Pressure

It was the last day of the regular season. The sun was shining bright and there wasn’t a cumulus cloud in the sky. The three time defending state champion South Side Bombers were going into their final game needing a win to make the state tournament. They were playing their long time rivals, the North Side Heat, who also needed a win to make the state tournament. The two teams had played twice in the regular season, both winning on their home field, 4-2. This game, however, was going to be played on a neutral field on a local college campus.

It was almost time for the game to start and the captains for the two teams, Mark Jones for the Bombers and Bill Anderson for the Heat, met at home plate to exchange lineup cards. The two would be the starting pitchers and clean up hitters for their respective teams. Both players had lots of legerdemain.

“How germane that it would come down to this,” Bill said with a smile.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” Mark answered with a grin.

Bill and Mark were the best players on their teams. Bill was very pudgy, five feet, six inches tall, and weighed about one hundred seventy pounds. He had a blazing fastball and could hit the ball a mile. Mark was quite a bit taller than Bill. He looked very gaunt at five feet, nine inches tall, and weighing only one hundred-thirty pounds. He had a curveball that fell off the table and could find the gaps in any outfield. The two were very different in size and had different strengths, but they both got the job done.

After they exchanged lineup cards, they flipped a coin to see who would be the home team and who would be the away team. The Bombers won the coin toss and elected to take the field first. Mark took his glove and led his team out onto the field to start off the game.

Both pitchers were pitching deftly. They both retired the first fifteen batters they faced with prowess, taking perfect games into the sixth inning. They both looked indefatigable. Both players would head back to the bench hearing nothing from coaches, or their teammates other than kudos.

“Way to go! You look great out there, keep it up!” they would hear from the stands.

It was the top of the sixth inning and Mark had struck out the first batter, but then gave up a double to the Heat’s number seven hitter. The next hitter bunted him over to third. Now there were outs and a runner on third. Mark began to feel the pressure. He walked the next batter on four pitches. His coach came out to the mound to talk to him.

“What’s the matter Mark?” his coach asked.

“Nothing coach, I’m fine,” Mark lied quickly.

“Okay Mark. Just keep pitching the way you are and everything is going to be fine,” his coach said with encouragement.

Mark gave up a base hit, allowing the runner from third to score, giving the Bombers a one run lead. Then, Mark quickly struck out the next batter on three pitches ending the inning.

The Bombers ran off the field and Bill led his team back on the field. He quickly retired the first two batters he faced with weak ground outs to shortstop. Then, Bill walked the next two batters. He stepped off the back of the mound and collected himself. He hopped back up onto the rubber and threw the next pitch. The weak fly ball ended the inning.

Mark went out for the seventh. He had to deal with the Heat’s most dangerous part of the order. He gave up a single to the lead-off hitter. The next hitter hit a deep fly ball deep to left that was caught, the runner on first tagged and when to second. There were two outs and a runner on second in the top of the seventh. It was Bill’s turn to bat. Bill casually walked up to the plate like he always does and Mark got nervous again. He tried to shake it off, but he couldn’t. He threw the first pitch to Bill and Bill knocked it out of the park for a two-run homer. That put the Heat up 3-0. Mark got the next two batters out, but the damage was already done. The Bombers would need to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh, or their season would be over.

Bill walked the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh. He gave up a single up the middle allowing one run to score making it 3-1. There were runners on first and second and no outs. The next two batters struck out swinging. It was the Bombers final out and it was Mark’s turn to bat. Mark slowly walked up to the plate with a nervous countenance. He stood in the batters box and watched the first two pitches go by, both strikes, to put him down 0-2. He called timeout, stepped out of the batter’s box, and tried to make himself placid. He got back into the box. He tried to stay calm and waited for Bill to throw the pitch. He knew what was coming, a fastball right down the middle, but under the pressure he put on himself, Bill cast the pitch.

“Strike three!”, the umpire yelled. Mark rued not even taking a swing.

Bill celebrated with his team, filled with zeal, as a newspaper reporter with much notoriety came over and asked if he would answer some questions.

“How did it feel to have a pressure cooker like the game today?” the reporter asked.

“This wasn’t a pressure cooker,” he said with a smile.

“It was a two run game. How was it not a pressure cooker?” he asked.

“The only pressure you feel in sports is the pressure you put on yourself,” he answered intelligently.

2nd Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Second Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Double Play by Robert B. Parker. The Berkley Publishing Group, 2004.
Genre: Historical Fiction

Double Play is about Joseph Burke, a World War II veteran protecting one of the most famous Major League Baseball players ever, Jackie Robinson, as well as recollections of the author’s childhood. The story takes place in many cities with Major League Baseball teams during the 1940’s (Chicago, Boston, Brooklyn, etc.). During the story there are many attempts to kill Robinson and Burke because of Robinson’s race. This story shows how racist people were towards African Americans during the early and mid 1900’s. This story shows how tough Jackie Robinson was being the first African American to play in what was an all white person sport even though everywhere he went, people were ridiculing him and insulting him.


“Intriguing...a well crafted novel about honor, responsibility, redemption, and triumphs. The beauty of this novel is how Parker mixes history with fiction, winds his characters around the periphery of baseball and then gives the story real depth with Bobby’s memories.
-Edmonton Journal


Double Play is a fictional novel about Jackie Robinson’s first year in the Major Leagues. The story shows how wherever Robinson went, there were going to be people who believed he didn’t belong. Also, that he had to follow the same rules as other African Americans (eating in African American restaurants, going to African American hotels, using African American restrooms, etc.). This reminds me of when I learned about the civil rights movement and how African Americans had to use different doors, restrooms, etc., than white people. This story also shows how brave Jackie Robinson was to go out and prove all the doubters wrong and open the door for other African Americans to play Major League Baseball with white men.

Double Play also reminds of when I first started to like baseball, when the author writes short little anecdotes and mixes them into the story. The author talks about how he would listen to the as many games as he could on the radio when they were on. He talks about how he listens to the scores as they are read over the radio. All of which, as a big baseball, I do whenever there’s a game.


“ The man stared straight ahead, as he drove slowly, without speaking. Burke watched him for a moment. He was a thick pale-faced man with a lot of flesh around his neck. He was wearing a tan golf jacket and a white broadcloth shirt. He was having trouble swallowing. Burke was silent. As they went under a streetlight Burke could see the sweat on the man’s face.” (p. 167)

I am a really big baseball fan and I like reading books about historical events in baseball, or articles about important baseball games, so this book was perfect for me. This story helped me realize how hard it was on Jackie Robinson being the first African American baseball player to play in the Major Leagues. By reading this book I learned how much the game has changed