Tuesday, March 28, 2006

 

"I want you to get out there and smash that ball, Jacky," said Coach Casey, "Smash it into the stratosphere, you hear me?"

"I'm gonna get a home run today, coach," replied Jack, "for my dad."



Jack was smaller than the rest of the kids on his team, and the coach kept him off the field for the most part, but he was quick to dive for the line drives and he showed a lot of spunk at second base. Jack was willing to put himself in harm's way to win the game, and Coach Casey liked that. When the starting second baseman, Scott Polley, was put out of the game from a bouncing ball to the face, Jack had his rare chance to show his stuff. After a couple of good innings, and a few good saves, Jack was ready to get his turn at bat.

He wanted to hit the ball cuz he loved to play. Dad told him to hit it like he hated the ball, but Jack knew that to be a ball player you had to love the ball, not to hate it. Jack loved baseball, and he knew that the only way that ball was gonna get hit was as if he loved it. He wanted that ball to fly high as the sun, up and over the second baseman, up and over the right fielder, up and over the chain link fence, possibly so high that he could smash a window out of the factory building behind the diamond.

Now there was a good goal. Aim for the same factory building that his dad came home from every night, cranky and smelling of gear lubes. The same factory that took Jack's dad away from the family on weekends during February when the christmas bills needed to be paid. The same factory that took uncle Bob's legs before Jacky was even born. That was a good place to aim a home run at, with it's wall of opaque windows, and its tall brick outline.

Dragging his bat with him to home plate, a trick he'd seen Lou Whittaker perform during the Tigers run for the world series, Jack shook the jitters from his shoulders as he squared himself up against the pitcher.

"You aint gonna hit this one pipsqueak," sneered the catcher, a red headed kid from Onsted that nobody liked.

Jack ignored him and stared down the pitcher, his eyes also on the factory building he so wanted to smash down.

posted by Hog 7:02 PM