Free Beanball by Gene Fehler

 
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Part One

Luke “Wizard” Wallace and Andy Keller
    â€œThis is our year, Andy. I’m sure of it.
    I had this dream last night.”
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    â€œOkay, Wizard. Let’s hear it.”
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    â€œI dreamed it was Awards Night.
    Coach Hucklebee was holding up a big trophy: State champs.
    There were two little statues on top.
    One was you and one was me. Co-MVPs.”
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    â€œHey, that must mean Coach picked me to start at third base.”
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    â€œSure. Why else would I have dreamed it?”
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    â€œI hope you’re right.
    Wait’ll you hear about
my
dream.
    I dreamed I was making out with Lisalette Dobbs.”
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    â€œYou and Lisalette?
Only
in your dreams.”
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    â€œI know she’s out of my league, but . . .”
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    â€œI’ll say this, pal: The chances of you starting at third
    and of us winning State are better than the chances
    of you making out with Lisalette Dobbs.”
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    â€œYou think?”
Clarissa Keller, Andy’s sister
    I saw a shooting star last night.
    If you see one,
    you’re supposed to make a wish.
    So I did.
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    I wished that Luke and Andy would stay best friends
    forever and ever.
    Or at least until I’m in high school.
    That would mean Luke will keep coming to our house.
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    I know an eleventh grader would never have
    a sixth grader for a girlfriend.
    I’m not dumb.
    But maybe someday he’ll look at me
    and not just see somebody’s little sister.
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    I hope Andy and Luke stay friends till then.
Luke “Wizard” Wallace, Oak Grove center fielder
    What I love most about football
    is when I jump up between two defenders
    and feel the ball slap against my hands and stay there;
    then I break a tackle and know that nobody can catch me.
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    In basketball, it’s when I’m on my game,
    and I know, just know,
    that when the ball spins off my fingertips,
    it’ll hit nothing but net.
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    Baseball—that’s the best of all.
    I’m in center field, a sea of green all around me.
    I see the batter swing,
    and I know that if the ball is hit anywhere near me,
    I’ll make the catch.
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    I read a book about an old-time ballplayer,
    Shoeless Joe Jackson.
    He was such a great fielder, people called his glove
    â€œthe place where triples go to die.”
    Standing out in center field, I think, “That’s me, too.”
    Nobody can ever take that feeling away.
Andy Keller, Oak Grove backup infielder
    Sure I’m disappointed. Who wouldn’t be?
    I thought I’d be the starting third baseman.
    Luke thought so, too.
    But with just a few days to go before our first game,
    Coach came up with this brainstorm:
    Move Ricky from right field to third.
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    Coach figures he’ll get more batting punch
    if he puts Ricky at third and Julio in right,
    but I think I’m as strong a hitter as either of them.
    Coach has given me a fair shot;
    I’m not saying he hasn’t.
    It’s just that I haven’t hit as well as I know I can.
    Luke thinks I’m trying too hard,
    putting too much pressure on myself.
    He says I should keep my head up, that I’ll get my chance.
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    I hope he’s right.
Paul Gettys, Oak Grove pitcher
    Coach has a saying: “You can’t go undefeated
    unless you win the first one.”
    I owe this win to the Wizard.
    I wasn’t sharp. Gave up six runs.
    Didn’t deserve to win.
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    It was in the low forties today.
Brrr.
    I like it hot.
    Sweat dripping down.
    My right arm as loose as an old sock.
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    I’d never let Coach hear me blame the cold, though.
    Shoot, Coach hates excuses.
    He says, “An excuse is a crutch for losers”
    and “An excuse is like trying to patch
    an amputated arm with a Band-Aid.”
    Hucklebee’s a great coach,
    even if he does go overboard with his cornball sayings.
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    Anyway, I just wasn’t getting my pitches where I wanted