In this ALA Jr. Literary Guild selection by John H. Ritter, a rough-and-tumble band of batsmen from a California boomtown insist they're the country's best baseball team. To back up their boast, they make a wager with the 1881 champion Chicago White Stockings. Into this high-stakes climate rides 12-year-old baseball virtuoso Jack Dillon with his newfound friend, Billy the Kid. This sets the stage for a fun-filled, rip-roaring baseball shootout. 'The Desperado Who Stole Baseball has it all-rich baseball lore, a rollicking Western adventure, and storytelling gold. A terrific book.'-Mike Lupica, author