Home Of The Brave by Loren Long

Author:Loren Long
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2010-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Even Truman raised a paw.

“Be together,” Griffith and Ruby said as one. “Always.”

13

First-Inning Fireworks

tanding alongside the ballists in the dugout, the three Payne kids and Elizabeth watched as Guy Payne stepped to the line for his first at bat as a member of the Travelin’ Nine. He tipped his cap to the umpire and backstop, nodded to the southpaw hurler, and then shifted his boots into position alongside the dish.

STEP TO THE LINE ( v.): to prepare to hit.

“He has the same batting stance as you,” Elizabeth said, resting her hand on Graham’s shoulder.

SOUTHPAW: left-handed individual; the commonly used nickname for players who throw left-handed.

“Well, let’s just hope he does better than I did my first time up.”

Unfortunately, Guy was just as overanxious as Graham had been. He mistimed the first pitch—an outside slider that would have been a ball—and swung early for strike one. Swinging late on the next pitch, he quickly found himself in a two-strike hole. Needing to collect himself, Guy stepped off the line and took several practice cuts before shuffling back to the dish.

SLIDER: a pitch that appears to the batter as a fastball until it reaches the plate, then breaks sharply on a level plane.

“Patience, Dad,” Ruby urged with her hand cupped around her mouth. However, she knew her father couldn’t hear her over the din of the crowd.

Still, Guy did show a little patience, laying off the third offering, a pitch in the dirt. But on the next pitch, he swung wildly at an inside curveball. He’d struck out to start the match.

The cranks cheered as the home team whipped the ball around the infield. Those rooters who had presented coupons at the box office—which looked like virtually everyone in attendance—waved their flags.

Even though Guy had fanned leading off the first frame, he returned to the dugout with his head held high.

“I’ll get him next time,” he told his family. He then removed his cap and looked at Tales on his way to the dish. “Start us off, Old Rough and Ready.”

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