Second Chance at Bat, page 9
* * *
“Did everybody have a good time this week?" Kent Koosman primed the crowd. He had been the head judge for the Kangaroo court, and was visible at each of the games. He began giving out awards. There was one for best fielder which went to Johnson, best pitcher, best hitter, catchers that caught every inning, and two other awards for best spirit and most hustle. Joe and his teammates recognized some of the recipients as their opponents over the marathon of games.
* * *
There was one unexpected award given to Kiko Garcia. All the military personnel, present and past joined him on the podium for a pin ceremony and plaque. Just when Joe didn’t think that they could wring any more emotion out of him, the scene unfolded. Players are practiced in the art of receiving awards for their baseball exploits, but this one caught Kiko by surprise. He had been helping out a Vet that had lost his way the room was told. The Vet was building his life back in a special program called The Pathway Home Program: California Transition Center for Combat Veterans. Kiko befriended him and stayed in touch weekly. This wasn’t public knowledge. Kiko wasn’t doing this to get any mileage out of it for himself. This was a selfless act by a caring person and it showed. The presentation was made by an active duty serviceman and fellow Phantasy camper. The pinning was special. It was like giving Kiko a medal. Getting a medal for combat was serious stuff and not the fluff analogies that are made of sports to war. Getting pinned by a real warrior did not leave a dry eye in the house, including Kiko. Its funny what you see when they aren’t wearing those damn sunglasses, you could look into the heart and soul of real people trying to make their way in this world like everybody else, Joe concluded.
* * *
Kent had to get this train back on track for the final awards. No funny quips here. He acknowledged the pinning ceremony again and everyone gave a second standing O. Then he announced this year’s Phantasy Camp winners, The Bay Sox. Benny and Julio made their way to the stage with the player rep. Then each player was called in alphabetical order to receive a humongous award and the championship trophy. Joe and his teammates basked in the limelight of their improbable rise from the ashes of their first game. Polite and envious applause followed, except from the Bay Sox Phans and the Johnson family who were hooting and hollering. After the team pictures, they were again seated and stealing glances at their trophies and the team Cup. The lights were turned down low. The music started and a montage of shots taken from the time the players arrived at the airport until Bay Sox celebration just a few hours earlier were captured.
* * *
When the lights rose, the applause continued for Kent and the Legends. Then the banquet was closed and it was time to hit the bar. The Bay Sox were conflicted as they had to be the first team to go against the Legends.
* * *
Benny left with most of the Bay Sox, but Julio was still holding court.
* * *
“You should have seen that knuckle ball today. It was nasty. Did I tell you that I discovered him. Yeah, he was throwing it along with a decent curve and fastball during tryouts, I drafted him in the mid rounds.” Julio was not bashful about his latest discovery. “What makes it so deadly, is that he doesn’t use any seams to throw it. I have never seen anything like it.”
* * *
Joe blushed and said to their table mates. “He told me to throw it, so I did. I had never thrown it in competition until yesterday. Today, I was too tired to throw the other pitches, so I just stuck with it.”
* * *
Julio was very excited. ”Yes, He threw just the knuckle ball for a two hit shut with a perfect game into the fifth. We already know how one Legend handled it, wait until the rest of them get a look at it tomorrow. I’ve already told them to go to bed early, because they will need all their rest."
* * *
With that, Joe said, “Well if I am starting against the Legends, I’d better get some sleep too." and he excused himself from the table. As he left the bar, Joe was alone and very lonely. He had no outsider to share this with.
* * *
"Howie, did I wake you? Sorry about that. Hey you got a minute. You'll never believe this." Joe took the stairs rather than lose the call in the elevator.
* * *
Scene 18
* * *
The Bay Sox gingerly stepped off the early bus with just enough time for the trainer’s room.
* * *
After a morning cocktail of Red Bull and Ibuprofen, Joe met “Big D” Deron Money, Harmon and the still-smiling Shorty as they were coming out of the batting cages.Their batting and slugging averages were rising as the pitching was getting faster. The tighter strike zone made it easier for them to extend their arms and pull the ball. Money was in a fast pitch softball league in the Philadelphia Suburbs and Harmon had played serious adult hardball since college. When Champy was pitching, they anchored the diamond with stellar defense and on the field leadership. Today Big D would be in Left, Harmon in Center and a gimpy Doyle on Third.
* * *
This was supposed to be a fun couple innings against the Legends, Every player was guaranteed a plate appearance. Their name and number would be announced over the Bright House Field PA system and their picture would be flashed on the scoreboard screen.
