Free You Can Call Me Al by Crimson Cloak Publishing Page B

thought disdainfully.
    Two outs later, Ken, their first baseman,
hit a sharp single to right. Horace chugged around third and the
coach waved him home. The right fielder threw a perfect strike to
the catcher and Horace was out by three feet.
    “I could have made it,” Johnny said quietly
to himself.
    It was now the top of the third inning and
Johnny’s team was still down 3 to 0. One of the opposing players
hit what looked like a routine grounder to second. The ball,
however, took a wicked hop and Horace misjudged it. It hit him
square in the throat and Horace went down like a sack of potatoes.
The coach and one of his teammates helped Horace off the field.
    “Okay Meyers, I guess you are in,” his coach
said unenthusiastically.
    Johnny was so excited he raced off the bench
without his glove.
    “Here Johnny, you might need this,” the
coach said, as he tossed Johnny his glove.
    The rest of his teammates laughed and Johnny
turned beet red as he ran out to take his position.
    There was one out and there were runners on
first and third.
    “ Oh please, don’t let the ball be hit to
me, I’m not quite settled yet,” Johnny thought wishfully.
    Johnny didn’t get his wish; a hard hit
ground ball was hit to his immediate right. Johnny could handle
grounders that were hit right to him but this was going to be
difficult. He tried to back hand the ball but knew he had missed
it, but instead of trickling out to right field the ball suddenly
lodged itself inside Johnny’s glove. Johnny looked at it in
surprise then stepped on second base and threw to first to try and
complete the double play.
    Johnny had gotten too excited and had thrown
off balance. His coach had told him time and time again, to plant
his back foot before he tried to throw. Now his throw was going to
go wide and the other team would score another run. Somehow, Ken,
their 1 st baseman, was able to spear Johnny’s errant
throw while keeping his foot on the base. The double play was
completed. Johnny shook his head in wonderment and trotted back to
the dugout.
    “Good job, Johnny,” his coach said in
obvious surprise. Several of his teammates were patting him on his
back.
    It was the bottom of the third inning. After
two quick outs it was Johnny’s turn at bat. Johnny noticed as he
stepped up to the plate that his teammates were getting their
gloves and preparing to take the field.
    “ I guess they don’t have much faith in
me ,” he thought bitterly.
    Johnny’s stomach felt like mush, he stood at
the plate and timidly waved his bat. The opposing pitcher smiled
and seemed to sense another quick out.
    The first pitch was inside. Johnny tried to
back away but the ball hit his bat and rolled foul.
    Strike one!
    The next pitch was low, Johnny tried to
check his swing but he had already followed through.
    Strike two!
    The next delivery was way outside; Johnny
was too anxious and swung anyway. As he went through his swing the
ball suddenly curved back inside and caromed off his bat. The ball
sailed into left center field and dropped between the two
outfielders. Johnny was so excited he almost tripped getting out of
the batter’s box. As he rounded first base he noticed that the
centerfielder had just caught up with the ball. Johnny made it into
second base, standing up.
    There were yells and squeals of approval
from his teammates. His coach looked on in quiet disbelief.
    The next batter hit a slow grounder that
just made it through the infield past the 1 st baseman.
The right fielder charged the ball but he had been playing a little
deeper then he should have and Johnny rounded third and ran like
his life depended on it towards home plate. Johnny beat the throw
easily and scored his team’s first run.
    Johnny was hugged by several of his
teammates; his coach gave him a “thumbs up” sign. The last batter
flew out and it was time to take the field again.
    Johnny got through the next two innings
without embarrassing himself, he only had to make one play;