Second Chance at Bat, page 1
SECOND CHANCE AT BAT
JOHN A. HODA
Copyright © 2022 by John A. Hoda
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
In memory of my mother, Pauline Emily Hoda, who loved the Phillies and always encouraged me.
“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”
-Babe Ruth
CONTENTS
Title
Prologue
1. Phantasy Camp
2. Back Home
3. The Show
4. Rock Star
5. More Bad News
6. Summertime
7. Surveillance Report
8. Wild Card Mania
Win or Go Home
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by John A. Hoda
TITLE
Second Chance at Bat
by John A. Hoda
PROLOGUE
It was an ugly swing, more an epileptic jerk than one practiced thousands of times.
* * *
“C’mon, Coach D, that pitch just ain’t right”. Tommy Callahan said. “It’s downright nasty.”
* * *
Joe grinned while the catcher trotted to the backstop to retrieve Joe’s no-seam knuckleball. “Why do I throw it Thomas?”
* * *
Tommy knew the answer. “I’ve got two strikes on me and I have to protect the plate- gotta choke up and put the ball in play”
* * *
The ball came back to the mound. The catcher settled in and Joe DiNatale held up his index finger of his left hand, the universal sign for a fastball. Joe’s throw by American Legion standards, wasn’t competition grade, but it went straight and Tommy stroked a clean line drive down the third base line.
* * *
“There you go, Thomas. Now go out to right and long toss with Billy. Somebody’s gotta pitch a ballgame today”.
* * *
Joe heard Coach Hunter yell, “Kyle, dig the ball out of that corner.” Howie Hunter, a big bear of a guy, stood behind a protective mesh screen up the third base line with a fungo bat. With a flick of his wrists, Hunter laced another line drive into the left field corner so that Kyle could learn how to play the caroms. Howie, swung the funny shaped bat with no wasted motion and lifted an array of beat-up hardballs into the hot and humid Berks county late afternoon sky. The outfielders fielded them and fired their throws to the Minster boy who was shagging for Coach Hunter. Joe continued to pitch batting practice, Hold up one finger, fastball, whack. Two fingers with a wrist twist signaled that a curveball was coming, whack. 10 hits a kid, fifteen kids. Joe rarely missed the plate and the kids sprayed hits, except when that knuckleball fluttered in.This was the way the visiting Reading American Legion Post 76 got ready for the business about to start with the Boyertown Bears. Not a lot of chatter, nor fooling around here.
Boys? Kids? Hard to think of them kids anymore, they were young men now. Tommy and Kyle were two teens that Joe and Howie had coached since T-ball.
* * *
In the dugout, Joe sat down with Tommy and the catcher Tony Gonsalves.
“This is a long ball hitter’s ballpark. 320 down the lines and lots of room in the alleys. Their team is built around power and big innings” Joe said. Joe noticed that Tony fiddled with his shin guard straps, just like his Joey had when DiNatale talked pitching strategy.
“Thomas, keep every strike down. Make ‘em hit grounders” Tommy nodded. Joe continued, “ If you throw upstairs its only inside or outside when they are behind in the count. Take no one up the ladder over the plate” “Antonio, mix up the four seamers and two seamers. Don’t be afraid to call for his hook, it looking good today. Real good”. The battery-mates smiled at that. Joe wasn’t afraid to boost their confidence today. They needed to do everything right against this perennial Pennsylvania powerhouse. They went over signs one more time, to make sure that everybody was on the same page.
* * *
Coach Hunter slapped balls to the infielders. “Get two” he said and each fielder had to throw to the right base then that player had to touch the bag before firing it on to complete the play. Tony and Tommy moved out to the field to handle bunts and throws to first and third.
Soon, the national anthem played over the loudspeaker and Joe wondered if this would be the last time in uniform for these boys. Would their season end tonight? Would this be Joe’s last game as a coach? His flashbacks were snippets from the time the kids were barely taller than their bats, then to the wild ride in Williamsport and now for the last couple of years. Tonight, if they won, they would advance to the American Legion Regionals. The applause from the large crowd broke Joe’s reverie.
“Okay guys” Howie didn’t have to look around, he had their attention. “We are smart and we are very fast. We are gonna play small ball with them and force them to play our game” At home in front of their fans, we want their egos to get in their own way. We want to get into their heads. Watch Joe for all the signs, especially the bunt, hit and run and steal signs. Its gonna be a track meet out there tonight. They won’t know what hit em”.
