Forever - Christian Yelich

Sweet Boy.

Brooklyn~

I watch as the ball machine keeps feeding Christian balls as he takes some time before the game to hopefully figure it out. I know and I'm aware that it's not going to be a switch where he'll be just fine for the game, but if he got some reps in and work with Andy and the other coaches, hopefully, he'll be feeling like his normal self. 

I rock Kayden with my foot as he fights his sleep while he's in his car seat. It's weird because I feel like I know what's wrong but I can't form a sentence or put words together to help him. I'm just as lost as he is and I can't do much to help. The machine light turns on signaling there are no more balls and he comes over to sit down by us. "I wish it was just like a switch that I could turn on when I'm at the plate. I can't decide if it's my timing or if I just can't distinguish the difference between balls and strikes now."

I look over at him from Kayden, "From where I'm sitting and watching, to me, it doesn't look like your swing. I can't really put my finger on it just yet."

"Well, one of us needs to figure it out because I can't be going out there making a fool of myself every night. When I swing through, I feel aligned like where I should be, but I just can't hit the stupid ball."

"It'll come back. It might take some time, but it will come back. It's not like your average is awful, it's just not up to where it usually is." 

"How do you know it's going to come back? I can't be so sure it will. When I get up there it's like I lost everything I once knew and I'm just hoping and praying I will make contact. I'd rather foul off a ton of balls than strikeout in three pitches."

"I know it's going to come back because you are Christian Yelich. Three-time NL MVP, two-time World Series champion, World Series MVP, All-Star, Silver Slugger, Gold Glover. Talent like that doesn't just fizzle away in a matter of weeks. I don't think it ever will. Christian, you have a gift and I'm not going to let you think that you don't. I've watched this gift turn into something nobody has seen before for the past six years and I'm not going to just let you push it away."

He stands up and moves in front of me, "Can I just get a hug?"

"Yeah," I stand up and wrap my arms around his neck. I can feel him fully relax as we stand there in silence. He holds me tighter and picks me up off of the ground, "You always know what to say."

He carefully sets me down as we still stand there, "Because I know you. I know you're getting in your head about this and I get why."

Kayden gets a little fussy since we aren't paying attention to him and Christian bends down to grab him. He instantly calms down as Christian starts to bounce him around, "Your momma always knows what to say, bud. She's the best." There's distant chattering coming from the hallway and some of the players come out to the dugout. We don't pay attention to them and I turn back to him, "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, I'll be good."

Christian sprints toward first base after sending the ball into the deep left corner. He rounds first and slides into second, safe. The dugout claps and cheers him on as he stands up and hands his elbow and ankle guards off. I catch a small smile lingering on his face as he turns around and shoves his batting gloves into his pocket. He needed that small win right there. I stood over by Couns as we talked and watched the game go by. "That's a good sign," he says as I watch him stand around second base. 

"Let's hope it keeps improving."

"I don't want to jinx us by saying this, but, I could care less if he struck out the rest of the night. He got a hit and that's what we all wanted and needed to see from him."