As the Travelin' Nine head to Chicago, the team is filled with hope and optimism. After a disappointing loss in Cincinnati at the start of their baseball tour, the heroes of the Spanish-American War bounced back in Louisville. Doc and Woody came through with timely fielding, Crazy Feet and Tales smacked clutch hits, and champion horses provided that extra kick, helping the barnstormers to their come-from-behind victory. By the end of the thrilling contest, there was no doubt in the minds of Griffith, Ruby, and Graham that the baseball their Uncle Owen had given to them on the night of their father's funeral was magical. Indeed, the mysteries surrounding their baseball, which their uncle had urged them to keep secret, were deepening. And as excited as they were by the barnstormers' win, the Payne siblings' fears and worries continued to grow. Uncle Owen's tattered, bloody letter had warned them about the Chancellor. What's more, they'd seen the Chancellor's men lurking at the Louisville game. Griffith and Ruby now realized that their adventure was about far more than raising money to pay off a family debt. But what exactly was it about? After the Louisville match, Griffith confronted his mother. She denied that the Chancellor could be involved, but she promised to answer all of Griffith's questions on the train to Chicago...