Your Time

Chapter 31

Over the past few years, Adam had taken an interest in baseball, as well as his two sisters in softball. He loved to pitch, so much that it was hard to tell if he loved baseball or football more.

Practicing pitching over the years, Adam proved himself enough to becoming the starting pitcher this year as well as last year.

"Okay dad, curveball now."

Harrison bit his lip. This was Adam's best pitch. And it always found a way to drill him right on the foot. The pain didn't just go away, it lasted for several days, even a week. He was tempted to make Emma catch for her brother, but she was busy catching for Billie who also had gotten into pitching.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah bud. Let's see what you got."

He smiled. "Okay dad."

Adam wound up and delivered his pitch. The curveball was perfect, curving a few feet across the plate with Harrison catching it just above his foot. "I'd like to see somebody try and hit that," his dad said, throwing the ball back.

He threw a few more curveballs before switching back to fastball. The first fastball he threw, Harrison shook his hand out afterward. "You get a stinger?"

Adam laughed as his dad nodded. "Sorry."

His fastball topped off at 90 miles per hour. That was as fast as some of the professionals threw. With being a power pitcher, Adam had an arsenal of junk pitches to go to if his fastball were to ever get in trouble. He threw a change up, slurve, slider, curveball, and a cutter, all of which worked very well.

"Dad can I throw a few more cutters?"

"Go for it. But be careful with your arm."

"I will."

Baseball playoffs were starting next week. His team would definitely need him to be pitching. So he couldn't do anything too overtaxing on his arm.

Adam threw the cutter. Harrison was blown away at how far it moved across the plate. Every time he threw it, the ball would come in like a straight fastball, then cut across the plate, away from the hitter. But unlike a normal breaking ball, it stayed fast throughout the break.

"Nice pitch Adam!"

"Thanks dad!"

Beside Adam and Harrison in the batting cage, Billie was pitching to Emma. Being 11 years old, she could pitch very well, even better than some of the girls that played on Emma's high school team. And for being 11, she threw pretty damn hard. Even her sister who was catching for a senior pitcher as a freshman, said she threw hard.

Carrie stood next to Billie watching her pitch. In the last year, Billie had a growth spurt. She was now almost as tall as her mom, and her hair had turned from a light brown to a blond.

Carrie looked on as her daughter threw a screwball. "Mom this isn't working."

"Remember what I told you about the doorknob?"

Billie nodded. "I'm spinning it but it isn't breaking."

Carrie took the ball and placed her fingers along the seams. "Like I told you, snap it hard, like you're opening a door. And make sure to bring your elbow in for a good release."

She took her mom advice. And it worked. The next pitch broke perfectly along the inside of the plate. "Mom that worked!"

"I know it did Billie. That was nice."

"Can we work on rise?"

"Sure."

As she got ready for the next pitch, she shifted her hands in her glove to find her rise ball grip. Once she was ready, she began her pitch and threw the high pitch perfectly, with the ball breaking upwards as it neared Emma's glove.

"Billie that was wicked."

Carrie agreed with Emma. Sometimes she caught for Billie, and being back behind the plate for the first time in quite a few years, the rise ball was scary. It would come in like a normal fastball, then suddenly break upward at the last moment. Sometimes it would throw her off.

Billie threw another one. "That's perfect."

"Thanks mom!"

"Now let's see your drop ball."

•••

The following week, Adam had his first playoff game. They were playing a tough team, and sure enough, he got the start. As he jogged onto pitchers mound, his family looked on, so proud of what he had accomplished over the season. This year, he'd broken the career strikeouts record with 402. And he was only a junior.

When the first batter stepped up to the plate, it was obvious he was intimidated by Adam's speed. He struck out on three pitches. Strikeout 403.

Adam ran right through the first few batters of the other teams lineup, striking all three of them out. In the bottom of the first inning, he was batting fourth. Two of his teammates got on base and were on second and third.

The first pitch the pitcher threw to him nearly missed his shins. The second did as well. As he stepped out of the batters box after the second pitch, they could tell he stared down the pitcher. The next pitch was right down the middle of the plate. Adam took advantage of the meatball, sending it way over the fence for a three run home run. It was his 13th home run, leaving him only 5 away from the career record.

As the game progressed into the top of the 9th inning, Adam still hadn't given up any hits and his team was up 6-0. He was three outs away from a no hitter.

Both Carrie and Harrison sat on their hands. He could do this. Maybe he didn't even know about the no hitter. But when the catcher ran out to talk to him before the inning started and he laughed, he must've known about it.

Adam struck out the first two guys easily. But now he only needed three more strikes. The first pitch the hitter fouled off over the backstop. Then the next pitch, that was a cutter, he hit it down the first base line. Adam and the first baseman crashed in. But there was no play at first. Luckily the ball barely stayed foul.

He took a deep breath before delivering the next pitch. It was a straight fastball that the hitter completely missed. He'd done it! A no hitter and a perfect game! His teammates stormed the field and carried him off.

After the game, Harrison, Carrie and the kids waited patiently for Adam to come out of the dugout. When he did, they bombarded him with hugs. "Adam, we're so proud of you!"

"Thanks mom and dad. But look what I have."

From behind his back, he handed them the baseball from the last strikeout. "How many today?"

"Sixteen," he answered with a smile.

"Adam you did great today!"

"Thanks Ben."

Harrison tossed him the ball back. "Now why don't we go out for ice cream."

Nobody objected so soon they were in the car, on their way to get ice cream.