* * *
As they made their way up the stadium steps to the left field entrance, they passed the memorabilia hounds for the umpteenth time. Joe was first to say it. “You know its one thing to get a ball signed for your kid or somebody that is hospitalized or homebound, but to see these same people here all day each day, it makes autograph-seeking seem so trashy.”
* * *
“Yeah” Harmon nodded. “The players are usually gracious, but some of these bozos are downright obnoxious.Yesterday, Julio and Benny and I were walking together on this same path, when the guys politely brushed one of them off. The nut job waved a couple of toy bats at them and tried to bait them with, ‘What, you’re too good for me?’”.
* * *
Funny thing was, each player today had a chance today to visit the Legends dugout to get autographs as part of the Phantasy Camp package. Joe had planned to get a few for his mother, brothers and sisters. He already knew what he wanted to do with his red jersey, but the how still eluded him. Then there was Linda. Since their phone call, there had been no contact. She didn’t know about the almost perfect game, almost no-hitter, two hit shut out he threw yesterday. He vowed that none of the stuff from this trip would cross the threshold of his home. There was plenty of space at the office, he’ll set up the shrine there.
* * *
The Legends were in the Home dugout wearing their Reds and the players were in the visitor’s dugout where their Whites.
* * *
This stadium was the envy of almost every minor league team in the country. Throw back style seating, a grassy outfield porch, a food court and a high tech stadium scoreboard completed the picture. Joe thought the practice fields were the best he ever stepped foot on, but Bright House field was perfect. The warning track was tartan not cinder and fencing was padded. No sense maiming a blue-chip prospect while they were still in diapers.
* * *
Joe and his teammates warmed up in Left field. There would be no infield or batting practice. This was to be an assembly-line of over 110 hitters on ten teams in 5 hours under the guise of the Legends playing a couple inning game with each team The same rules applied from the previous days, with one change. Both teams could field as many players as they had in their dugout. So the Bay Sox planned to play four across the outfield along with a short fielder.
* * *
Doyle hit a sharp ground ball to his idol at Shortstop, Juan Aguayo, who threw to Kiko Garcia at First. Ryan was next to face the heat seeking missiles of Shane Holland. He fouled one off before striking out. Joe was in the dugout looking for his iPhone to take some pictures when Deron Money settled in. Holland threw Bid D a belt high fastball. Money had been timing the pitches to Doyle and Ryan and unleashed a vicious line drive. The players gasped as they watched the hardest hit ball of the week clear the left field fence with room to spare. It was the first home run against a Legend in the Sunday morning game ever. Big D was classy and ran the bases touching each one until he was mobbed at home. Holland shook it off and got Anderson to pop up and the visitors took the field.
* * *
Joe took the mound and made his warm up throws. The slant of the mound and a good wrap on his quad allowed him to throw from the stretch with as much velocity as the day before. His floater was dancing. Shorty was frustrated by not being able to stab it, but enjoyed watching the professional hitters flail at it. Garry Hayes yelled at each Legend that inning that trotted back to their dugout, “ “See, its not as easy as you think”.
* * *
To start the Second, Harmon then sent a towering flyball to Glenn Gross in Left. Joe hit weakly to second where Mike Jeltz goobled it up. His Honor then milked a walk and trotted up the First base line. Evidently, Holland didn’t like the Ball Four call, and was airing out his disgust. Briggs would have none of it and yakked back at him. Joe just wrote it off as two fierce competitors who by their nature were feisty. Holland threw three straight strikes to Selma who didn’t have a prayer of catching up with any of those heaters.
* * *
Joe took the mound for the bottom of the Second and greeted by his old Legend nemesis Garry Hayes. Hayes took a different stance from his playing days. He was making an adjustment. He widened his feet, balancing his weight evenly and opened up to see the ball better. He tried wristing each pitch and was able to pop up to Anderson playing a deeper than normal Shortstop.
Kent Koosman came up to hit and was completely baffled by Joe’s stuff. On his third strike, he mimicked Max Patkin, The Clown Prince of Baseball. Even Joe had to laugh. Joe got Kevin Denny to ground out to His Honor at Second.
* * *
Joe was grabbing a water when Julio arrived. The sunglasses were in place, but something was amiss. Julio seemed out of it and sat at the end of the bench, none of the players bothered him. He mumbled something to Benny about being sorry and remained mute and emotionless.
Doc got a hit to Right field dropping one between Koosman and Russell. Anderson ran for him Shorty came up to hit. He worked in the Philly front office and knew these Legends on a first name basis. This was a special treat for him. Holland was not grinning and rubbed the ball with extra intensity. He fired a fastball that sailed over Shorty’s head. Was it a warning? Shorty didn’t know what to think. He looked up the First base line to Benny who was having a very animated conversation with the some of the Legends in their dugout. Benny then strode from the coaches box to their dugout railing. Some nasty shit was being exchanged now and it was apparent that Benny was sticking up for his team. When he returned to the box, he was glaring at Holland who was expressionless.