* * *
When the game started Joe moved to the third base coaching box. He put on the bunt sign with two strikes to Kyle, the fastest kid and lead off hitter. If he bunted foul, he would be out. It was a risky move.The bunt caught the third basemen napping and Kyle was aboard. He took a small lead. Joe signaled a take sign for strike one to Billy. Kyle got the steal sign while Billy was to fake his bunt. Both surprised the Boyertown infielders again.The catcher was distracted by Billy waving his bat in the strike zone for strike two. He reacted late in throwing to second. Safe. After a couple of waste pitches, Billy then hit a dribbler to the third baseman who had to charge and throw to beat Billy by a half of a step at first. Kyle went to third. Joe and the third basemen had a stare down.
* * *
Kyle quietly said to Joe, while the third baseman was standing next to them, “All night baby, all night."
* * *
With one out , Reading’s all-star center fielder and best hitter, Willie Gaines stepped up to the plate, Joe gave him the swing away sign and he lofted the first pitch fastball deep into center for a Sac Fly. This was small ball at its best. The clean-up hitter struck out,ending the inning and Joe’s squad had a 1-0 lead.
Howie shambled across the diamond down into the dug out past the players bouncing up the steps to the field. “Now that’s what I am talking about”. He shouted to everybody in earshot.
* * *
On offense, Reading bunted, fake bunted, drag bunted, hit and ran, stole bases, ran delay steals and double steals. Willie’s fly out was the farthest ball that Reading managed. Over and over again, the third baseman, pitcher and first basemen had to charge bunts and make off-balance throws to an out of position shortstop or second basemen. Sometimes, the visitors ran themselves out of an inning by getting caught stealing on a swinging strike three.
The strategy was working, however. The pressure on Boyertown forced errors and runners advanced. Kyle scored again on a squeeze play and later Antonio came home on a fielder’s choice. Reading produced those runs without hitting the ball out of the infield.
* * *
On defense, The Boyertown Bear’s big boys kept pounding the low pitches into the ground or into the air for towering pop-ups. Joe could see the frustration being taken out on thrown helmets and bats after outs. He heard it in the stands from the shocked and vocal fans. Callahan mixed up his pitches and delivered the ball where Gonsalves set up. He was giving up singles, but no walks. He got out a jam in the sixth where four straight singles and a sacrifice fly ball produced three runs. A tailor-made double play ball to shortstop effectively killed the rally.
* * *
Going into the final frame with the game tied three runs apiece, Joe asked Tony, “How’s Tommy’s stuff?”Tony struggled with his chest protectors in the humidity of this mid-August evening. Joe could see he was struggling with his answer as much was with the gear.
* * *
Tony looked at his cleats. “He’s got some gas left in the tank-He’s okay.” Joe listened, but he knew what he had to do. A tired Tommy on a hot night was not as good as a fresh Billy.
* * *
Tommy was on deck that inning and could be pinch hit for. Joe could get Billy warming up for the bottom of the seventh and extra innings if needed. Howie and Joe stood outside the dugout as the Boyertown pitcher tossed his final warm ups.
* * *
Joe said “He still looks strong.” pointing to the Boyertown hurler. “But Tommy is done.”.
* * *
Howie replied, “I know, if Zeke Minster gets on, who do we send up to pinch hit for Tommy?”
* * *
Joe took off his cap, rubbed his hand through his black hair and said, “There was nobody on the bench with a better batting average or more pop in his bat, but Steve Wheedle had better wheels. “Let Tommy hit, if he gets on, we put "Speedy" Stevie Wheedle in to run for him.”
* * *
Howie nodded in agreement and made his way over to the first base coaches box.
* * *
The top of the seventh started off with promised. Zeke leaned into a curveball that
* * *
Joe came down the line and used Tommy as a shield from the opposing team’s eyes. “Show bunt, then pull back. Choke up and slap the ball hard.”
* * *
“You got it Coach D.”
* * *
Tommy settled in the box, the umpire pointed to the mound and the pitcher checked on Zeke at first. Tommy showed bunt with his arms and shoulders, but kept his feet set. The corner infielders charged, the catcher came up out of his crouch, the pitcher looked in and made his throw home, elevating a fastball to induce a pop up.
The shortstop hustled to second to get the force play on the lead runner. The second basemen ran to cover the empty bag at first.
* * *
For six innings, The Bears were tortured with bunts and fake bunts. They were conditioned by Reading to react exactly this way. The pitcher came off the mound towards home. Tommy brought his bat back halfway and then chopped the rising fast ball inches past the head of the third basemen whose first reaction was to duck. The ball whistled just fair past Joe and rolled to no-man’s land. It was now a race between Zeke, who had been running, the shortstop who was slow to reverse his direction and the lumbering left fielder who had been playing deep in a no-doubles defense. the play developed in front of Zeke, who nudged second base with his right foot and sprinted to third. Tommy did like-wise touching first on his way to second.
