| Sports Fiction posted January 4, 2015 |
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A contest entry
Striking Up a Conversation
by jmdg1954
The cold air on my face did nothing to ease the heat I was feeling from striking out ... with the bases loaded!
* * * * *
"Dad, I suck. Why do I play? We lost the game 'cause I STRUCK OUT." Zach complained while they walked to their car.
"You'll get'em next time, son. This was only the first game of the season, don't worry so much."
"Why couldn't one of my other hits come now at the end instead? We coulda won."
"At least you struck out swinging, not just watching the ball cross the plate."
"Duh ... Funny."
"Come on, dude, lighten-up. Do you know how many more at bats you'll have this year? How many more opportunities you'll get? Relax, son."
"But, Dad, you always tell me... Umm, how does it go? When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Guess I just wasn't tough today." Zach stopped in his tracks and kicked the empty soda can lying on the ground, then ground his foot into the dirt.
"I wasn't even tough enough to put the ball in play like the coach tells us. He says put the ball in play, good things happen. If I coulda put it in play, one measly hit, Josh would've scored from third."
"Maybe."
"But noooo, I couldn't even do that." Zach's shoulders dropped in disappointment. "I let everybody down."
"Zach, come'on buddy, it's a team game. Does the coach tell you that you win as a team and lose as a team?" I gotta build his confidence, quick. "Do you know how many plays in the game happened that led up to the point of your last at bat?"
"Yeah, so. I still struck out."
"That is correct. You did strike out," Dad said nodding his head. "Nothing can change that, but let me ask you something. How do you think Hector felt when he overthrew the second baseman and the ball landed in right field? The other team scored the two tying runs on that play. He looked like he was ready to cry."
"Yeah, we all got mad at him. Told him to take his time and watch his throws and stuff."
"You didn't stay mad for long, did you?"
"No, cuz he's my friend. And he didn't throw the ball into right field on purpose."
"Just like you didn't strike out on purpose. Right?"
"I guess..." Zach's voice sounded very despondent.
"Listen, Zach. You're not always going to get that big important hit, like the game winner you were trying for today. It just doesn't work that way."
"But, Dad, I couldn't make contact. You know, put the ball in play for something good to happen. Score a run, win the game..."
"You know there will be games when you won't get any hits at all and it'll..."
"Whoa, Dad, what're you talking about no hits in a game?" Zach raised his hands like he was being arrested."Uh-uh. It's me, The Zach-Meister. A.K.A. the Hits Machine."
"Humph. Let's try this approach. Tell me, who's your favorite player?"
"You know, Derek Jeter."
"And why's that?"
"Because he's awesome. He's the Yankees shortstop AND their captain. It doesn't get better then that." Zach thought for a moment. "It might get a little better, he does get all the girls."
"What else?" His dad said with a smirk.
"Ah, I don't know. He won a bunch of World Series, he was an All-Star, umm, he's the Yankee captain..."
"You said that already. What was his lifetime batting average?"
"Oh, you wanna do stats? I know them all; hits, strikeouts, average, home runs. You name it, I got it."
"Okay smart guy, let's focus on Jeter's hitting. What's his lifetime batting average? How many hits did he have?"
"Lemme think, lemme think. I know his average was over three-hundred and he had a lot more than three-thousand hits. Told you he was awesome."
"Right, I know. Let's see here. Follow my logic, okay?"
"Okay, shoot," Zach said, scrunching his eyebrows staring at his dad.
It took clear judgement not to bust out laughing at the serious face his son put on. "If Jeter's batting average was over three-hundred, that means he got three hits every ten at-bats. ONLY three hits every ten times up to bat. That's three... in ten chances. Doesn't sound very impressive, does it?
"Yeah, but in base...."
"If you get three out of ten questions correct on a quiz in school, you fail. But in baseball, three out of ten, or multiply that up to thirty out of one-hundred is a great career and most likely a ticket to the Hall of Fame."
"Told you."
"So on the flip side of it, since he gets on average three hits in ten at-bats, the other seven at bats he makes outs. In other words, he fails seven out of ten times."
"Ewe, I never thought of it that way. Seven out of ten are outs you say. That stinks."
"No, it doesn't. The greatest hitters of all time only had averages in the three-hundreds for their career. So you see, Zach, you're right on target to be like the best of them."
Zach finally smiled. "Hey, Dad, let me ask you something now."
"Okay, shoot."
"How cool was it to see Babe Ruth play when you were a kid?"
"Hah. You think you're funny do you?"
Sounding more upbeat, Zach said, "I guess if Jeter can get out seven times on ten, then it's okay if I do too."
Zach's dad smiled. "Yeah, son, if you follow in Jeter's footsteps you'd make me one proud poppa bear." He slugged his shoulder. "Last one to the car's a rotten egg..."
