Bases Loaded Jam (Bases Loaded Jam Series #1)

Ch. 19: Meeting On the Mound (Huey)

"What would you like to know?"

"Did you play sports as a kid?"

That caught me off guard. I never once envisioned being asked the question that was given to me. But I knew I had to be honest with her. Yet, I couldn't tell her the truth about me.

"Well, I played all sports. Football, basketball, and a little baseball. But I never had a particular preference."

"A little baseball?"

"I mean, I played tee-ball at a young age. Then I played local youth baseball. It got to where I couldn't play anymore because I was scared of being hit with the ball."

"You were afraid of being hit with the ball?"

"You know how pitchers threw. They either were fast and hard for me to hit or wild and capable of me getting hit."

Jordan had taken a sip of her drink that she nearly spit it how after hearing my comment. She then laughed as I joined in with her.

"Yeah, that can happen in little league," she agreed. "I remember one time playing a team from the northern part of California. They had a pitcher that had a fastball, but no control. I'm not proud to admit this, but he struck me out and I got hit by a pitch in that game. When I got hit, he threw a fastball for a strike. But the next pitch hit me in the leg. I got a bruise but was ok. I toughened up. So the next time, he threw a couple of pitches outside, which I accidentally swung and missed one. After fouling off a pitch, he threw a bad curveball down low and it went to the backstop. Then he threw a fastball right down the middle and struck me out. I didn't understand how it was possible."

"Pure luck?"

"Perhaps, but only if they had won the game. I did get a hit off him later on and we won 19-5. So that was all for good fun."

"That's good to hear."

It was then that I had a question in my mind that had just popped in my head. Even though I had no intentions of telling her about my little league experience, there was something that I wanted to know from Jordan.

"So let me ask you this question," I broke whatever silence was between us. "How did you feel after the Little League World Series was over?"

Jordan paused with eating her burger and looked at me with a look of bewilderment.

"What?" she asked.

I was starting to see myself cross on thin ice. I didn't know how she would react if I let it slip. I couldn't reveal the truth to her right then and there. But at least I wanted to know.

"Well, from what you said in the interview today, you said you wouldn't trade it for the world even after you came close to winning the second to last game. But was there ever a feeling of disappointment or sadness?"

Jordan didn't say anything for a few moments. She just took a bite out of her burger and chewed that piece in her mouth for some time. What I should've done was ignored that question and move on to a different topic. However, I knew there was no turning point back from it after I asked. I, therefore, decided to try to find something to relate to tell her.

"You know, I hated losing as a kid. I would cry when we lost a game because I felt like a loser. I felt like I didn't do enough to help my team. But I sometimes think that all the days I cried over losses were a great way to relieve myself of that pain of losing so that I would be able to get over that loss and move on. Now, they'll always stay with me. Yet, they helped me become the person I am because I realize failure is part of learning to succeed."

Jordan lowered her head and for a brief moment, I thought I her sniff. I looked at her face and saw a tear starting to row down her face. Using a finger, I gently remove that tear and she turned to give me a smile.

"I'll let you know a secret," she finally said. "It's something I kept for a while."

I sat there and waited as she began to explain. Of course, she told me the story of the game against Texas and how it all went down. I listened to her tell her side of the story of how she threw the pitch and unknowingly, I hit the homer. But then, she went into a recap of the aftermath.

"I felt horrible over the pitch. I had nightmares about it for a few weeks afterward. Actually, a few months. To think that I was the reason our team failed to make it to the tournament. Not only that, but I had to sit in a room with a camera on me and make a statement regarding the treatment that batter was getting for hitting the homer. As much as it broke my heart to relive the moment, it made me angry. It was all the media and my supporters that defended me because I was a girl, who got beat on the baseball field by a boy. I didn't look at it as a sexism issue. I just saw it as a pitcher getting hurt over a bad pitch and losing to that team. But no one aside from the teams saw it that way. Yet, we were only a small portion who had words being placed in our mouths about the incident. I did everything I could to keep playing, but everyone wouldn't let it go. They cheered for me every time I played afterward because they were sympathetic towards me. I hated that. I hated the game and I hated being remembered for that. So I quit the game. It was a big mistake and I returned to the game before jumping to softball. Every time I pitch, I want to leave a mark on being the pitcher that defeated their team and not for that other reason. But no matter where I go or who I face, that nightmare comes back to bite me. I don't even know if I'll get over that feeling."

Tears went down from her eyes and I gave her napkins for her to use as tissues. I wish I had known what she was feeling earlier because I could've done something to stop it. But what could I have done? I was a 12-year-old boy who got hated because I beat up a girl on the diamond, that was being built into this media sensation. Ever since then, she never had to defend herself to the fullest nor did I. But she also couldn't escape the feeling of people expressing their sorry's toward her and not letting her be. What's worse was that she just admitted to not being sure if she would ever get over that one pitch.

There had been a number of pitches that altered careers and sometimes lives for better or worse. Considering how things have gone, I figured it made her a better pitcher because she was motivated to create a new narrative for herself. She didn't seem to think so because she felt that she was playing with a chip on her shoulder.

I did want to ask how she would feel if she saw that batter again but figured it would be too risky since she struggled to come to grips with the moment. So I never asked. Of course, she stopped crying and we hugged each other once again. Then she grabbed her phone and took the picture taken earlier, opened up the Instagram app and posted it. I didn't see the caption she put down underneath, but I figured it was significant to her.

"Letting everyone know about your meeting with Cat?" I asked.

"That and just letting the world see how understanding you are to me right now," she replied.

And so it was that right then and there, a new picture on Jordan's Instagram was there for her followers to see. But it would also lead to a turning point in our connection and not in a good way.