* * *
The ball nestled in at the farthest point between the fielders on the third base line. The crowd was shrieking for somebody, anybody to get to it. Joe windmilled his right arm for Zeke to go home. It was going to be close. It was the left fielder that bare-handed the hardball and came up throwing home. It was on target but late and Zeke slid under the tag. Tommy danced off of second then retreated. Stunned silence by the home crowd was punctuated by the Reading bench and its two dozen faithful fan’s celebration who had made their way up the highway after work. Reading had the lead again. Joe savored the moment and pointed at Howie across the infield, who was pointing at Joe. This was a special moment between two very different men brought together by the love of a game played by their boys in the summer’s past.
* * *
Time out was called and Tommy received a hero’s welcome of high-fives and back-slapping in the dug out as Speedie Wheedle stretched his legs on second. Boyertown’s skipper signaled for a reliever. He had to change the momentum. All during the reliever’s warm-ups, the third basemen stared at the frenzy in the Reading dug out.
* * *
Joe was not more than 5 feet from the hot corner and could almost feel the contained rage.
* * *
Joe, of course, had the next batter greet the new pitcher’s first offering with a bunt up the third base line, but it was fielded cleanly for out number one at first , Speedy scampered to third. Joe was definitely in this third baseman’s head as the stare downs resumed. Wheedle tried distracting the reliever who was facing him after each set, but to no avail. Joe considered another squeeze but a strike out and a pop up ended those thoughts and the top half of the inning was over.
* * *
Joe had learned when the boys were little to address them by their given names to get their attention “William keep the ball down, nibble the corners with your fast ball and make ‘em chase your curve ball.” Joe never took his eyes off of Billy’s as he addressed him with this formal name. “One for a fastball, two for a curve and throw to Antonio’s mitt, Got it?” Billy nodded. trotted to the mound to continue his warm ups. Joe had borrowed that trick from Joey’s soccer coach over ten years ago and found that it worked just as well now with teenagers.
* * *
The sun hung low in the cloudless sky, it would be dusk soon. No wind to speak of, The air was cooler and getting thicker now. The ball won’t carry as far Joe hoped. Three outs and we have new life. We live to play again.
* * *
Joe and Coach Hunter leaned on the railing on the home plate side of the dugout when the bottom half of the inning started. The home field crowd wasn’t going anywhere this week night and they raised the volume level of their urgings. Joe could hear the desperation. The first hitter fouled a few fastballs off before hitting a curve weakly to second for out number one. Billy caught the ball from the first basemen in with a downward snap of his glove hand wrist. The second batter settled in. Tony signaled for a curve. Billy delivered it just outside for ball one. Billy kept the next two fastballs down, but the batter didn’t chase either one. 3-0. The batter then took strike one. Tony called for a curve. Billy nicked the corner, Tony froze his mitt but he didn’t get the call,a gutsy take by the Boyertown player who now became the tying run on first. Howie cleared his throat a few times to let the umpire know what he thought of the pitch. Joe looked at the line-up card to see who was up and that their third baseman was going be on deck.
* * *
“Shrug it off, William-don’t mean a thang.” Joe said trolling out the word loud enough for the umpire to notice.
* * *
“Let’s get two.” Coach Hunter followed.
* * *
The third base coach went through his signs. Tony wanted the fastball on the inside of the plate. Joe figured, after the walk, this batter would be taking. He figured wrong. Billy was a little high, but the batter swung at the first pitch and lofted fly ball to Kyle in left. Every Reading player now made the “two out” sign with their pinkie and index fingers spread wide and high. Joe didn’t have to guess what was being said by the Bear’s long-time coach to the hitter who bounced his batting helmet on the floor of the home team dug out with a loud thwack.
* * *
Joe called time and double-timed it to the mound, Tony followed. Billy was ready for them. “I can get this guy Coach D."
* * *
Joe was calm, “This guy wants to hit the cover off the ball. We’ve had him running up and down the third base line all day like a yo-yo” Throw him curve balls away- take away his strength” Do not get into his wheelhouse” Joe alternated between his pitcher and catcher. “ Are we clear?”
* * *
“Yes sir.” said Tony as he slipped on his catcher’s mask. Billy was hiding his expression behind his glove, copying big league pitchers and just nodded.
* * *
Joe ran back to Howie’s side. “What did you tell ‘em Joe?”
* * *
“I told them to stay away from this guy. He’s scary right now. Let somebody else beat us.”
* * *
The fans started their exhortations. The Reading fans were calling for a strike out. Billy threw the first curve low and outside for a ball. The clean up hitter was taking. Evidently, his coach could rein him in.
