The Closer (Cal Ripken Jr.’s All Stars, 6

The final book in the out-of-the-park series by legendary short-stop and a veteran sportswriter Cal Ripkin.Danny Connolly is a back-up pitcher with the Dulaney Orioles. He knows what that means: not good enough to start. When he does get into games, he hasn’t exactly been the shut-down reliever the team needs. To make matters worse, he’s playing in the shadow of his older brother, Joey, a lights-out high school lefty with a 90-mph fastball who’s attracting lots of attention from college recruiters and major league scouts. It’s bad enough that Danny’s parents seem to fawn over Joey and barely talk about what Danny does in his games. But now, as his big brother’s mound exploits draw more and more attention, Danny’s starting to get the why-aren’t-you-as-good-as-Joey comments from the Orioles, too. The pressure to live up to Joey’s success is stifling.Lonely and frustrated, Danny embarks on a secret project designed to make his family and teammates sit up and take notice. Aided by a mysterious stranger with an uncanny knowledge of the aerodynamics of a thrown baseball, he attempts to learn a new pitch. A pitch no one has ever seen before. The clock is ticking on Danny as the O’s try to repeat as league champions. But if his audacious plan works and he can master the magical fluttering pitch known as “The Terminator,” he’ll soon be the talk of the league — and the dependable closer the Orioles desperately need