Knights ownership share will revert to the Judge, the team's majority owner. The Judge offers Hobbs $5,000 () to throw the season. Hobbs, unlike Bump Bailey, refuses the bribe. While watching Hobbs pitch during a practice session, Mercy suddenly remembers him and introduces Hobbs to Gus Sands, a bookie who places large bets against Hobbs. He also meets Pop's beautiful niece, Memo Paris, who was Bump's girlfriend. Their budding romance causes a distracted Hobbs' game to slump. Hobbs' slump continues until during a game, he sees a woman dressed in white and then hits a home run shattering the scoreboard clock. The woman is Iris, and they later meet at a diner. She tells Hobbs she has a teenage son whose father lives in New York City. Their reunion restores Hobbs' hitting prowess, and the Knights surge into first place and within one win of the pennant. However, Memo (who has been colluding with the Judge and Sands) poisons Hobbs at a team party, causing him to collapse in pain. He awakens in the hospital and learns that a silver bullet removed from his stomach has caused long-term damage; the doctor warns him it could prove fatal if Hobbs continues playing baseball without giving the wound time to heal. With Hobbs hospitalized, the Knights lose three games in a row, setting up a one-game playoff against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Judge comes to the hospital and offers Hobbs an even bigger bribe to throw the game, threatening to expose his involvement with Harriet Bird to the press. Memo visits Hobbs and urges him to accept the Judge's offer and to walk away. Later, Iris also visits and assures Hobbs he is a great ballplayer. Still recovering, Hobbs rejects the bribe and returns to the team. Watching from the stands, Iris sends a note to Hobbs in the dugout, saying she has brought their son to the game. In the ninth inning, the Knights are trailing. The Pirates bring in a young, hard-throwing pitcher, who, exploiting Hobbs' condition, throws inside, attempting to harm him. Hobbs hits a foul that splits his bat, Wonderboy, in two. Batboy Bobby Savoy brings him his own bat, the "Savoy Special", which Hobbs helped him make. Hobbs, down to his last strike, his wound bleeding through his jersey, smashes the ball into the stadium lights, winning the game and the National League pennant. The victory secures