If you missed episodes one, two and three, click the hyperlinks below;
Chapter one
Chapter two
Chapter three
I always looked forward to Saturdays especially the mornings. I carried my bat that I have used since I was six with my dad, wear my sports gear and head to training. I dread the number of laps we are made to do. I always felt like telling the coach to separate us whilst training. For crying out loud I’m the pitcher. But I can’t. Dad always emphasized humility as a very strong attribute of a sports man. You must learn to keep your head down and always listen to the coach. Besides running is a very essential part of baseball. I could imagine the team hitting an inside the park home run.
Amazing I thought.
I play for the New Yankees as the pitcher in the Town’s little league also referred to as the minor league. We have until recently had a good run of form but two consecutive defeats have left us in a bad situation. My team is made up of 'pre-teens' and early aged teens, oldest been 16. Our last defeat against the Rangers was so hard to swallow.
It was as though a knife was twisted on the inside of us. I cried home.
Winning this year’s league is so important to me and our last game of the season against the Cougars is promising to be a title decider. We are presently level on points and with two games remaining and the Cougars in a better form, the odds seems to be against us.
Incidentally, our big Boris plays for the Cougars. It’s rather surprising that with his size he is a pretty fast batter-runner. Nowadays he looks more muscular than fatty. And that he is 12 still beats imagination. He talks well with his teammates who are older because they think he is older.
Anyways, it’s a Saturday morning and I am on the field training, it’s our sixth lap. I wonder how a lanky figure like me could be the pitcher but what I feel when I play baseball is different. There is an inner strength I kinda use, I just get in the way and stop the batting team runs. It’s so exciting. I feel fulfilled when I play as the pitcher.
Baseball has no game clock, mostly when it’s the ninth inning; the team with the greater number of runs wins. Yankees have been doing well this season in the little league and scouts are always on ground trying to recruit young lads to the Major League Baseball teams. My Dad comes to watch me play and I feel proud seeing him up there.
The coach has drafted us into two teams to play against each other. The coach makes me the pitcher of a team and puts our best batter-runner in another team. It’s normal we do this every Saturday. We all looked forward to it.
I steadied myself on the pitcher’s mound, one of the greatest weapons of a pitcher is that you are to throw the ball, I threw it long and with force. Declan is our batter, he reaches out to strike the ball high up in the air, so he could score a home run which seldom happens. He missed the ball and the Catcher caught it.
The Coach seems angry and cried out, “Declan do you now have a girlfriend? What were you thinking about? Now hit that ball and show me how good you are, else you will be dropped we are losing points in the league and we have been playing catch up for far too long to the Cougars.”
“Tyler!” he shouted
“Coach” I said gently
“Nice throw.”
“Thanks Coach.”
The Catcher gave the baseball back to me. By the way Declan is 14 and already in high school. I have been telling Dad I will love to attend Declan’s school, RockVille High. Declan is a good friend, he reminds me of my friend back in school though he has a golden brown skin that kinda glows in the sun and girls tend to flock around him.
“Tyler throw the ball!” the coach barked at me. I was lost in my own thoughts. I threw the ball badly. Declan comfortably hit the ball and started to run, I was helpless. He made the second base, third base and last base all before the ball reached the ground. Now I wished my crush Joan would hug me right now.
“Tyler you are dropped for the upcoming game. Taylor!”
“Coach” Taylor answered.
“You take his place.”
“Okay Coach.”
I was speechless. It was just a mistake.
“Now listen up, there is no room for complacency. If you do not play right, I swear to God I promise I would put you on the bench. Tyler is an example. Is that clear?”
“Yes Coach.” Everyone chorused except me.
“Tyler is that clear?”
“Yes Coach.”
“Now we run this again. By the way Declan nice play.”
I have played all season, now I have to watch things on the sidelines. I felt like throwing up. I kept my head down for the day and stayed put till we concluded practice.
Immediately we finished I made to dash out. Declan caught up with me.
“Hey Tyler!”
I looked back to see him running to catch up with me. I waited a bit.
“Sup Declan”
“Tyler I am sorry about what happened earlier. To me you are still our best pitcher.”
“It’s okay Declan. I will be fine. Moreover the team is more important than an individual. Maybe with Taylor we would do better.”
“Okay man. Just take care of you. I would catch you later. Gotta go.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
I went home feeling so bad.
“Tyler what’s wrong? You have been absent minded and seem withdrawn.” Mum said when I got to her side later in the day.
“I am fine mum. Just a bit tired I think.”
“Has Boris mum confirmed joining us for thanksgiving?” I asked again.
“Yes sweetheart.”
“Okay mum. So tired. Going to bed.”
“Okay dearie. Sleep well.”
That is it for episode four, we are gradually getting to the end of this story. Yes it is fictional but trust me you do not want to miss out on me sharing my rewards. Upvote. Comment. Resteem.