* * *
Shortly stepped up to the plate and wasn’t about to get hit. He watched two strikes go by and swung weakly at the third. Normally that would be the end, the Bay Sox were told, but they would have to allow the Legends to bat as no Player team had ever beat a Legend team in the history of Phantasy Camp Baseball.
* * *
Back to the top of the order. Doyle hadn’t been on deck, thinking the game was over. He hustled to the batter’s box and put the ball in play through the hole on the right side. Bo Virgil got it into second but too late. Holland was now facing Ryan who hit it right back to the mound. Holland fired to Second with Aguayo turning the double play on Joe pinch-running for Ryan. Joe stayed at First base and was listening to Benny having a few choice words for Holland as they both crossed the chalk lines. Joe did not dare interfere.
* * *
“What the fuck do you think your doing?”
* * *
“Mind your own fucking business, Benny?”
* * *
“How’d that dinger feel Shane?, How’s it feel to get lit up by a medical building designer?”
* * *
“Fuck you Benny! I am telling you to back off.”
* * *
Other Legends now got between two guys that were not backing down.
* * *
Briggs handed Joe his cap and glove. “Seems like that hothead needs a good beating”
* * *
Joe saw that the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge was not joking.
* * *
Bottom of the third, Joe retired them in order with a strike out, pop out and ground out.
* * *
The next team was getting ready to take the field, Julio was starting to stir. Benny was huddling with the player reps and Kent Koosman for a long time.
* * *
Benny came back to the dugout and said, “Okay listen up, the Legends won’t let us leave the field until they win. No extra fielders, same rules as yesterday.
* * *
“What? Are you serious?” Harmon asked.
* * *
Benny was grinning, “They wanted to play us with Major League rules with stealing and passed balls and bunting and everything.” I held the line on that.
* * *
It was Briggs that asked first what the rest of the team was thinking, “Why?”
* * *
“Why what?” Now it was Benny that looked confused.
* * *
His Honor made himself very clear. “Benny, why not play them straight up? D is dealing.”
* * *
Benny said, “But we don’t have a catcher that can catch D and throw out runners. No offense Shorty.”
* * *
“None taken Benny.”
* * *
“Ozzie Diaz caught a Mexican league Knuckleballer for years before getting discovered.” Julio said weakly. Everyone turned to see him now chugging a two liter bottle of water.
* * *
Benny said, “Are you guys sure you want to do this?”
* * *
“What, you don’t believe in us?" Doc chimed in.
* * *
“Right now, we are playing with house money. We get to play real baseball against a professional team that desperately wants to beat us. What’s the downside?” asked Ryan.
* * *
Benny looked around at each of the faces around him. He saw ballplayers.
* * *
“When would any of us ever get this real an opportunity again?” Joe asked.
* * *
Benny said, "I’ll see what I can do.”
* * *
None of the Bay Sox moved.
* * *
A few minutes later, Ozzie Diaz went into the locker room and came back with a Catcher’s mitt the circumference of a medium Pizza pan and began putting on the armor. Benny was ironing out the final details.
* * *
“Shorty, do you think you could give me and Ryan a break and platoon with us at Second?" asked His Honor.
* * *
“It would be my honor, Your Honor.”
* * *
“How about with me in Right?” asked Doc.
* * *
“No problema.” Jim Short replied.
* * *
The team was figuring out how best to plug more gaps. Within a few minutes, the “me” part of the final experience in camp became a “we” thing again and the glow returned.
* * *
“OK”, Benny said, “It the top of the Fourth, Major League rules apply, no exceptions.” He hustled up to first base. It was good to see Julio in the Third Base coaches box, but the players were not sure what game he was watching.
* * *
Holland was back on the mound to face the meet the middle of the Bay Sox order. Big D was taking and watched a major league fastball catch the inside corner. The next pitch from the right-hander curved past his flailing bat. Those two pitches told everyone that they were going to face major league pitching from here on out. Each guy couldn’t wait to get their chance. Holland threw an 0-2 change up that completely fooled Big D and he went down swinging.
* * *
Anderson settled in for the first pitch. He wasn’t taking and he wasn’t swinging away. He pushed a bunt up the third base line to Larry Carlton who fielded it late and set up to throw. Anderson’s speed earned him the base hit. He took a sizable lead. Harmon looked at strike one. On the next pitch, Anderson was running. Kevin Denny called a pitch out and fired a strike to Aguayo who applied the tag for the second out. The Bay Sox were bunting and stealing and loving it.
