“Caruso! Swing a bat, you’re gonna hit for Steve” Coach screamed, immediately cocking his head to the side. He fired a shot of phlegm off into the wind the way only a baseball player could. His cheeks, normally bright, rosy, red were a dark shade of maroon. I could tell he wanted to win.

It was a second round playoff game, the farthest Framingham had made it in quite some time. We were down by one run, it was the bottom of the 9 th , with runners on second and third, and there were no outs. My coach had sat me a few games recently, thanks in part to my lack of verbal control.

I couldn’t even get my batting gloves and helmet on in normal time with all my teammates patting me on the back. I knew they were excited to have me pinch hit, the more excited they were, the harder they would hit me. I didn’t know how this physical abuse was going to help win the game, but I suppose they did.

Coach approached me as I was taking the weight I used to warm up with off my bat. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Son, I know we have had our disagreements, but you and I both know we need a run here. One run will tie this game. I need you to hit the ball as deep as you can in the air.”

I nodded silently, humbly, as I was glad he had chose me for this task.

We were the home team, so when the crowd saw there were runners on second and third, and me walking up to the plate, the stands erupted with applause and chants from friends.

As I walked to the plate the pitcher stared me down. ” This” he must have thought. “A pinch hitter? A short, stocky pinch-hitter?” I slowed my walk to the plate to increase his already inflated ego. He had kept the offensive giant, Framingham, to only one run. He was definitely patting himself on the back. I smiled at him as I look at his jersey. “Taunton” it read; they were not in our division and had never played us before. The kid pitching was their ace, and aces don’t have any respect for pinch hitters. After all why wouldn’t you start your best hitters in the second round of the playoffs? They didn’t know I could hit. They thought we were desperate.