A Whole Lot of Problems

There’s nothing like sitting at the ballpark. Catching a game in the sun or under the mezzanine during a rain delay. Slamming down hotdogs that are as loaded with preservatives as you are. Screaming your ass off like a wild creature as you cheer on your team and pray for victory.

It’s the bottom of the 3rd, with no one out, and Mason is up to bat. He is always a threat to go deep. Jennings, an All-Star shortstop, is on second with about a 3 foot lead.

The pitcher looks back at Jennings’ lead and spins around to fire the ball toward second base. Well, the middle infielders must have had their signals crossed because neither managed to catch the pitcher’s pickoff attempt.

Jennings was almost to Third before the ball had even hit the ground. He rounded third like a baby rabbit running from a mink.

As he darted home he stumbled, grabbed the back of his leg, and crashed onto the
white chalk of the baseline. He screamed in torturous horror while his career ending pain
intensified with every thump of his steroid riddled heart.

It was the complete ripping of his Achilles tendon that caused him never really to play professionally again. He did have a brief comeback attempt with the team that originally drafted him.

At Lincoln High School he was considered the 7th best senior in the nation and was picked 19th overall in the major league draft that year.

None of it matters to me, though. I was rooting for the other team that day.