Name:

Name:	Date:
The Boy Who Saved Baseball	Due Date:
Week 1 – Chapters 1 through 4

Part 1: Matching. Use context clues from the novel to match the following vocabulary

words with the appropriate definition on the right.

1. ______ hermit (page 5)	A. Fighting and arguing.
2. ______ history (page 5)	B. To stare with undivided attention.
3. ______ brouhahas (page 10)	C. Counting how many you have.
4. ______ prophecy (page 13)	D. Practicing a certain skill.
5. ______ tally (page 17)	E. Something that will be gone or destroyed soon.
6. ______ bedraggled (page 20)	F. A rope used to lead a horse or other animal.
7. ______ agog (page 24)	G. A person who chooses to live away from people.
8. ______ halter (page 30)	H. Appearing old or worn down.
9. ______ drill (page 36)	I. The human body, in particular the muscles.
10. ______ physiques (page 37)	J. A statement about the future.

Part 2: Characters. Match each of the following characters with the best description.

1. ______ Tom Gallagher	A. S/he is Tom’s best friend.
2. ______ Doc Altenheimer	B. He was a major league baseball player.
3. ______ Cruz de la Cruz	C. She was ‘tall, strong, and could scare’ the boys.
4. ______ Dante Del Gato	D. S/he is the coach of the team.
5. ______ Frankie Flores	E. S/he owns the baseball field.
6. ______ Maria Flores	F. S/he joined the team from another town.
7. ______ Mrs. Gallagher	G. She is very opposed to the new construction.
8. ______ Mr. Gallagher	H. S/he writes in a notebook called ‘the Dreamsketcher.’

Part 3: Figurative Language. A phrase which uses figurative language is one that

does not mean what it appears to mean. It can be an idiom (it’s raining cats and dogs)

or just an expression (get to the heart of the issue.) Write a definition for the following phrases.

1. Page 3. “the whisper of a breeze.” __________________________________________

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2. Page 11. “put a hitch in my hat.” ____________________________________________

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3. Page 31. “by storm.” _____________________________________________________

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Part 4: Short Answer Questions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Be sure to answer the questions completely.

1. What did Dante Del Gato do to be called, “the crazy man?” Name a real person to which he could be compared? (is similar to a famous person?) Why do you think so?

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2. On page 8, the author describes the new buildings in the area. John H. Ritter writes,

“Meanwhile, to the west, an ocean of red-tiled rooftops –

houses and malls – had crept along the land, coming closer and

closer, like a pool of blood oozing up out of the earth itself.”

Do you believe that Mr. Ritter is in favor of new construction or against it? What part of this quote helps you to answer that question? Lastly, find another quote from the book that shows the author’s (or a character’s) opinion about new construction.

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3. Doc writes words of encouragement to Tom, “Even in the dead of night, the sun is always shining.” First, what does this phrase mean? Second, why would Doc write this to Tom after denying Tom’s request?

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