Now We're Talking — Dean Hughes

OLLIE ALLMAN: PITCHER

It's not only Ollie's pitches that are sometimes outside, Ollie himself feels like an outsider: His family's moved around so much Ollie's never lived anyplace long enough to make real friends.

It doesn't help that he's a little weird -- he's the Scrappers' best pitcher, but he relies on tricks and gimmicks like talking to himself on the mound. The trouble is, the opposing teams' batters can hear what he's saying, and they know exactly what he's going to throw. It's enough to make Ollie want to quit the team -- even if the Scrappers can't win without him.