Batter up! Baseball action and exciting whodunits star in this chapter book series! Next up is St. Louis Cardinals! It's a special day in St. Louis, and there's a pregame celebration with Clydesdale horses that drive around the edge of the stadium before the game. Mike and Kate get to meet the horses and the Dalmatian that rides along. Then, during the game, they find out the Dalmatian is missing. They rush to investigate and find a ransom note. The criminal will return the dog if they can get one of St. Louis's World Series trophies! Can Mike and Kate catch the crook and rescue the pup? Ballpark Mysteries are the all-star matchup of fun sleuthing and baseball action, perfect for readers of Ron Roy's A to Z Mysteries and Matt Christopher's sports books, and younger siblings of Mike Lupica fans. Each Ballpark Mystery also features Dugout Notes with more amazing baseball facts. DAVID A. KELLY has written a picture book and chapter books for young readers including the MVP series, as well as for many newspapers and magazines. He lives near Fenway Park in Newton, Massachusetts. You can learn more at davidakellybooks.com or on twitter at @davidakelly or facebook.com/ballparkmysteries. MARK MEYERS grew up in Utah and studied art at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Kate Hopkins reached up and gently petted the nose of a big brown horse. It nuzzled her hand. Kate giggled. The horse lifted its head and whinnied. It had a white stripe on its nose and white feet. “Don’t get your arm bitten off, or we’ll miss the game!” her cousin Mike Walsh said. He was tossing a baseball from one hand to the other. “Red Gibson is going to set the Cardinals’ hitting streak record tonight! He’s hit in thirty- three straight games so far.” Kate reached back up to pet the horse again. “It’s okay, Mike. We’re not going to miss any of the action,” she said. The horse and five other Clydesdale horses were hitched to a tall red delivery wagon with big white wheels. At the beginning of the base- ball game, the horses would pull the wagon inside the stadium while a bouncy “oompah-pah” song played. The Clydesdales appeared at St. Louis Cardinals games on special occasions and for the first and last games of the season. They were at today’s game for the Cardinals’ Lewis and Clark Days celebration. “Don’t worry,” the horse team driver said to Mike. “Duke doesn’t bite.” The driver wore bright green pants with yellow stripes down the side and a crisp white shirt with a black tie. A name tag on his shirt read manny. Manny reached over and gave Duke a pat. “Well, maybe he’d bite you if you were a Pittsburgh Pirates fan!” he joked. Manny’s partner, Tommy, laughed. Tommy was polishing the wagon. He was dressed like Manny. “We don’t have to worry about the Pirates tonight,” Tommy said. “Red Gibson is sure to continue his hitting streak.” It was six o’clock in the evening. Mike and Kate were in the groundskeepers’ area in the Cardinals’ stadium. Kate’s mother, Mrs. Hopkins, had arranged for the kids to visit with the horses. She was a sports reporter and often brought Mike and Kate with her to games. People bustled all around them. Grounds- keepers were fetching rakes and supplies. On the other side of a garage door was the stadium’s outfield. A groundskeeper with a mustache stood just inside the door, dipping pretzels into a jar of peanut butter and munching on them as he watched the other groundskeepers. He seemed to be the boss. The noise of the fans finding their seats flooded in through the open doorway. Nearby, Manny and Tommy were getting the horses ready for their appearance on the field. “Let’s get a photo!” Kate said. Mike pulled out his phone. But before he could take the picture, he noticed a baseball player on the other side of the wagon. “Hey, it’s Red Gibson!” Mike said. “What are you doing here?” Red stood tall in his St. Louis uniform. He had a bushy black beard and long arms and legs. His young face looked friendly. He smiled at Mike and Kate and walked over to shake their hands. “Hello there!” he said. “I came down for a good-luck visit before the game. I do a lot of charity events with Manny and Tommy, and I like to spend time with the animals.” Manny laughed. “You don’t just like these animals; you love them!” he said. He looked at Mike and Kate. “I’ve never met someone who loves animals more. He’s even studying to be a veterinarian when he retires from baseball.” Manny patted the side of the old-fashioned delivery wagon. “I know someone who’s going to be thrilled to see you, Red.” WHEEET! WOOO! Manny gave a loud whistle. A black-and- white blur flashed down from the driver’s seat of the wagon. Mike and Kate felt something brush past their legs. Two big paws landed on Red’s chest, and a long pink tongue darted out to lick the side of his face! “Louie!” Red called out. “That’s my boy! You’re my special good-luck charm!” Louie, a large Dalmatian, continued to lick and nuzzle Red. Red petted t