Introduction[]
The kids play baseball. Arthur stands in the outfield.
Arthur: It's my first Little League game. Maybe I'll get a hit! Score a run or two!
He imagines being a professional player who hits a homerun past a flying jet plane. When he reaches home his teammates lift him up.
Crowd: Arthur! Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!
Arthur: Yoohoo!
The fantasy ends.
Arthur: That would be great.
Kids: Come on, Arthur! Arthur lifts his cap as if facing an audience. The ball falls down next to him. Oops.
Title Card: Francine Bangs Gong[]
Arthur and Buster walk down a street to the ballpark.
Buster: So, do you think you'll be good at baseball, Arthur?
Arthur: I hope so.
Buster: Well, only one way to find out. He runs a few steps ahead. See if you can catch the famous Buster ball pitch.
The ball hits a telephone pole, a rain pipe and a mailbox.
Arthur: I got it! I got it! (grunts)
He misses it and it falls down a gutter.
***
A list hangs outside the ballpark. Arthur, Francine, Binky, Buster, Brain, Sue Ellen, Prunella, Fern and Muffy are team #1.
Buster: We made it, Arthur. We're on the same baseball team.
Arthur: All right! Who else?
Buster: Francine, Brain, Binky... Hey, this is gonna be a great team!
Binky: Catcher. I get to be catcher.
Arthur: Great. Who wants to pitch?
Kids: Me! Me!
Francine: Well, anyway, it's up to the coach to decide who gets to be pitcher.
***
Mr. Frensky and the kids are in the ballpark wearing yellow jerseys.
Mr. Frensky: For those of you who don't know me, I'm Oliver Frensky and I'll be your coach this year.
Francine: Hi, Daddy.
Mr. Frensky: Hello, Francine. Now, our motto is gonna be teamwork. Everyone pitches in, everyone plays every position. Now, who's gonna be our first pitcher?
Brain, Francine and Buster exchange jealous looks.
***
Brain pitches and manages a strike against Mr. Frensky. Binky is catcher.
Mr. Frensky: Wow! Strike! Fantastic, Brain! Who's next?
Buster throws the ball straight up.
Mr. Frensky: Um. Where'd it go?
The ball falls on Buster’s head and into his glove.
Buster: Oh!
Francine throws the ball too high.
Mr. Frensky: Outside. Nice energy, though, Francine. Try again. Francine throws. Whoo! Inside. Once more. Right over the plate now. Right over the plate. Francine throws much too high. Well, it's certainly over the plate.
Francine walks sadly off the pitcher’s mound.
Buster: (giggles)
Mr. Frensky: Okay, everybody, in the outfield.
The kids are in the outfield now. Mr. Frensky hits a ball to them.
Arthur: I got it! I got it! He tries to catch and falls at Binky’s feet, while Binky catches the ball. Oof!
Mr. Frensky: Superb catch, Binky! And, Arthur, that leap was pure ballet!
Francine: Pfft!
Mr. Frenksy hits a grounder to Arthur. It jumps up his leg until he can catch it. Then he throws it to Binky along with his glove.
Mr. Frensky: Very ingenious, Arthur. Very creative.
Francine: (giggles)
Mr. Frensky: Here it comes, Francine.
Francine easily catches the ball, but then throws it over Binky’s head.
Nearby, Mr. Haney is about to pour himself lemonade on his veranda when the ball falls into the jug.
Mr. Haney: Ohh!
***
The kids pack up their things in the dugout. Francine walks past Arthur and Buster.
Buster: Any team that plays with Francine is gonna have to have a lot of baseballs.
Francine: Oh yeah?! Well, I wasn't the only one. How about that fly ball that hit Arthur on the head? She hits herself with the ball and pretends to be dizzy. Uh-duh! Where's the ball? Where's the ball? Right? Guys?
She is alone in the dugout.
***
Arthur poses with his baseball clothes in front of a mirror in his room.
Mr. Read: Ready for your first game, Arthur?
Arthur: Oh, uh...yeah.
He drops the ball.
***
The kids warm up at the ballpark before their first game. Mrs. Baxter approaches Mr. Frensky.
Mrs. Baxter: Mr. Frensky? I'm Buster's mother.
Mr. Frensky: Nice to meet you. Buster's a fine boy, a real spark plug.
Mrs. Baxter: Yes? Well, I was just wondering, is that ball very hard? What if it hits him? Are those hats made of wool? I think he's allergic to wool.
Buster catches the ball. Then he stops Francine and pretends to interview her.
Buster: Excuse me, Miss Frensky, think you'll top your previous record of forty-nine stray balls in one day?
Francine: Very funny! What about Arthur? Maybe he could try to catch one for a change.
Arthur: Oh, yeah?!
He drops the ball.
Buster: You know what you need, Arthur? My never-fail, always-succeed, one-hundred-percent-guaranteed, secret good luck charm. He pulls an old carrot out of his pocket. Use this and you can't miss.
***
The game begins. A rat boy from the other team gets a hit.
Arthur: I got it! I got it!
He tries to catch the ball, but it bounces off his glove over the fence.
Umpire: Homerun!
Arthur tries to reach the ball over the fence.
Arthur walks to the dugout and gives Buster the carrot back.
Arthur: Here. I think it's broken.
Buster looks at the carrot, then eats it.
***
Mr. Frensky and the kids stand in the Sugar Bowl.
Mr. Frensky: A great game deserves ice-cream.
Francine: Don't get an ice-cream cone for Arthur, he'll just drop it.
Kids: (laugh)
Buster: Oh, don't listen to her, Arthur. I'll hold your ice-cream for you.
The kids are eating their ice-creams.
Francine: Maybe next year I'll get on a real team. It would be nice to win.
Brain: Well, if you didn't throw the ball over Fern's head in the last inning...
