Baseball's Later Innings

I greeted them and said hello, and they greeted me back, thanked me for bringing them to the game. As both teams finished their pregame practice. I got the portable mic, and walked out between the pitcher's mound and home plate. I looked into the crowd and saw there was even a TV station present; I hoped I didn't fuck up what was going to happen today.

"Hello parents, family, former ball players, faculty, and fans. Welcome to our first game of the season! We have a lot to celebrate today; first, our new scoreboard, and second, I've received permission to rename the field. Yes, I know our field does have the adorable name of 'The Gold Pan' because we are the Gold Miners, but today, we want to dedicate this field to a former player."

I could see Mrs. and Mrs. Stevens whispering to each other.

I continued, "Please turn your attention to centerfield." I gave my patented Coach Powell whistle! The players out beyond the fence pulled the first of two tarps off the scoreboard.

The crowd started cheering and clapping, whistling as the maroon and gold scoreboard came into view, the scoreboard operator made all the lights flash.

I continued, "This will happen whenever we hit a home run. Nice touch, don't you think? As you can see, part of the scoreboard is still covered. This is a surprise we have for you. Let me tell you about the player we are naming the field after. He helped take us to the third place finish in the state tournament. He was on the all-state baseball team. He was one of the best students I ever had, and he was taken away from us too soon. I'd like to now announce the new name of the Box Canyon High School's baseball field."

I gave my patented Coach Powell whistle again. My players pulled the second tarp down, it revealed across the top of the scoreboard, the Christopher Stephens Memorial Field. Again, there was a roar from the crowd.

Chris's picture has been in our trophy case since the third place finish in the state tournament. The first day of practice, I would take all players in to see the third-place trophy and Chris's picture and pay homage to him, so my players knew who he was; my former players knew who he was, faculty knew who he was, and the community knew who he was.

A solitary player walked through the gate in centerfield, the crowd became hushed, and I continued.

"Now to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at The Christopher Stevens Memorial Field is Christophers' son, Daniel Denton. Ms. Denton, would you please join me here on the field?"

Applause thundered from the crowd.

I met Danny at the pitcher's mound. My star varsity catcher took his place behind home plate. I handed Danny the ball and told him, "It's the bottom of the seventh, two outs, two runners on, we have a one run lead, you have a full count, and you have to strike this batter out." Just as I had spoken many times in my years of coaching to many pitchers. "Can you do it?"

His answer was a resounding, "YES, SIR!"

I stepped back, and unnoticed, put my arm around Beth.

Danny took the mound he looked in for the sign. The catcher gave the agreed-to sign— a fastball, his best pitch. Denny shook it off! The catcher looked at him like your dog does when you talk to him. He then gave him the sign for a change-up, Danny shook off that pitch! With a shrug of the shoulders the catcher gave him the signal for the curve. The curve is not Danny's best pitch. We had been working on it for a long time but he still needed to work on it. He usually was able to overpower batters with accurate fastballs and occasional change-up to screw the batter's timing off.

Danny started his wind up, both Beth and I held our breath. The ball sailed through the air and my catcher caught the most perfect curveball, after it kissed the outside corner, I had ever seen! It looked like it fell off a table, if a batter had been swinging at it he would've screwed himself into the ground!

The announcer yelled over the PA system, "It's a strike!"

The crowd went crazy. The catcher ran out to the mound and handed the ball to Danny. Danny produced another ball, (I don't know where from) and told him, "I need to throw another one." The catcher ran back to the plate, and the crowd got quiet. He signaled a fastball, and Danny nodded yes. Danny started his wind up, again both Beth and I held our breath.

The ball made a loud pop in the catcher's mitt; the catcher shook his mitt like it hurt.

The announcer yelled, "Strike!" again.

The catcher ran out to Danny and gave him a manly hug. Danny took the ball and pulled a pen out. He wrote something on both balls. He took off running into the stands; the crowd, again, fell silent as he reached his grandparents, and gave a ball to each, and turned to leave. His grandmother stopped him with a touch of her hand, and held her arms out for a hug. Danny got his first hugs from his grandparents in his life.

Beth was openly crying.

And yep, the crowd went crazy again.

The announcer then spoke from a script I gave him. "Will you please draw your attention back to the field, where Coach Powell with make another presentation."

On cue, I got down on one knee, took a hold of Beth's hand and said the five most cherished words she wanted to hear. "Beth, will you marry me?"

