Hello Baseball Fans,
…..Along with Lincoln a.k.a. ‘The Ball Kid’, the entire crowd was in a dizzying frenzy to cheer on that very first pitch. The hometown Summertown Summoners were making their long-awaited ‘debut’ following a bus, train, and jet-lagged trip for an unprecedented fifteen game road trip where they visited their entire division’s home parks. Finally, at long last, they were back home for a well deserved twelve game home-stand. Nearly two weeks of a welcomed routine that did not require baggage or directions.
The first game back at Free Rein Field had the look and feel of Opening Day despite being in the very midst of the season’s calendar. The air was heavy as a result of the energy-filled and ecstatic and packed crowd that utilized the standing room only spaces. There were welcoming banners for individual players as well as ‘HIT IT HERE’ targets. The Summoners had poured everything into winning the final game of the long and enduring road trip for a respectable eight wins to seven losses. A winning record. The team knew that was something to take pride in as well as something to work on. The Summoners were a focused bunch on the way up as a team. There were plenty of tired arms and legs and minds for certain. But it was worth it. And fittingly, the Summoners had answered the call of the road.
But now, the Summoners were the hosts of the party. This was their show. As pitching ace Oliver ‘Olly’ Oglethorpe started his windup, Lincoln cheered and yelled as if to demand that the home plate umpire should designate that very first pitch a strike. No need. The lead-off batter swung. And he swung late. He had missed a blazing ninety-seven mile-an-hour completely ‘bald’ four-seam fastball as the right-handed Olly got well inside with his heater to the left-handed offender. He may not have gotten in the batter’s proverbial ‘kitchen’, but he was certainly knocking on its door. The crowd roared and remained standing in delight. A perfect start.
Olly would go on to strike out the first batter on four pitches. The crowd roared again, or still, rather, as the Summoners’ catcher, Billy Bresnahan, rifled a ball to third base to begin an emphatic ’round-the-horn’ game of catch for the infielders. Olly got the ball back. And he readied a stance atop the rubber for his full windup, got the sign, and started ahead in the count again with a first-pitch strike. This time it was a fastball of the two-seam variety with the flavor of some awesome tailing movement. The pitch ‘came back’ to go over the plate for a called ‘strike’. Lincoln was cheering on as though the game’s balance was to be decided right here in the very first inning. On the next pitch, contact was made, but it was a routine grounder to shortstop, where Garrett Gustaf fielded it cleanly, and threw a strike to first baseman and cleanup hitter, Newt Nelson. Next up to bat, in the three-hole of the Springfield Flyers’ lineup was legendary slugger, Myles Mackintosh.
Mackintosh aggressively attacked the first offering from Ollie. He hit the ball squarely. It exploded off the bat and was bound for the left-center field gap. The hit was good for ‘two bases’ (a double) for sure, thought a quick and disappointed Lincoln. However, for today’s homecoming game, the all-world Ryland Ryfislar, was playing center-field. Ryland got a great first step toward the attempt to run it down. Off the bat, it did not appear to be catch-able. Perhaps he could cut it off in the gap. But with his blazing speed and amazing ability to take the correct route, Ryfislar caught the line drive at mid-thigh level while coasting, even quickly decelerating as he met the ball’s path. So smooth. So easy. He made the above average play appear to be sub-routine. His body language appeared to say ‘I got it’ like one calls out a typical ‘can of corn’ type of flyball that comes straight down in front of you to your open glove.
Olly had pitched well and got the home team to their offensive half of the first inning by allowing no base-runners while spending a mere seven pitches. Plus, he did not ‘show’ much of his pitching repertoire or game plan to attack the hitters throughout the course of the game. In the stands, Lincoln the ‘Ball Kid’ was beside himself and loving every moment. He continually stomped up and down to further pulverize the messy peanut shells he had strewn across the concrete.
Due up to lead off for the Summoners was the shortstop, Gustaf. And he was to be followed by the great Ryfislar and Summoner’s second baseman, Damon Dempsey, in the three-spot. And should anyone, or everyone, get aboard, power man Nelson would be ready to cleanup the bases…..
…..Until next time, Later Baseball Fans.