* * * * *
"Dad, I suck. Why do I play? We lost the game 'cause I STRUCK OUT." Zach complained while they walked to their car.
"You'll get'em next time, son. This was only the first game of the season, don't worry so much."
"Why couldn't one of my other hits come now at the end instead? We coulda won."
"At least you struck out swinging, not just watching the ball cross the plate."
"Duh ... Funny."
"Come on, dude, lighten-up. Do you know how many more at bats you'll have this year? How many more opportunities you'll get? Relax, son."
"But, Dad, you always tell me... Umm, how does it go? When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Guess I just wasn't tough today." Zach stopped in his tracks and kicked the empty soda can lying on the ground, then ground his foot into the dirt.
"I wasn't even tough enough to put the ball in play like the coach tells us. He says put the ball in play, good things happen. If I coulda put it in play, one measly hit, Josh would've scored from third."
"Maybe."
"But noooo, I couldn't even do that." Zach's shoulders dropped in disappointment. "I let everybody down."
"Zach, come'on buddy, it's a team game. Does the coach tell you that you win as a team and lose as a team?" I gotta build his confidence, quick. "Do you know how many plays in the game happened that led up to the point of your last at bat?"
"Yeah, so. I still struck out."
"That is correct. You did strike out," Dad said nodding his head. "Nothing can change that, but let me ask you something. How do you think Hector felt when he overthrew the second baseman and the ball landed in right field? The other team scored the two tying runs on that play. He looked like he was ready to cry."
"Yeah, we all got mad at him. Told him to take his time and watch his throws and stuff."
"You didn't stay mad for long, did you?"
"No, cuz he's my friend. And he didn't throw the ball into right field on purpose."
"Just like you didn't strike out on purpose. Right?"
"I guess..." Zach's voice sounded very despondent.
"Listen, Zach. You're not always going to get that big important hit, like the game winner you were trying for today. It just doesn't work that way."
"But, Dad, I couldn't make contact. You know, put the ball in play for something good to happen. Score a run, win the game..."
"You know there will be games when you won't get any hits at all and it'll..."
"Whoa, Dad, what're you talking about no hits in a game?" Zach raised his hands like he was being arrested."Uh-uh. It's me, The Zach-Meister. A.K.A. the Hits Machine."
"Humph. Let's try this approach. Tell me, who's your favorite player?"
"You know, Derek Jeter."
"And why's that?"
"Because he's awesome. He's the Yankees shortstop AND their captain. It doesn't get better then that." Zach thought for a moment. "It might get a little better, he does get all the girls."
"What else?" His dad said with a smirk.
"Ah, I don't know. He won a bunch of World Series, he was an All-Star, umm, he's the Yankee captain..."
"You said that already. What was his lifetime batting average?"
"Oh, you wanna do stats? I know them all; hits, strikeouts, average, home runs. You name it, I got it."
"Okay smart guy, let's focus on Jeter's hitting. What's his lifetime batting average? How many hits did he have?"
"Lemme think, lemme think. I know his average was over three-hundred and he had a lot more than three-thousand hits. Told you he was awesome."
"Right, I know. Let's see here. Follow my logic, okay?"
"Okay, shoot," Zach said, scrunching his eyebrows staring at his dad.
It took clear judgement not to bust out laughing at the serious face his son put on. "If Jeter's batting average was over three-hundred, that means he got three hits every ten at-bats. ONLY three hits every ten times up to bat. That's three... in ten chances. Doesn't sound very impressive, does it?
"Yeah, but in base...."
"If you get three out of ten questions correct on a quiz in school, you fail. But in baseball, three out of ten, or multiply that up to thirty out of one-hundred is a great career and most likely a ticket to the Hall of Fame."
"Told you."
"So on the flip side of it, since he gets on average three hits in ten at-bats, the other seven at bats he makes outs. In other words, he fails seven out of ten times."
"Ewe, I never thought of it that way. Seven out of ten are outs you say. That stinks."
"No, it doesn't. The greatest hitters of all time only had averages in the three-hundreds for their career. So you see, Zach, you're right on target to be like the best of them."
Zach finally smiled. "Hey, Dad, let me ask you something now."
"Okay, shoot."
"How cool was it to see Babe Ruth play when you were a kid?"
"Hah. You think you're funny do you?"
Sounding more upbeat, Zach said, "I guess if Jeter can get out seven times on ten, then it's okay if I do too."
Zach's dad smiled. "Yeah, son, if you follow in Jeter's footsteps you'd make me one proud poppa bear." He slugged his shoulder. "Last one to the car's a rotten egg..."
This Sentence Starts the Story contest entry
 Recognized |
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I had numerous conversations similar to this one as my kids were growing up. Whether it be sports related, school, girls, boys, life situations whatever, Mom and I were always there for them building confidence and self-esteem. Now they are 32-29-27 respectively and we still give advice, different topics but still being a parent.
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