Just-a-chance!?---and…a-"choice"!
Up by one-run, bottom of the last inning, "weak"-batter
coming to the plate, 2-out, runners on 2nd & 3rd. Whew!
I rub-up the baseball as coach calls time from the home-plate
umpire who grants the request sending Coach-Jim to the mound.
"Son! All we need is 3-outs!" He cajoled, trying to appear calm.
The previous 2-batters had each singled, advanced on a wild-pitch.
"Are you Good? We got a reliever!? Sort-of? Just, settle-down."
"Yeah, Coach! I got this. 9th-batter! Plays "right"-field; struck him out
in the 3rd and again in the 6th. I'll burn him with 3-heaters! Bam! Over!"
Coach seemed relieved. "Okay! Kid! Burn him-at-the-plate!" He nodded.
"We'll get 'em one at a time." He patted me on the shoulder, walked-off.
The skinny right-fielder stepped into the batter's-box; he had "counseled"
with his 3rd-base coach while our-side "commiserated" on the mound.
I threw the fast-ball right down central---he blinked..."Strike-one!"
The batter stepped out of the box, hit the barrel of his bat against
his shoes, peered at his coach who yelled encouragement though his
tone betrayed his confidence in the slight right-fielder, who swallowed.
When he got back in the box, I checked the runner on 3rd; he smiled.
We were friends, played school-ball together; this was summer-league.
My pride demanded that I strike this 2nd-stringer out with three-pitches.
But---I knew I could do "that"...easily!? Hmm!? What's the problem?
The kid-batter glared at me; he read the foregone-conclusion, too.
"Strike-two!" Bellowed the umpire as a blur-of-white blazed-in.
To sweeten the "experience"---I made an errant-decision...change-up!
Pitching from the stretch, I checked the runner on 3rd, holding him close.
Then, I gave a slight-nod to the batter, stepped---and "fired"...a "change-up".
Made two mistakes---change-up...right down the middle-of-the-plate!
Crack! No-doubt!---Oh! No!...Home-run! "Bad"-guys---Win!
So? We ended the season 13 - 1; just can't win-'em-all!? I reckon so!?
That skinny right-fielder tagged each base and touched home-plate---
the unlikely "Hero" of his team...against an "Ace! Star-pitcher!"
I never told anybody---"right-fielder" and I...had set it up! It's: True!
Best-memory of my career---the "kid"...had a "rare"-disease I happen to
have learned of previously. My-"gift"! I Loved that loss!---and...baseball!
Amen!
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