Through her tears she almost screamed, "Yes!"

Then the crowd went CRAZY wild!

One of the cheerleaders got a hold of the mic, she was one that Danny was kind of sweet on. "Just so you know, Coach and Danny's mom's romance has not been a secret to the students here at Box Canyon High. We have known for a long time. Danny was so excited that his mom liked Coach Powell, he kept us all informed. Coach and the future Mrs. Coach, we love you. Can everybody cheer?"

It was not so much a cheer but a roar!

It was time to start, after a big bunch of back slapping that only stopped when Danny shouted, "GUYS, IT'S TIME TO PLAY BALL!"

I walked out to home plate, to exchange lineups. The ump gave me a hard time, saying, "I should eject you for delay of game, but I'll never get home alive if I do!"

Also with a big grin, Steve added, "Damn, Dave, if you lose they will ride us out on a rail!"

It was a great game, back-and-forth; we entered the seventh inning leading by one run. My number-one senior pitcher got two outs and had a runner on first from a walk, and then the wheels fell off the bus on the next batter. He hit safely and the runner stopped at third with the batter at first; he then walked the next batter.

I went out to the mound and my six-foot-five pitcher was almost in tears, saying, "Coach, I am so sorry I am going to lose 'Danny's dad's game'."

I thought quickly and told him, "Thank you for helping Danny win the game. How about we ask Danny to win it for us? You go tell him."

He smiled and sprinted to the dugout and told Danny, "I need a little help winning your 'dad's game'. Go strike this guy out for me, will ya?"

I saw Danny take a big breath, slowly stand, straighten his cap, and walk out to the mound and me, his future stepdad.

Before I could say a word, he said, "If I win this game, I want you to adopt me, dad."

I did a double take, and said, "Sure, son."

I walked back to the dugout trying to get some dust out my eyes, on a windless day.

Strike three

It was like the flood gates opened when the ump called, "Strike three!" My players stormed out of the dugout and surrounded Danny. They had this funny chant that's somewhere between a cat howl, a dog bark, and a grunt, with a little rap thrown in.

It was the leading sports story on the news that night— the two first pitches, the ball(s) give away to his grandparents, my proposal, and Danny's four-pitch relief to win (save) the game. A couple of cable channels even picked it up, Fox News and ESPN.

The season progressed better than last year's but we lost in the state championship game. Danny made first team all-state relief pitcher; the first time the designation 'relief pitcher' was used, and is still used today.

Marriage and adoption

At the end of the season, Beth and I married— it was quite the affair.

My sons were my groomsmen, Danny gave his mother away; unbeknownst to me, a member of the chamber of commerce, who was the local judge, was in attendance and had heard of Danny's request and pushed thorough Danny's adoption papers. Just before the minister said, "With the powers..." my oldest son handed him some official papers; both Beth and I looked at each other.

The minister invited Judge Johnson up to the altar. The judge had slipped to the back of the sanctuary, put on her judicial robe on, came up to the altar, and stood before all assembled. The minister said, "I have never made a declaration like this before, so Judge Johnson will help me."

To hushed whispers, Danny had taken the place behind us, with the help of my middle son. The minister held up his hand as to assure silence, and a blessing, "By the power vested in me by the State of Arizona, I pronounce you, man and wife."

The judge took a small step forward and spoke, "By the power vested in me by the State of Arizona, I pronounce you, Bethany, David, and Daniel, a family."

As Danny embraced both of us, my older sons moved in close. The organist played one note, and my sons and daughters-in-law all began singing 'Can't Help Falling In Love' a cappella. I began to tear up as it had been My Maria and mine wedding song.

Beth looked at me, and whispered, "I know honey it is my favorite song, too."

The reception

As the reception ebbed away, and it was just family, my oldest clued me in on 'Can't Help Falling In Love', as it was My Maria's wishes. All three of my sons had been visited by their mother in their dreams. All swore that mom had told them to sing it at our wedding because she had talked to Beth, and it was okay!

Beth told me that she had dreamed that Maria had visited her; at first, she thought it was just wedding jitters, but when Maria visited her a second time, she had a conversation with her. Beth told me that Maria gave her blessing over our wedding and gave her charge over her grandchildren. It was then Maria asked, "What is your favorite love song?"

