The opening riff of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" began playing and I knew this meant trouble. I completely forgot about Lansing's closer.
"Now pitching, number 66, Tyreeeeeeeeee Gonzalez!"
Tyree Gonzalez leads the league in saves and has a dangerous fastball. Craig was our best bet to lead the inning off, as he was a smart vet who could strategize with the best.
"Leading off the ninth for Warren, second baseman, number 10, Craig Elliot."
Intent on helping the team learn about Gonzalez, Craig went up to try and foul everything off. The whole dugout watched Gonzalez intently as Craig fouled the first pitch off. It went high up into the air, but somehow it managed to go over the safety net, and Boykin didn't make the grab. Craig then poked a meek Texas Leaguer over the shortstops head.
"Third baseman, number 25, Bray Barranda."
Bray stepped in, stroking his blond goatee as if thinking about where to place a hit. He sighs, and Gonzalez rocks and fires. A 101 MPH heater smokes an overconfident Bray. 0-1.
Bray then pops one into center field right over Gonzalez's head. By this time I see Danny heating up in the bullpen with Kairo. Kairo struggled to catch Danny's big heaters.
"Right fielder, number 3, Tate Short."
Coach frantically searched for a pinch hitter, but couldn't find one, and so this was put on the board.
WAR RF 3 | 5'11'', 180 LBS | Age 19 EXP: Rookie|
Tate SHORT
Batting average: .176
OBP: .246
Hits: 8
XBH: 1
HR: 0
Scary, right? And you thought my stats were terrible. In about a hundred games (he got called up midseason), Tate has hit the ball 8 out of his 45 at bats, including a double. But nobody's good in their rookie year.
Tate nervously looks at the dugout. Coach gives him a thumbs up with obviously false confidence. Tyree blazes an inside fastball. Tate doesn't move.
"STRIKE ONE!"
The pitch speed sign in the stands lights up a 102 MPH.
Tyree lofts a curve. Again, Tate freezes.
"STRIKE TWO."
Bray's face is buried in his hands. I bite my lip. Dread comes to my face and I want to sink into the ground from secondhand embarassment. Tate is frozen in the box, visibly shaken. "C'mon Tate, swing it!" I shout.
Tyree decides to put Tate out of his misery with a trademark fastball.
CRACK!
Expecting to see Tate walking back to the dugout, I'm surprised to see his bat in splinters and the ball shooting up into the air. The stadium erupts in jeering and booing as Tate, starstruck, watches the ball clear the fence by a good 20 feet. We scream with joy, our season saved, at least for now. The whole team minus a stoic Jaxton swarms the plate as Bray crosses home and plants a cleat right in the middle, before joining the pile. As Tate trots in, exasperated with joy, we swallow him up in the pile. I wrap him in a bear hug.
As we all head back to the dugout, Tate slaps me a high five. Wow.
"Thanks, dude."
"No problem, kiddo."
The next at-bats weren't anything exciting unless you count Isaias and Xander grounding out to the pitcher as exciting.
I strapped my shins on as Jaxton got ready to close it out.
YOU ARE READING
An Unlikely Slugger: The story of Cole Bassitt
ActionCole Bassitt, a no-name catcher, just wants to have a normal season. Of course, during the postseason, an injury flings him into the fringe, and suddenly, he's a little bit of a hero. While his career skyrockets, his teammate wants his king status b...
