Junior Year Box Set

The pitcher nodded to me to let me know he didn’t mean it. I expected another fastball and guessed right. Overthrown fastballs tend to rise in the zone, and this one did just that. Belt-level over the center of the plate is every hitter’s dream, and I drove the ball into left field for a hit. The catcher trotted out and talked to his pitcher. Whatever he said seemed to work. The pitcher calmed down and began to work.

I would compare him to a good Double-A pitcher. I could handle most of his pitches, but he had me guessing bad at times. When I’d cranked three out of the park, Lucas sent me to shortstop. Coach Revilla hit me balls and called out different scenarios. Then it was out to center field.

Toward the end, I was told to throw home. They’d had me play shallow center field. Coach would hit the ball over my head, and I had to run it down at the warning track. I then would pivot, get my feet right, and fire the ball towards home plate. This was exactly like when I scrambled as a quarterback. Footwork and proper technique made the difference in a good throw. They asked me to do that five times before I was called in.

I met with Lucas alone. I tried to figure out why Coach Revilla had packed up and left. Lucas never said anything about it.

“It’s obvious you’re an athlete. You have good speed and excellent arm strength. It’s also evident that you hit for average and for power. You showed you can field the ball. Based on what I’ve observed, we’ll want to see how you develop over the next year. One workout isn’t enough for us to tell if you can produce over an entire season.

“You have a lot of potential, and I’d like to see you play some summer ball against better competition than you can expect in high school. I have some ideas if you’re interested,” Lucas said.

“I have a commitment for June, but have the rest of the summer available.”

He wrote down my information and then had one piece of parting advice.

“I know you said you wanted to play shortstop. I’m going to be brutally honest. As a shortstop, you might have a chance to get to the big leagues, but you’re a much better prospect as a center fielder. I would suggest that you switch and forget about pitching. If you were a pitching prospect, we would have already identified you as one. You’re a better than average high school pitcher, but not as dominant as you would need to be at the next level of competition.”

“Okay. Should I get some coaching?” I asked.

“For now, work with Coach Revilla until he has to leave at the end of the month. He tells me that the place you signed up with also has fielding coaches. After he leaves, you might want to get one of them to work with you,” he suggested.

Once he left, I returned to the studio. This had always been the dream as a kid, to play ball for the Cubs. All I could think of was what Caryn had said her grandmother had taught her: ‘to wish impossible things.’ I remembered there was another saying: ‘be careful what you wish for.’ What would happen if I had to decide between football, baseball, or a career in movies? I guess I would worry about that later. For now, I would wish for playing for the Cubs while working as an actor. Maybe I could figure out how to do all three.

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When I arrived at my trailer, Frank and Caryn were there, talking. It had to be something important for Frank to show up unannounced.

“Sorry, but can you let me take a shower? I need to be on set shortly,” I explained. “Caryn, I hate to ask, but do you think you could get me something to eat?”

She just nodded, and I hurried to the back of the trailer where the master bedroom was. I showered and dug out some of my analgesic cream to rub on my bruises. I came back to find Frank, Fritz, and Caryn eating Reuben sandwiches. Caryn pointed over to where I found mine. I joined them at the table.

“The attack video has gone national, and many of the news organizations around the country have put in requests for interviews. The LA Police Department would like to do a joint press conference this afternoon. I would suggest that you work with them on this. It’ll give their talking heads a chance to shine, and they’ll be saying good things about you. I want to capitalize on the media while your story is hot,” Frank said.

“What do you mean, ‘while it’s hot’?” I asked.

“A story like this will have its own life cycle. I expect we can use this through Friday, and then it’ll die down. Over the weekend some kitten will fall down a well, and they’ll be off to cover that,” Frank said.

There was a knock at the door. “You’re needed on the set,” I heard through the door.

I felt bad because they’d never had to come and find me until today. That meant everyone was ready, and as Jessup reminded me fifty times a day, time was money.

“Okay, do what you think is right. Keep Caryn in the loop,” I said and hurried off.

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