# Ben Burton — Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship character guide > Ben Burton in Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship by Noah Brooks. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Benjamin F. Burton, Burton, Mr. Burton, Wm. Van Orman **First appearance:** 0001-our-baseball-club-and-how-it-won-the-championship ## Snapshot A blonde, sharp-tongued shortstop whose needling criticism of teammates unsettles the Catalpas' bench even as his own fielding wobbles under pressure. ## Who they are 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. ## Relationships ### [Larry Boyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/larry_boyne) _friendship_ Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's leadership on the baseball team. ### [Hiram Porter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/hiram_porter) _friendship_ Ben and Hiram are friends and fellow baseball players, working together to support the team's success. ### [Alice Howell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/alice_howell) _friendship_ Alice and Ben are friends, with Ben often acting as a confidant and ally in matters involving Larry. ### [Al Heaton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/al_heaton) _friendship_ Al and Ben are teammates and friends, working together to strengthen the baseball club. ### [Ellis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/ellis) _friendship_ Ben and Ellis are teammates and friends, with Ellis often supporting Ben's efforts on the team. ### [Lew Morris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/lew_morris) _friendship_ Ben and Lew are teammates and friends, with a mutual respect that strengthens the baseball club. ### [Larry Boyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/larry_boyne) _friendship_ Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's leadership on the baseball team. ### [Larry Boyne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/larry_boyne) _friendship_ Ben and Larry are close teammates and friends, with Ben often supporting Larry's leadership on the baseball team. ### [Alice Howell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/alice_howell) _friendship_ Alice and Ben are friends, with Ben often acting as a confidant and ally in matters involving Larry. ### [Hiram Porter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/hiram_porter) _friendship_ Ben and Hiram are friends and fellow baseball players, working together to support the team's success. ### [Lew Morris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/lew_morris) _friendship_ Ben and Lew are teammates and friends, with a mutual respect that strengthens the baseball club. ### [Hiram Porter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/hiram_porter) _friendship_ Ben and Hiram are friends and fellow baseball players, working together to support the team's success. ## In the story ### [Our Baseball Club and How It Won the Championship](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/our-baseball-club-and-how-it-won-the-championship) His treachery is discovered, leading to his removal from the team. ### [I: Great Expectations](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/ii-a-scrub-game) Shortstop for the Catalpas; makes several errors (muffs) during the game, contributing to the team's loss. ### [Notes of Preparation](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/v-notes-of-preparation) Vies for captaincy but loses to Hiram Porter; harbors jealousy toward Larry Boyne. ### [VI: An Interesting Episode](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/vi-an-interesting-episode) Discussed as sullen, moody, and potentially treacherous; suspected of jealousy toward Larry. ### [A Turn of the Tide](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/viii-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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/xii-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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/xiii-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](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/xiv-a-strange-message-from-home) Accused of treachery via telegram; reacts angrily and defensively, then disappears after supper. ### [Mike Costigan's Discovery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/xv-mike-costigan-s-discovery) Revealed through the telegram to be planning to sell the game. ### [The Conspiracy Laid Open](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/chapters/xvi-the-conspiracy-laid-open) The primary conspirator who suggested throwing the game; flees to Indiana after the plot is exposed. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters/ben_burton - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/our_baseball_club_and_how_it_won_the_championshi_se/characters