Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship · Character

Ben Burton

A blonde, sharp-tongued shortstop whose needling criticism of teammates unsettles the Catalpas' bench even as his own fielding wobbles under pressure.

major

Also known as Benjamin F. Burton, Burton, Mr. Burton, Wm. Van Orman

First appearance: Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship

As a major figure in Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship, Ben Burton is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

His treachery is discovered, leading to his removal from the team.

In the storyOur Baseball Club and How It Won the ChampionshipOpen this moment free

Ben Burton is a Catalpa player whose running commentary on other men's plays — like mocking John Brubaker's catch as 'a two-old-cat fly' — sours the mood of the bench and draws Larry's polite rebuke. His derisive smile when Larry struggles at the plate reveals a teammate who builds himself up by cutting others down, yet his own fumbled grounder at shortstop costs the club a base. That gap between his sneer and his hands makes him a friction point the nine must absorb if they hope to gel.

See Ben Burton in Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

Character Web

30 connections

A slice of how Ben Burton sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Friendship

Character groups

Catalpas team and supporters
Protagonist

+25 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this chapter, the emotional and psychological peak occurs as the entire town of Catalpa is gripped by fever…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

Larry Boyne
friendship · positive
Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's… How this plays out →
Hiram Porter
friendship · positive
Alice Howell
friendship · positive
Al Heaton
friendship · positive
Ellis
friendship · positive
Lew Morris
friendship · positive
Larry Boyne
friendship · positive
Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's… How this plays out →
Larry Boyne
friendship · positive
Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's… How this plays out →
Alice Howell
friendship · positive
Hiram Porter
friendship · positive
Lew Morris
friendship · positive
Hiram Porter
friendship · positive

Larry Boyne
Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's leadership on the baseball team.
Hiram Porter
Ben and Hiram are friends and fellow baseball players, working together to support the team's success.
Alice Howell
Alice and Ben are friends, with Ben often acting as a confidant and ally in matters involving Larry.
Al Heaton
Al and Ben are teammates and friends, working together to strengthen the baseball club.
Ellis
Ben and Ellis are teammates and friends, with Ellis often supporting Ben's efforts on the team.
Lew Morris
Ben and Lew are teammates and friends, with a mutual respect that strengthens the baseball club.
Larry Boyne
Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's leadership on the baseball team.
Larry Boyne
Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's leadership on the baseball team.
Alice Howell
Alice and Ben are friends, with Ben often acting as a confidant and ally in matters involving Larry.
Hiram Porter
Ben and Hiram are friends and fellow baseball players, working together to support the team's success.
Lew Morris
Ben and Lew are teammates and friends, with a mutual respect that strengthens the baseball club.
Hiram Porter
Ben and Hiram are friends and fellow baseball players, working together to support the team's success.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Ben Burton in Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship

In the story

Ben Burton appears across 12 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship
His treachery is discovered, leading to his removal from the team.
I: Great Expectations
Alice's cousin and a suitor, quoted by Alice for his baseball slang 'a basket of goose eggs.'
II: A Scrub Game
Shortstop for the Catalpas; makes several errors (muffs) during the game, contributing to the team's loss.
Notes of Preparation
Vies for captaincy but loses to Hiram Porter; harbors jealousy toward Larry Boyne.
VI: An Interesting Episode
Discussed as sullen, moody, and potentially treacherous; suspected of jealousy toward Larry.
A Turn of the Tide
Muffs the ball and fails at bat in Bluford; taunts Larry about a young lady prompting Judge Howell's message.
X: How the Good News Came
Returns to town and becomes unusually familiar with Hank Jackson, raising suspicions and Alice's disapproval.
After the Victory
Shows jealousy and ill temper over not being invited to Judge Morris's; predicts the Catalpas will lose to the Calumets.
Pride Has a Fall
Arrives late and flushed, suspected by Sam Morrison of visiting pool rooms; makes a weak hit and behaves as if afraid of the ball, contributing to the team's errors.
XIV: A Strange Message from Home
Accused of treachery via telegram; reacts angrily and defensively, then disappears after supper.
Mike Costigan's Discovery
Revealed through the telegram to be planning to sell the game.
The Conspiracy Laid Open
The primary conspirator who suggested throwing the game; flees to Indiana after the plot is exposed.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Ben Burton unlock in the free preview.

See Ben Burton in Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship