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The Last Stolen Base of Childhood
Posted: 23 Aug 2014, 03:00
by Zodiac
Jackson County. 17 miles north of Pascagoula, Mississippi
July. 2007
It was a sweltering July afternoon as the group of sweating warriors sat in the shade of the trees regaining their strength and water back into their bodies. The 'Great American Pastime' was underway (sort of) as a bizarre rivalry was commencing to continue.
The home team (The Jackson County Flyers) had a grim determination about them. They had played the visitors many times before. Not because they were part of their regular season schedule or required to by any group or association, but out of sheer dislike and borderline hatred. Every year, almost like clockwork, the visiting team and their families migrated to the area. No one was sure when the first game between them was ever played. The current players were not around then. Still babies or glimmers in their parents eyes the first time the home team challenged the rag tag visitors. It should have been a rout, a decimation. Little League Baseball heroes-the lot of them against a group of hobo kids. They learned a lesson that day years ago. Never underestimate anyone. The home team lost and each generation of the team since made it a point to fix that error. It had been a war ever since.
The visitors knew they were not liked. It was their lot in life, so they took it in stride. To them, this was simply fun. Something to do when they were not hard at work. Winning the game would give them no bragging rights. No matter if they won or lost, the remainder of their time there in Mississippi would be the same. The locals acting like some disease had suddenly come into their ranks. As long as none of them (were caught) breaking the law, no one could really do anything about them being there. The one local always was ready to lease out part of his lad to the gypsies to use for the week they would rest there and he never had any complaints about his unusual guests.
The team changed names on a whim each season. This time, Mary had dubbed them the Whirling Willy Whoppers. The year before they were the Syzgany Strikeforce (by Randal's call) and before that The KOAs (by Shira and no translation was needed) The current team had won the last two years against the Flyers and despite the fact winning or loosing would prove nothing, they enjoyed making the (so called) 'Pros' look bad.
This time, however, it had become a battle. The Whoppers were due up in the bottom of the 9th inning and the score was still locked at zero to one in favor of the Flyers. The one run was scored in the first inning and since then little had happened.
"C'mon! Let's get this over with!" one of the Flyers shouted from where they sat. "Don't you guys have some dumpsters to pick through before dark?" the team laughed. The Whoppers replied in unison with the one finger salute as they stood up and began to get ready.
"Tell me you guys aren't going to turn this into a free-for-all again." Mary, the semi official cheerleader of the team asked as the team began to stretch and get ready. A fractured wrist was keeping her on the side lines this time.
"That's up to them, as always." Randal laughed. "There egos can't handle the facts, except that one year when three of us decided to use the bats for something other than hitting the ball." he glared at the three girls on his team. Mary, Angela and Shira all gave a 'What? Who me?' look to the boy and laughed.
"They started it." Shira shouted. "Grabbing our asses!"
"I know," Randy sighed, but it was the one year that actual adults had come to see what was going on with this impromptu game and the locals did not take too kindly to their 'innocent' boys getting smacked by a pack of girls. "Shira- you're up."
"SPOO-KEY! SPOO-KEY!" the Flyer's chanted as the girl stepped up to the plate. One of them had heard one of the gypsies refer to her as 'Spooky Shira' and they used the chant to try and un-nerve the girl. Shira simply smiled and bowed while giving the one finger salute and took a couple practice swings before stepping into box.
"C'MON!" one of the Flyers in the outfield shouted. "Three up, three down, we win!"
"Dream on, bitches!" one of the Whoppers replied.
"I swear, Shira," the catcher spoke low enough for just the two of them to hear. "Every year that butt of yours just keeps getting sweeter to look at." The girl stepped out of the box and looked at the boy and smiled. Joey (she never did learn his last name) was perhaps the only boy on the Flyers who was a decent sort who didn't seem to judge anyone. All of the Whoppers (formerly the Strikeforce, formerly the KOAs, etc) felt bad when a brawl broke out and Joey got caught up in it. They honestly liked the guy.
"That's why I keep coming back to play," she answered as she stepped back in and got ready, giving her hips a small wiggle. "Give you civilized boys a look at what a girl's backside is supposed to look like. Not those skinny no-butts your friends all drool and jerk off over."
"Works for me," Joey laughed before shouting.
"PLAY BALL!"
Re: The Last Stolen Base of Childhood
Posted: 23 Aug 2014, 12:44
by Zodiac
"TIME!" one of the Flyers shouted before running to the pitcher's mound for a quick conference.
"What the hell?" Joey shouted. "Make up our minds, Bobby!"
"You can just look a bit longer I guess." Shira stood down. Randal walked up to the girl's side as she watched the pitcher and fielder talking.
"Watch yourself. I don't like what I am seeing out there." he advised her. They were too animate in their conversation, as if excited about something.
"I'll knock the ball right down that jerk's throat," Shira growled.
"Just get on base." Randal answered. "We can worry about stuff like that later."
"You got it, boss."
The quick conference ended and the pitcher took his stance again.
"PLAY BALL PART TWO!" Joey shouted. The pitcher wound up and threw a ball Joey had to leave the box to catch. Both batter and catcher looked confused at the boy.
"BALL ONE!" Joey threw the ball back. Another pitch, and the same result, as well as the third. In three pitches, three balls had been called as if the pitcher had no desire to pitch to the girl at all. "I don't like this," Joey sighed as he took his place again, then he shouted. "PITCH THE BALL TO HER! You scared to pitch to a girl?"
"Want me to pitch at her?" the pitcher wound up and fired a fast ball directly at Shira. The girl turned to avoid the wild pitch, but shouted as it clipped her left shoulder. The Flyers had mixed reactions. Some laughed, a few cheered, while others like Joey were in total shock. It was a deliberate pitch. The Whoppers were shouting in anger and threatened to storm the field. Joey caught the girl before she could charge the pitcher and tried to hold her back till Randy got to the plate.
"Blestemata imbecil!" she shouted at the pitcher as she fought to free herself.
"What the **** WAS THAT?" Joey shouted. He looked at Randal as he approached with a look of total confusion as to what had just happened. The boy nodded and got a hold of the girl to calm her down. The Flyers had another quick meeting on the mound while Randy checked Shira's shoulder out.
"That is gonna hurt like a ***** tomorrow," he decided.
"Not as much as his balls will." she snarled as she tried to rotate the pain out.
"You sure you want to keep at it? Can get someone to run for you."
"Is just my shoulder, not my legs. I can run fine." she huffed.
Meanwhile on the mound, a decision had been made. The pitcher was retiring from the mound and the group on the sideline began to cheer as a new player walked out to take his place. "Never saw him before," Randy said.
"That's Billy," Joey answered. "New kid came in late in the season, so he won't be on the official roster till next year. Since he is technically one of us, he can play in this."
"He any good?"
"Trust me. He's good." Joey motioned the pair to back up as Billy began to throw a couple practice pitches to the catcher. All of the Whopper's eyes were on the boy as he limbered up.
"That guy is a machine," Mary sighed as she watched him go through his paces. "This one means business, so watch out." she said to the rest of the team.
TBC
Re: The Last Stolen Base of Childhood
Posted: 24 Aug 2014, 00:23
by Zodiac
Once Billy had finished his warm up, Joey looked at Shira and declared for all to hear 'Take your base!' and pointed to first. The girl nodded and made her way down the first base line.
'Tommy! Let's go!" Randal clapped his hands, encouraging the next in the rotation. "Don't be acting a fool up there. Just nail the ball. Joey, be ready!" Randy felt comfortable with this combination in his line up. The unofficial manager (of the unofficial team) knew the strong points of his players. Tommy and Joey could usually be good for a base hit each at least. That would get Shira to third easy. Next would come Angela. She wasn't the best hitter of the bunch, but she caused most pitchers a problem regardless. If everything went normal, that would leave himself up after that to hopefully bring Tommy home and end this mess till next year.
Billy watched Tommy like a hawk as he warmed up and took his spot at home.
"What's up, Joe?" the boy asked the catcher.
"Not a lot, Tom. I still say we should steal a couple cases of beer and be relaxing instead of this." Joey said, causing the batter to laugh and nod. Joey signaled Billy he was ready.
Tommy would swear he never saw the ball leave Billy's hand until it was too late. He checked his swing too slow as the ball cracked into Joey's glove. "Strike one!" the catcher called as he pitched back.
"Cripes!" Tommy shook his head.
"Told you he was good. He has a wicked curve ball too." Joey assumed his place and nodded. Billy shot another rocket pitch at the plate. Tommy managed to clip it, but the ball went straight up into the air. Joey easily caught it. "And, you're out."
"Holy crap." Mary sighed as Tommy walked back to the group.
"Any advice?" Joey (of the Whoppers) asked as they passed each other.
"His eye twitches when he is ready to pitch, but good luck with that." Tommy replied.
The boy approached the plate and looked at the catcher. In unison they spoke.
"Hey Joe, whaddya know?" The mutual joke was shared as the batter prepared. Billy again watched the boy closely before taking his stance. The first pitch went slightly out of the strike zone for Ball One, but the second was a blurr that caused Joey (the catcher) to shake his hand after catching it.
"One and one!" he shouted as he threw it back to Billy.
"Guy throws that ball like a laser." Joey the batter sighed.
"Oh yeah. He keeps with it, we both might be watching him on TV one day in the Majors."
A second strike was called, but with pitch number three, Joey (the batter) got a solid piece of it, sending the ball to center field. The Whoppers began to cheer but grew silent as the player in center waited for the ball to land in his glove. "Out number two." Joey the catcher declared.
"Okay, you next," Randal said.
Oh boy! Angela replied.
TBC
Re: The Last Stolen Base of Childhood
Posted: 25 Aug 2014, 23:45
by Zodiac
"You are almost impossible to pitch to, so make him walk you." Randy encouraged the girl. "We just need to get Shira home to force an extra inning."
The girl nodded as she made sure her bandana was tied tightly and then grabbed her bat.
"DUN-DAH, DUN-DA-DUN-DUN," the Flyers began to chant. The team had chants for all the girls on the Whoppers, and in Angela's case it was the music Margaret Hamilton had playing behind her as she rode her bike to get Toto the dog. Angela paused and pointed at Billy and made several gestures in the air followed by the sign of the evil eye.
"OH GOD- BILLY-YOUR DOOMED!" several of the players began to laugh hysterically. "SHE JUST HEXED YOU!"
She ignored it and approached the plate to warm up.
"Welcome back, Ange." Joey said. She looked at the boy, smiled and gave a finger wave as she shed her sandals. The girl preferred to be bare footed when running.
"That's my Angel," Shira shouted. "Bring me home. I'm growing cobwebs out here."
"Eyes open everybody!" the captain of the Flyers shouted. The team knew the girl could run like hell, so if she did get the chance, it would be important to keep tabs on where to throw to quickly. Angela finally stepped up to the plate, shouldered her bat and crouched.
Most batters do crouch to some degree as the norm, but those are players averaging 5 foot seven or taller. Angela, being just under 5 feet tall would crouch almost into a ball, reducing the strike zone from a general area to a target the size of a letter. There was logic behind her stance, for she was able to get her body behind her swing and when she hit, it helped.
For the first time, Billy cocked his head as he watched the girl prepare to bat. He turned to the side and thought about the problem for a moment before nodding to Joey he was ready. "Let's play!" Joey shouted.
The first pitch went outside for Ball One. The second pitch actually hit the ground and bounced up into Joey's glove. "Damn, he is good." Joey had to admit. "He's finding your range, Ange."
The girl just nodded a bit to show she had heard him. The third pitch went just above the area he needed, but the next one sliced the air where the 'letter' would be sitting.
"One and three!" Joey announced. Angela looked calm but she was panicking now. The fifth pitch followed the fourth to make it a full count. Billy had a look of smug on his face now as he took aim at his target again. There was only one thing the girl could do now.
As soon as the ball left Billy's fingers, she stood straight up, still ready to hit. The strike zone had suddenly changed and the ball went below it to where it used to be a moment before.
"What the HELL!" several of the Flyers shouted as she stood there waiting for the call. "You can't do that!"
"BALL FOUR! BALL FOUR!" The Whoppers began to chant. It was a BS trick and they knew it. In a official game there would be hell to pay for such a stunt. Angela just stood there looking around as if wondering what the fuss was all about. Joey was perhaps the only Flyer laughing at what had just happened. The captain of the Flyers and a couple others were arguing with each other for a few moments before one of them shouted.
"Go ahead! Let the little witch girl walk! It isn't going to matter!"
"Take your base, Angela." Joey pointed down the first base line. Shira was already sprinting to second. Angela laid down her bat and walked slowly to first, pausing only to stick her tongue out at Billy.
"Now what, boss?" Mary asked Randal as he picked up his bat. The rest of the Whoppers were already chanting his name.
"Single or a double. Tell me again why do we do this every year?"
"Because its fun?"
"Oh yeah, that's right! I thought it was some stupid reason like that."
TBC
Re: The Last Stolen Base of Childhood
Posted: 27 Aug 2014, 12:44
by Zodiac
"Okay, back it up!" The Flyers captain shouted to the outfield. Despite their hatred for the members of the Whoppers (formerly etc, etc), they knew Randy was one of the few players they had to respect. He had a knack for the game and knew how to play it. He had not had a good game so far, but that could change easy enough.
"Single or double" Randal kept repeating in his head as he made his way to the plate.
"Our hero!" Shira shouted from second while Angela made a ear piercing whistle and applauded. The girls were already waiting to run. Both stretched out as far as physically possible while keeping a toe on their bases. To Randy they reminded him of Mario in the video game. 99.9% of their bodies hanging over the abyss, but that toe hold kept them from falling to their doom.
"Welcome back, Randy," Joey said.
"Thrilled," the boy replied as his eyes met Billy's. The two boys had something of a staredown for a few moments. Both teams watched the confrontation in silence until someone whistled the opening bars of the theme from 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' which caused everyone to break out into laughter-except Billy. "That guy needs to lighten up," Randal began to loosen up.
"Tell me about it." Joey agreed. "Awesome pitcher, but that's about it."
"You know, the first time he gets laid, he's gonna loose 30 percent of those skills." Randy smirked. Both boys broke into laughter.
"Hey Joey! Whose side are you on anyways?" The Flyer captain shouted.
"Hey, I thought we was having fun-SORRY!" he shouted back.
"Leave him alone!" Shira shouted as well.
"Well, you been getting some of that, Joey?" several of his teammates began to heckle. Joey stood up and glared. Shira was two seconds from charging off to confront the commentator, when Angela whistled and shook her head no. They didn't need a tag out now she signed for the girl. Shira held her spot but glared regardless.
"Can we just play?" Randy asked. That last comment by the Flyers meant win or loose, there was going to be the matter of pulling Shira off of someone and of course Angela would be helping her.
"Everyone shut the hell up and PLAY BALL!" Joey shouted as he crouched back down into place.
Billy nodded and waited till Randal was ready and made his first pitch. Randy didn't take the bait and assume the boy would throw to him. He had watched how Billy had played with the others, so he stood still as the first pitch was a ball. As Billy caught the ball, the pair stared at each other again and a small smile finally appeared on the pitcher's face.
"Holy crap! He can smile" Joey said.
Billy's next pitch was a bit low for Randy's liking but still was a strike. Both teams had grown silent as they watched the confrontation with deep interest. Hell with politics, world peace, wars, and what celebrity was doing who. That was the magic of the game itself. A pitcher and a batter who had each others game figured out and was waiting to see who made a mistake first and even if the radio declared World War Three had just began, it would have to wait till this moment had passed.
"One and one," Joey called.
Billy took his time deciding, ignoring the signals Joey was giving him. Randy stopped the play by stepping back out of the box and stretching just as Billy began to make his pitch. It was a mind game now. Billy knew he could hit and get to base, but his team mates had left him stranded several times during the game, but now the tying and winning runs were ready and waiting on base for him to hit again. He wanted to put this guy down and out hard.
All that was going through Randy's mind was 'Get Shira home' and force a new inning.
Both players knew the other was ready finally.
Billy pitched,
Randy swung,
Bat met ball,
and the world grew silent for a heartbeat, then exploded in sounds.
TBC
Re: The Last Stolen Base of Childhood
Posted: 28 Aug 2014, 11:42
by Zodiac
"And its GOOD!" Joey stood up as the ball went into left field. Randy kept an eye on the ball as he ran for first. Shira and Angela were already flying as if the hounds of hell (or the local police) were after them. When he saw the ball bounce on the ground, he rounded first and made the charge for second. "SAFE!" Joey announced as Shira crossed home. Randy breathed easier. Even if the next at bat was struck out, they forced another inning, or if they got a base hit, Angela could make it home easy.
The players shouting brought his attention fully to the game again as he planted his foot on second base. The left fielder had got the ball and was throwing it to home as Angela took off from rounding third.
"What in the hell are you doing?" he shouted. It was too late now.
Shira stood outside of the box behind Joey encouraging her to run faster as she saw the incoming pitch. Joey stood ready and focused and caught it easy. "Angel! Other way!" she shouted. Angela backpedaled and began to run for third.
As soon as Joey committed to his pitch, Shira called for her to come back. The girl turned and leapt a couple feet as the ball sailed past her. The boy on third caught the ball and returned the pitch as fast as he could. The pitch went slightly wide, causing Joey to lean out to his left to grab it, lifting his foot slightly off the plate. When he caught the ball he found his foot settling on Angela's arm as she laid sprawled out on the plate. He just stared for a moment.
"Well? What is it?" several players from both sides called out.
"Safe," Joey admitted as he pulled his foot off her arm.
"The HELL SHE IS SAFE!" The captain of the Flyers was storming his way to the plate. "You tagged her! I saw it!"
"She was at home when I put my foot back on the base."
"What the hell was you doing off the base?"
Joey had finally had enough.
"Hey, I can't help it that Bruce," he began to point for emphasis, starting with the guy manning third base. "Didn't throw the ball to HOME." he pointed down to the plate where Angela was standing up from with help from Shira. "But instead decided to throw it to CLEVELAND" he pointed to his left. "So I HAD to step out to catch it! If I DIDN'T, Randy would have been running for home by now!" He pointed to second where Randal was desperately trying to call for a time out.
"This little tramp shouldn't have been on base to begin with!" the captain said.
"You the one that told her to go ahead to begin with!"
"Tramp?" Shira shouted.
"Oh shut up! You're another one!"
"Leave her out of this!"
Score two to one. You loose! Angela signed.
"Yeah!" Shira agreed.
"Will you knock it off with your stupid 'hexing' you little *****!" the captain shoved Angela, causing her to fall back to the ground. Joey shoved the captain while trying to keep Shira behind him. Both teams were converging on home plate as the argument grew louder. Angela grabbed the bat Randy had used and cracked the captain soundly on the knee and chaos began.
Randy and the second baseman (a boy named Clive) stood watching the free for all for a few moments. They were the only two players left showing a minimum interest in the game.
"We can never have a normal game with you guys, can we?" Randal sighed.
"Guess not," Clive answered. The two boys looked at each other for a moment before leaving second to join their sides in the fight.
**************
"THREE AND OH! THREE AND OH!"
The members of The Whirling Willy Whoppers (formerly the Syzgany Strikeforce, formerly the KOAs, etc) Chanted loudly as they left the field and The Jackson County Flyers behind. Both teams would lick their wounds, curse and complain, and tomorrow when the bruises became aches and pains for them all, they would either laugh or plot vengeance against each other just as their predecessors had done since the first incarnation of the Flyers and Syzgany children decided to play a game of baseball.
The Great American Pastime in its full glory and meaning realized. No team in the history of the game possibly had a rivalry that matched this.
"Actually, we lost this game," Randy wiped his eye with a damp cloth as the group made their way to where the tribe was camped.
"How?" Mary asked as she held her wrist tightly. She had injured it again in the brawl.
"We had one out to go, and we left the game. If this was a real game, we'd have forfeited."
"Oh they wish!" Shira snorted. The blood had finally stopped oozing from her nose now, and rather than wipe it off she wore it like a badge of honor.
I think Joey should be on our team. Poor guy. Angela signed as she limped along. In the middle of the chaos, someone had managed to stomp her bare foot while trying to get up.
"Oh no doubts." Randy agreed. "He might not play a lot of games, but he'd have more fun."
"When it was running out of gas, I heard him tell his captain he quit." Tommy added. He was helping Angela along while occasionally rotating his shoulder to keep it loose.
"That's a shame. He's a good player." said Shira.
I think she likes him. I mean REALLY likes him. Angela smiled as she made doe eyes and kissing motions with her lips.
"Knock it off before I break your fingers and shut you up properly!" Shira snapped, causing all to laugh as the collection of walking wounded made their way 'home'. Next year was already in the minds of some of them, but none of them knew this would be the last time this rivalry would be played out between the two teams. In two days the tribe would migrate again. From Mississippi to Alabama for a few stops, then finally to Georgia before making the swing back to either Texas or Mexico to wait out the winter months. A future incident was waiting for the tribe in a Georgia night that would change their lives and cause the gypsies never to return to the south east corner of the United States.
The game itself would not miss them and neither did The Jackson County Flyers (in a way.) Only a former shortstop named Joey missed them (and possibly one in particular) and in time, as life dictates, he accepted it and moved on.
FIN