ONEONE C l o sing th Do o r I don’t mind the bench I’m certainly used to it Last basketball season I was the shortest guy on the team I considered myself lucky if I played a few mop-up minutes at the end of a blowout Mostly I collected splinters on the bench Baseball’s different I usually sit for the first three innings By the fourth Coach sends me out to center field like he did today I can catch I’m plenty fast enough to chase down deep hits And I can definitely throw That’s my best asset The sixth inning is my time If we have the lead and we usually do I replace the pitcher I don’t have the arm strength to pitch a whole game but for short bursts I’m tough to hit Usually that’s an inning or less 4
The final-inning pitching specialist is called the closer Or the fireman Or sometimes just the relief pitcher Whatever you call it I’m the guy who goes in for the save closing out a win by shutting down the opponent’s last chance to score I’ve picked up six saves this season so I’m good at it Nobody else in the league has more than three Of course I don’t always hold the lead Twice I’ve wasted it in the final inning and lost the game Both times it was against the same opponent But most of the time I’m gold Carlos is pitching great today so I may as well be picking dandelions out here Trouble is we haven’t been hitting much either It’s 1 1 bottom of the fifth There’s a good chance I’ll bat in the sixth If we get a run I’ll probably pitch after that Crack The ball streaks on a line drive over the second baseman’s head I’m at full speed in an instant It 5
looks like the ball will drop between me and the right fielder but I just might get there I dive reaching out my glove and the ball lands squarely in the pocket Out Inning over Great grab Javon yells Lamar yanking me to my feet The rest of my teammates are yelling too I’ve got a green streak up my leg from sliding on the grass 6
Sprinting to the dugout I pass my friend Marcus who’s on his way to center field for our opponents Lucky catch he says grinning You were lucky to witness it I reply That was the play of the year for sure I feel tall running next to Lamar It’s nice to have a teammate who’s shorter than I am I’ve got a half inch on him I smack hands with Griffin as I reach the dugout He’s pulling off his shin guards and helmet since he’ll bat third this inning He’s our catcher so we team up whenever I pitch I follow him in the batting order too Carlos gives me a fist bump He’s sweating hard from all that work on the mound His red Pedraza’s