Beth had told her, "'Can't Help Falling In Love'." Maria embraced her. "It was a so-different-kind-of embrace." Beth said, "I could see her touching me, but not feel her touch on my skin, but I felt inside a warmth I had never felt before, until I had been hugged by you in your office, back when you called me in to talk about Danny's move to varsity.

That night, I gave Danny the keys to the car and eighty dollars; he had just received his license and I knew there was a cute cheerleader, who was just aching to see a movie with Danny, any movie, just to be with him. I told him, "Take her to Texas Roadhouse first," with a big smile.

We had decided to hold off on a honeymoon because we just wanted family time with the grandchildren and, oh, their parents, too.

We then settled down to married life; me, a mild-mannered social studies teacher and baseball coach, and Beth, a mild-mannered bank manager. I had to say, our lovemaking was not mild mannered!

Almost a year after the wedding, I got a surprise when Beth told me, "I am pregnant!"

Like a dumbass, I asked, "How?"

Beth grabbed my hand, stopped long enough to throw the keys and another eighty dollars to Danny, and told him, "Take that cute cheerleader, Barbara, out, and don't come back till after midnight! Your dad and I have something to discuss."

Danny said, "Yeah sure, discuss!" laughing all the way out the door.

Beth then took me to our bedroom and showed me just how we got pregnant. We had just come up for air when he came home at a quarter after Midnight. He stopped at our door and said, "Mom?"

Beth just called back, "Go to bed, see you in the morning, honey."

A Family Grows

Elisabeth Maria Powell was born in March.

Beth basically could sit all day, so she worked right up until labor pains started, and took off a little over four months— twelve weeks paid maternity leave, and four weeks paid vacation. Because she was able to work from home, that last month she was paid, but we called it mommy time.

Also, that year, I got my State Championship, with Danny named MPV. Beth sat with two-month-old little Beth in her front baby carrier, through the whole State Baseball Tournament watching her son pitch, and her husband coach the team to the State Championship.

Danny got a full ride to my alma mater and led them to a College World Series berth his senior year.

Danny graduated, and took a teaching job at my school, since my JV coach had left for another state. I hired Danny, at first, as my JV coach and then my assistant. Oh, we made the sports pages of course. "FATHER AND SON COACHES."

The year prior to when granddaughter Shannon was in her sophomore year, her second year playing softball, I had stepped down (retired) from coaching baseball, I had enough points to retire from teaching too. Danny became the head baseball coach. After the required waiting time (One year). The district hired me to coach, I took over coaching softball because the former softball coach got married to a Marine and they moved to his duty station.

I had figured to coach until Shannon graduated high school. Then granddaughter Little Maria started playing. The district convinced me to coach a 'couple' more years. I coached the 'couple' of years without a granddaughter on the team.

Then Little Beth started freshman year; guess who was her coach? I was semi-retired, but when she entered high school, the district talked me into coaching four more years. I coached her right up to the State Softball Finals, her senior year of high school, where we took second and my Little Beth was named MVP as our pitcher. We made the sports pages of course, "FATHER COACHES DAUGHTER TO STATE FINALS."

Then, It was time to hang up my cleats— I was seventy-two. As my Beth said, "You are a young seventy-two and still sexy," she was a hot fifty-year-old momma. She had proven I was 'young' many times. Working out with my teams all those years had paid off.

I am now retired; my Beth has retired, too. Due to my double dipping, My Beth's financial wizardry, our Little Beth's academic and sports scholarships AND the rest of my Legacy grant, Little Beth will have no college debt.

We have a motorhome we use when we go to Little Beth's college away games. Her coach has had me help, but never during a game; that is time for me to be a proud Dad.

Early in our marriage, Beth encouraged me to visit my Maria's grave and she would accompany me; she would always linger when we were leaving. I always thought she was straightening out and arranging what flowers I had brought. Then one day, I did not leave as quickly as I usually did, and I heard Beth talking to Maria. Beth thanked Maria for giving me to her. She told her she was taking care of the family and how our sons were doing, the grandchildren were doing in school or college. There was a pause in Beth's description, like she was listening to Maria's voice. Beth then said to Maria, "You did a great job, Maria, you made it so easy for me to be a grandmother to your grandchildren— oops, I mean our grandchildren.

"Well, you know how Dave is, we need to be going. What, Maria? Yes, David is still as laid back as can be, unless we need to get to one of the kids' games. It is still hard to get him to eat right, but he is still in good shape. Well, goodbye, see you next time."

The End