John-Boy takes a disliking to Hobie Shank, a teenaged orphan who once stayed with the Waltons. He returns to the Walton home while he waits for a tryout as a pitcher for a professional baseball team. With all of his big talking though, the Waltons don't know whether or not to believe what Hobie tells them. A talent scout does turn up to watch him and offers him a contract with his baseball team.