One of a Kind - Stanley Uris

30: The Dugout

DERRY - August 31st, 1990

One more week of summer.

I really didn't want to say goodbye to it. Today, I had a hard and sweaty practice for volleyball, and after I changed into shorts and a tank top, I was dismayed to realize that the temperature was in the low seventies, not in the eighties, like it usually was. Just another reminder that autumn-- and school-- were just around the corner.

"Hey, Mom, is it supposed to heat up today?" I asked her.

"Yes, it will be up to eighty-five soon. Good day to check out the little baseball diamond."

"There's a baseball diamond around here?" I immediately thought of Stan and how he told me he wanted to do baseball.

"Yes," Mom said. "It's on Kansas Street. How have you not noticed it before?"

I shrugged. "I'll ask everyone if they want to go," I said, and then proceeded to hog the phone, calling Bev, Richie, Stan, Mike, Ben, Bill, and Eddie to see if they wanted to play baseball. They all said yes. "Meet me on Kansas Street at one," I said to them. It was already noon, and the temperature was in the higher seventies now. Summer had returned temporarily, and for that, I was happy.

At 12:30, I went down to Kansas Street with an old mitt that I had gotten for my thirteenth birthday. I had hardly used it, and now all that time of sitting in the garage had seemed to wear it down a bit. I had a wooden bat too, but that was it. Right now I had to look for the diamond. It didn't take long before I found it, and it looked exactly like the one at my old school in Michigan. I started to think about my haunting dream last week, but a voice interrupted me from my thoughts.

"Hey," I heard Stan say behind me. I turned around to see him with a bunch of baseball gear.

"Hi," I said, blushing a little. He had on a baseball hat, but the hat still couldn't cover up his curly hair, which was sprouting out from the sides. 

"Anybody else here yet?" he asked. I shook my head and then went through his gear. "It's a mock game, not a championship, Stan." He laughed at that. He had mitts, bats, and at least three baseballs in his duffel bag.

"Whatcha guys rummaging through?" Eddie's voice came from behind me. I turned around, and there was Eddie, his thin face shielded by the baseball hat on his head. Was everybody wearing hats today? Suddenly, I felt a light weight on my head, and I realized Stan had put his hat on my head.

"That'll get you in the baseball spirit," he told me. I rolled my eyes, but kept the hat on. In a way, it was kind of sentimental.

"I SAID, 'Whatcha guys rummaging through?'" Eddie repeated in an annoyed tone.

"I brought a bunch of baseball stuff we could use," said Stan. Eddie nodded in satisfaction and went over to look at the gear.

Soon after, everyone was at the field. Bill had also brought baseball gear, and apparently he and Stan were on the same baseball team up in Bangor a few years ago. While everyone was looking through the gear, I caught Beverly staring at me with a little smirk on her face.

"What?" I asked her, puzzled.

"Oh, nothing," she responded sweetly. "By the way, nice hat," she winked.

I rolled my eyes at her, but I felt a slight smile creeping up my face.

Stan and Bill were captains of the baseball teams and they began selecting us. Naturally, Stan chose me, and Bill chose Bev. In the end, Ben and Mike joined our team, and Richie and Eddie joined Bill's team. Our team was up to bat first, and Stan was the first one up. Bill was pitching. Stan swung. It was a strike. Stan picked up the ball and then threw it back to Bill. Another pitch. Stan hit it and then he started running. Wow, he's fast, I thought, touching his hat on top of my head and blushing.

Richie was on first base, and he was screaming at Eddie, who was third, to get the ball and give it to him, but it was too late. Stan was safe. Cheers erupted from our team, and Richie threw his old and worn down hat on the dirt. I laughed, and Mike went up next. He hit in the first pitch, and ran to first base while Stanley sprinted to second. Now it was my turn. The way Bill held the ball and looked me directly in the eye gave me anxiety. I held up the bat and waited for the first pitch. It came, and I swung, my eyes squeezed shut. I missed. I picked up the ball and chucked it back to Bill, who caught it effortlessly. I braced myself for the second pitch, and I missed again. Whoops.

The next pitch came toward my face, but I backed up and then hit it as hard as my arms would allow. It went to second base, and both Stan and Mike ran as fast as they could. Mike wasn't fast enough, and Beverly grabbed the ball and held it to second base. I sprinted like I had in track to second base, and then it was over. I had made it. As Mike went back to the dugout, Ben came up to bat. He swung and almost hit the ball out of the diamond, and that was we all began screaming and running. Stan touched home, and I had a wild and crazy idea to hit home too. It was only three more bases away. I sprinted like a champion, my feet barely hitting the ground, the world only a blur and sounds dimmed. I was just passing third base when I saw Bill had the ball, and he was heading right for home. I freaked out, and then moved back to third. I did not want to get out.

Mike was up again, and he hit a really good one on the third pitch. I ran as hard as I could, even though my legs were still burning from my other run. I saw home plate right in front of me, and I slid. I noticed that Stan was watching me and smiling. I felt a little sense of pride. I glanced over at Bill and saw an impressed look on his face. I shook myself and went to celebrate with my teammates.

Ben got out later, and then it was Bill's turn. Stan pitched. And oh my lord, he was damn good at it. I watched his every move from second base, admiring the way his sneakers crunched on the dirt as he stepped forward and threw. Bill missed, and he actually struck out after two more pitches. After him, it was Richie, and he hit a meager ball. Mike went to catch it as Richie scrambled for first base, but he made it. Then it was Beverly's turn. She hit it to second, and I almost caught it, but it fell short of my mitt. I grabbed it and then tagged Richie, who was rushing to second base as fast as he could.

The game continued for about two more hours, and in the end, our team won, mostly thanks to Stanley. After a small celebration, we went our separate ways. Tomorrow, Mom and I would go up to Bangor to get school supplies, since our lists just came in the mail. With that in mind, I went back home, worried more than ever about school.