Chemistry professor Vernon Simpson (Ray Milland) has virtually no money, so marriage to the daughter (Jean Peters) of the university's president is out of the question. But when Vernon accidentally discovers a liquid that repels wood, it doesn't take long for the baseball lover to realize he has hit on something big. With the magic liquid in his glove, Vernon's astounding pitching performance for the local St. Louis team lands him a contract. As he pitches his team all the way to the World Series, success is just a game away¿until Vernon finds his catcher (Paul Douglas) has given away the last bottle of his special "hair tonic."