Kids: (argue)
Mr. Frensky: Hey hey hey! Knock it off! Everyone is silent. Where'd Arthur go?
Buster: I think he left.
Mr. Frensky: Left??
He sees Arthur sadly walking away.
***
The Read family is having dinner. Arthur looks depressed.
Mr. Read: You paid attention and that's what's important. Baseball is ninety-nine percent concentration.
D.W.: Now if he could only catch the ball.
Mr. Read: D.W.!
Arthur: No, she's right. That's what everybody else says.
Mr. Read: Nonsense. I bet you dollars to donuts that right now coach Frensky is talking about what a terrific team he's got!
***
Mr. Frensky and Francine are doing the dishes in the Frenskys’ kitchen. They are still wearing their baseball clothes.
Mr. Frensky: You want me to take Arthur off the team??
Francine: Please, Daddy, you have to. I can't even throw straight because I'm busy thinking what dumb thing he's gonna do next
Mr. Frensky: That does sounds serious. Hm, well, maybe I can help you.
Francine: You're gonna fire him?
Mr. Frensky: I’ve got a better idea. I'm gonna give you a promotion.
Francine: What, really? You mean, I get to be pitcher?
Mr. Frensky: Even better.
***
The next day, Arthur sits in his room and bounces a tennis ball against the wall. There is a knock on the door.
Arthur: Come in.
Francine: Arthur.
Arthur: Hi, Francine. Did you remember something mean you forgot to say yesterday?
Francine: Arthur, I came over to tell you I'm the new assistant coach. My dad says it means it's up to me to make sure the team works together. And my first project... is you.
***
Francine and Arthur practice in the Reads’ yard.
Francine: Here it comes.
She throws.
Arthur: I got it! I got it!
He runs after the ball, followed by Pal.
Francine: Get under it! That's it!
Arthur has to look into the sun. The ball hits his head.
Arthur: Ouch!
Francine: Well, at least you were under it.
Francine shows Arthur how to shield his eyes with the glove.
Francine: Try to use your glove to keep the sun out of your eyes.
She runs and throws him another ball. He shades his eyes and the ball falls into the glove.
Arthur: Yeah!
Arthur is batting now.
Francine: Keep your eye on the ball, keep your head steady and follow through.
She throws much too high. Pal runs after the ball and sniffs it.
Arthur shows Francine how to throw.
Arthur: Try this! When you throw, push off with your legs and use your shoulder.
He runs and prepares to catch.
Francine: Legs...shoulder... She hits his glove exactly. Wow! You caught it.
Arthur shakes his hurting arm.
Arthur: Wow! You threw it straight.
***
Arthur and Francine have a drink in the Reads’ kitchen.
Francine: Sorry I teased you so much, Arthur.
Arthur: Well, maybe sometimes you overdo it just a little.
Francine: If I ever overdo it again, let me know. Deal?
Arthur: Deal!
Francine: But you know, it was kind of your fault.
Arthur: How was it my fault?!
Francine: Well, if you didn't keep striking out and dropping balls, I wouldn't have had to tease you!
Arthur: Oh yeah?! Well, at least when I throw, it lands in the same neighborhood!
Arthur+Francine: (laugh)
***
Arthur’s team sits in the dugout looking nervous.
Mr. Frensky: Okay, team, this is a play-off game. But I want you to play it just like any other game. Just everyone go out and have fun. And remember, if you win, I take you out for ice-cream! If you lose...
Binky: You drive us to the outskirts of town and leave us there?
Mr. Frensky: No, Binky. If you lose, I still take you out for ice-cream.
Binky: I'll never get to see the outskirts of town.
Mr. Frensky: Okay, team, let's go!
Kids: (cheer)
They run out onto the field.
***
The game begins. The rat boy gets a hit, but Arthur gets the ball and throws it to Fern at first base just in time.
Parents: (cheer)
Arthur is up to bet. He hits the ball and it bounces past an outfielder.
Kids: (cheer)
Buster is up to bat. He misses the ball.
Umpire: Strike three!
Mrs. Baxter: Yeah! The ball didn't hit him.
Brain pitches. The batter hits a high ball.
Francine: It's going to Arthur.
Buster: Oh, I can't watch!
Arthur: I got it! I got it!
He runs backwards, shields his eyes with his glove and makes the catch.
Parents: (cheer)
A girl at third base starts running. Arthur throws to Francine.
Binky: Throw it here, Francine!
Buster: I can't watch!
Francine throws to Binky just as the girl slides home.
Umpire: You're out!
Kids+Parents: (cheer)
Buster: Oh...
He faints.
Mrs. Baxter: Buster!
Arthur ties his shoes in the dugout. Mr. Frensky comes to him.
Mr. Frensky: You were fantastic out there, Arthur.
Arthur: Well, I had a good assistant coach.
Francine: Just one hit, Buster!
Buster is up to bat. He hits a short high ball that the other team easily catches.
Other Team: (cheer)
Buster sadly returns to the dugout.
Mr. Frensky: Beautiful try! I thought that one was going over the wall.
Arthur: Yeah, good try!
Francine: Boy, Buster! We just need one little hit and you couldn't...
Arthur: Ahem!
Francine: ...and you couldn't have made a better try. Good job!
Buster smiles.
Arthur: You know, Francine gave me some good baseball tips. Maybe she can do the same for you.
Buster: Sure, that’d be great.
Francine: Well, I guess I could use some practice pitching. Let's do it!
Arthur and Francine walk onto the field.
Francine: Thanks for stopping me before I teased Buster the way I teased you.
Arthur: Sure. Thanks for helping me with my game. See? Teamwork.
Francine: Yeah, but you know, basketball season is coming up, and if you stink at that I get to tease you all over again.
Arthur: Aw...