Benny Rodriguez; 1962

Babe Ruth

July 7th, 1962

Bennys POV:

As I go to lay down everything around me starts shaking and I panic. I stand up off of my bed and raise my eyebrows.

"Who's there?" My closet door opens and Babe Ruth come out. I must be so tired that I'm hallucinating.

"Heard you needed some advice, kid."

"But you're-"

"Dead? Legends never die."

"But you're really him. You're the Babe."

He shakes his head and I continue on

"The Sultan of Swat. The King of Cra-"

"Crash, I know all the names. Forget about all that stuff kid. We don't have much time, I'm here to help cause you're in some kind of pickle right?"

I can't believe what I'm seeing right now. He's standing right in front of me!

"Yeah."

"A Baseball with my signature went over a fence and you can't get it back right?"

"Yeah, right."

"Then just hop over there and get it." He smiles and turns back around to my closet door

"Wait, wait." I pause "I can't." I shrug my shoulders and he looks confused

"Can't what?"

"I can't go into that backyard."

"Why not?"

"There's a Beast back there."

"What kind?"

"A giant gorilla dog thing." I sound like an idiot "that ate a kid already."

"Is that a fact?" He shakes his head up and down and gets a hit of his cigar. "Sit down kid."

I back up to my bed slowly.

"Sit down." He grabs a picture "let me tell you something kid, everybody gets one chance to do something great. Most people never take the chance because they're either too scared or they don't recognize it when it spits on their shoes." He points at my feet and I nod my head "This is your big chance and you shouldn't let it go by. I mean, you remember when you busted the guts out of a ball the other day? Someone is telling you something kid. And if I was you I would listen." Why does he keep calling me kid?

"Yeah, but what?"

"You're the one with fast legs, figure it out. Henry Aaron, can I have this one?"

"Yeah. So you're telling me to hop over that fence and pickle the Beast?"

"You can do it, you'll figure it out. Remember kid, there's zeros and legends. Zeros get remembered and legends never die. Follow your heart, kid. Never go wrong." By now he's in my closet but I can tell he actually isn't. I can hear his voice but it sounds distant.

~~~~~~

I get ready for the day and rush over to Bella's. I knock on Scotty's window first and he comes running over to it.

"I had a dream, get dressed. We're going to the sandlot, come on." I run to Bella's and knock on it. It takes me a few minutes and then she opens it

"What?"

"We're going to the sandlot, I had a dream last night. Hurry up."

"Don't rush me".

She starts getting ready and I go to the front door and knock. Angel opens it and tells me good morning.