After enjoying time at home with his family, James was once again on a train. On this trip, he was headed to Hanover, New Hampshire. Hanover is located just east of the Connecticut River, which divides the states of Vermont and New Hampshire. As he got off the train, James once again found himself in what appeared to be the middle of nowhere. The President of Dartmouth College, Jared Key, met him at the station.
"And Hanover is..." James began.
"Only available by stagecoach or river." Key smiled, as he completed James' sentence. "Our coach is waiting for us and we can talk on the trip."
James learned about the team at Dartmouth and their struggles.
"The team has a record of 8-13. Attendance has been decent, given the team's struggles," Key stated. "We've averaged just under 400 people a game for six games, but we're hoping that changes tonight."
"And what is happening tonight?" James asked.
"Well, Mr. Herring, Hanover is a small town. About 2,085 people. Total. So, with Yale in town for three games and your visit," Key continued, "I figure we'll have quite the turnout. Let's just say I may have mentioned to a few people about the importance of your visit."
Upon arriving at the campus, James accompanied Key to Big Green Ballpark, where he met the Athletic Director, Tim Solis, and Manager Danny Anzaldua.
"What do you think of our facility, Mr. Herring?" Solis inquired.
"It looks a little smaller than the others I've been to," James answered. "What's the capacity?"
"1200 people," Key replied. "Probably is smaller compared to others, but in a town our size, people thought we were crazy to build it as big as we did."
The field was comparable to others in the association, James observed. The left field and right field lines were 332 feet and 321 feet. Left center and right center measured 396 feet and 368 feet, with center field 423 feet away.
James spoke with Manager Anzaldua about his upcoming series with Yale.
"They're the best team in the New England Region. 15-7 so far and their players know how to hit. Fortunately, I've got some players who can hit as well," Anzaldua stated. "Keep an eye on my center fielder tonight. The kid can flat out play."
Dartmouth's center fielder was a 19 year old by the name of Katsushi Imai and James found out he was hitting .385 after playing in 17 games.
When game time approached, it looked like the entire town was in the ballpark. Attendance was 1138 people. Nearly a capacity crowd. James was thoroughly impressed with President Key's efforts. Promoting the game is the key to attracting crowds, James thought. Like the other games, the weather was cool, but above freezing. A light breeze blew out to the short porch in right field.
Yale was definitely everything James had heard about and more. The Bulldogs bolted out to a 12-2 lead after four innings and never really looked back, winning the game 17-9. James saw his first multi-home run game, with Yale hitting the ball twice out of the park. The first was in the 2nd inning, when Yale's first baseman Eric Drum hit the ball over the left center field fence about 438 feet. Impressively, Drum is a left handed batter, which meant he had the power to hit it that hard to the opposite field. The second home run was in the 9th inning, when Yale catcher Jake Hurd hit the ball 384 feet into right center field.
The next morning, James boarded the coach and headed for the train station. He would only be home for a few days again, as he had another short turnaround for his next trip.