Batter Up

Remember that game we use to play

BATTER UP!

"Hey Dude you think you gone play tonight?" I don't know Bruce, my elbow sure is sore...

 

I remember it like it was yesterday. The excitement in the air, Moms who were the best of friends, wanting to claw each others eyes out by games end. Don't know what it was about Baseball? Sometimes it just brought out the worst in some Mamma's. I use to get so embarrassed because I could always hear my Mom screaming over everyone. If that P.A. System was to ever break? I think my Mom could have filled in just fine. I remember this one time. I had been hunting with my Dad. I ended up with a little poison ivy.. Just happened to have a tad in my neither regions...wink.....Being a kid and all If I itched, I scratched. That's just what boys do.. Well We are right in the middle of a game, the boys was itching something awful. So i did what comes natural.. I scratched.. I hear my good Ole Mom, Scream above everyone, "PUN KIN! (Thats what she called me) PUNKINNNNNNNNNNNN! STOP SCRATCHING YOUR WANG!" I'm trying to hide under first base.. The whole freaking stands break out into hysterical laughter... DON'T YOU MOMMAS KNOW WHAT THIS WILL DO TO A KID? Scar um for life. They will never be able to scratch their Wang again without thinking of Dear Ole Mom.. That is just WRONG!.. OK. I'm getting alittle off subject here. Back to the story.

Tonight was the night that we were going to play for the Minor League Championship. The game the previous week that got us to this point was one I'll remember for the rest of my Young life. Not only did I get to Pitch that game, I hit an Inside the Park Home Run that won us that game. My last at bat that night I was hit with a wild pitch and it had caused a hairline crack in my left elbow. Even though it had been almost a week, It still hurt like the dickens and I wasn't sure if coach was going to let me play this night?

Me and Bruce arrived at the Ball Park together.. We made a mad dash to the Dugout because Coach always wrote the nights lineup on a pad and posted it there before the game.

"NOPE! I AIN'T STARTING! DAMN!" Now Bruce didn't mind at all when I didn't play because this would mean that He was.. I must give Ole Bruce his props.. He could run fast, he could catch that Baseball like he was Willy Mays but when it came to hitting.. Ummm for my sake we'll just say his skills was lacking a wee bit. In other words, He struck out alot... A whole lot.... OK.. Every freaking time he Batted.....(Sorry Bruce They deserved the truth)

Now folks, this night was kinda bitter sweet for yours truly.. Not only was both my Mom and Dad there, My Old Grandpa was there also.... Pop never came to any of my games before... And I wasn't even getting to Play....Didn't even really matter to me at the time because I knew that I had the whole game to get on the coach's nerves.. Just maybe if I badgered him enough he would put me in the game. It was a whole lot safer in the dugout though.. What if my crotch would have started itching again? Nope. Not going through that again... NOT ME! I'll just sit over here in this corner and cheer for my Ole Buddy Bruce.

Well I wont bore ya with the details of the whole game. Will just say that it was Our last time to bat. We was behind by one run.. In other words we wasn't winning this game. I hadn't gotten to play any so far and I had kinda just lost interest by now. We had one out at the time and one man on base. I hear the coach ask me if I thought I could hit the ball? I mumbled something back and he said "Your Up then"

I'll never forget the walk out to that plate.. I could hear my Mom screaming over everybody.. Even Old Pops was getting into it by this time. I don't really remember being nervous because my Dad had taught me a way to breath that would sorta calm ya down a bit. I'm thinking to myself.."DUDE! YA HIT A HOME RUN LAST WEEK. YOU GOT THIS IN THE BAG......BREATH IN BREATH OUT." That first pitch was just what I liked....A little High and outside.. My Dad had told me never swing at the first pitch.. I don't have a clue why but that's what he said.. "SORRY DAD"... CRACK! That ball was heading for some yonder.. It's High enough....It's far enough..come on come on come on..........FOUL BALL!...... damn! I didn't like this next pitch so I let it go by.....Swosh!.....STEEEEERIKE TWOOOOOOO!......damn! Now in my mind things was getting pretty serious right about now... My Grandpa was here for Christ Sakes...."Please God let me hit the ball?"...........SWOSH!.......STRIKE THREEEEEEEEE YOURRRRRRR OUTTTTA HEAR! Folks the walk back to that dugout was one of the longest walks of my life. I was close to tears by now.. I remember looking up in the stands and my Ole Grandpa winked at me.. Don't know why, but suddenly things just didn't seem as bad? Here we were just one out a way from losing the Big Game and Bruce was to be the next Batter.....Oh God, I can't look....Bruce had already batted a couple times before in this game and he didn't come within three feet of hitting that ball. We use to think maybe Bruce saw more than one ball coming at him and he always swung at the wrong one? Sometimes folks that ball would be up around his head and he would swing at belly button level.. Yep! He was a wee bit off with his Ball Judging abilities. In other words that boy couldn't hit the side of a barn if ya painted a bulls eye on it...(SORRY BRUCE)

Now truth is, at this point we just figured all was lost... I wasn't really paying attention to the game anymore.. I was phys icing myself up for when we had to go over and shake the other teams hands and pretend that we was all happy they had just whooped our asses.. Then it happened......CRACK! I heard that sound that a bat makes when ya hit the ball and ya just know it's gonna be a good one. I turned around just in time to see My Buddy Bruce take off to-wards first base. The crowd was screaming as that ball went over the fence. The look on Bruce's face was pricless... We all went out to meet him as he crossed Home Plate.. Yep! Good Ole Bruce... He was my best friend ya know?

 

Y'all wear ya smiles.............Kuntry.