Personal Narrative-Life Ain 'T Fair'

Clouds mugged the sun of light as the day progressed. Dusk filled the air on the baseball diamond where I would leave my legacy. Forth, was the championship game to be played, and the pressure of the starting pitcher, was not fazing me. In the zone, we said the Little League pledge. Jolts of excitement filled my muscles as I recited the piece that I know all too well. Warming up, I was controlled, and was ready to bring it. The game began with a bang. Strikeout after strikeout I fired, giving my all every single pitch. ‘BOOM’ went the glove after every pitch, whizzed right by the petrified batter. However, this was not much different for our team. Just two hits filled the board, I and my teammate Ian Keth. Scoring off of this was efficient,

“I knew he had to throw me a good pitch with a 3-1 count.” Ashline said, “I got my pitch and wanted to put it in play, because I knew he could score if it reached the outfield.

Let’s all be honest, when in a tight situation where a lot is on the line, having someone say, ‘No pressure.’ is the worst thing that could be ever said in that moment. Regardless, this is what was said to me and my 10-year-old baseball team, The Oklahoma Kaos before hitting the field to have a chance to get to finals in the State Championship. It was June 18th, 2010, and we had clawed our way out of losers bracket to get to the semifinals. We had come too far to give up or fail now. We came across a team called the Pawhuska Huskies, a team we had creamed in an earlier tournament 23-3 in one whole inning. The team joked back and forth about how easy this would be and how we already made it to the finals. But while

Let’s all be honest, when in a tight situation where a lot is on the line, having someone say, ‘No pressure.’ is the worst thing that could be ever said in that moment. Regardless, this is what was said to me and my 10-year-old baseball team, The Oklahoma Kaos before hitting the field to have a chance to get to finals in the State Championship. It was June 18th, 2010, and we had clawed our way out of losers bracket to get to the semifinals. We had come too far to give up or fail now. We came across a team called the Pawhuska Huskies, a team we had creamed in an earlier tournament 23-3 in one whole inning. The team joked back and forth about how easy this would be and how we already made it to the finals. But while

The tigers have been playing a lot longer than we all have, we lined up, I was the first on to bat. He pitch STRIKE 1, he pitched again, I swung my hardest… and… SMACK the ball kept growing higher and longer HOMERUN!! The crowd went wild! We hit the first point of the game. Next it was Jimmy, Jimmy always hit higher and longer home runs than me. As Jimmy went up to bat, the pitcher pitch and.. SMACK! It went really high and came down right over the fence. The hooper redbirds were in the lead with two home runs and no outs. ¨man this going to be an easy game¨ I said while watching the game next up Johnpaul he was the bet batter and catcher on our team, every home run he gets he gets 5$ from his parents. As he walked up to bat I was thinking ¨we have to win this game so i can stay on the team¨ he pitch BAM! Flew into the outfield and out of the arena!

Down goes the pitch, moving at lighting speed! STRIKE! As the batter steps up for his second plate appearance, he has three balls and two strikes. Men are on second and third base with the score four to five-Optic. While it is the away team who leads the game, it is my very last

Balls were hit, strikes were swung, and outs were cast. One and two and three, and as fast as the inning began, it ended. Those who spectated cheered, and others who watched booed. The home team who was defending now attacked, but just as swift as those before them, they were struck down, only ever hitting their mark once. When the Dodgers reached the plate again, fortune was struck, along with the ball, and away it was sent, beyond the green field of contest, and the enemy team cheered loud and full, for they were ahead in the struggle. The outs continued to add up, and innings continued to be completed. Through a sacrifice of a hit, a run was finally scored for the Giants. Furious exclamation came from the stadium, filling the air with the cheers of the onlookers, but short lived was this joy, for in just the next inning the Dodgers stole back their domination of the field. Before the game was almost finished, only two outs before the Giants were crushed, they swept back with a glorious score which made the onlookers even more feverous than before. With this score, the game was extended further, so a victor could be

At the end of the eighth inning we pick up the game with Kansas City leading the Minnesota Twins one to zero. Steve, sitting on the bench in the corner with a towel over his head in the Kansas City Royals dugout as his team is batting in the eighth inning, has thoughts that go back to his Little League days when his father Joe Ballard would say. “Don’t worry about the batter, play pitch and catch with the catcher. That’s how to win a game from the pitcher’s mound.”

Brock hits a single right up the gut that gets our team on our feet instantly. Brett grounds out to the third basemen but advances Brock to second base. Now it's my turn as I await the sign from the third base coach who gives me a sign but has no meaning. Which means I get to do my thing and hopefully get on base or better yet hit Brock in to put up some runs before I go out and pitch. He throws the first two in the dirt not giving me a good look on either but puts me in a good position because he needs to throw a strike. Sure enough he wails another right in the inside corner where I drove it vigorously through the infield and skipped it to the centerfielder. Brock rounds third and heads for home and the relay the ball to the catcher not in time as Brock slides through the chalk foul line sending a cloud of dirt in the air. Even from first base I had to squint as the cloud shifted over but it didn't bother me one bit because the umpire hollered “Safe” which meant we were up

The first pitch was a 74 mph fastball that whizzed by him for the first strike. “Man, he pitches fast!” Billy thought. The next pitch was also right down the middle, just a little slower, but had slowed down enough that that he swung and missed by a mile, being way ahead. He thought, “Yikes! I need to step up my game a couple notches.” The next pitch was outside, maybe to try and throw him off. The count was now 1 and 2. Billy was determined to make the big hit happen. The next pitch was a slow pitch right up the middle, and he knew it was now or never.

As the count goes 0-2 Shelly shoots a nasty curve ball to get the first out, the second out is also a strikeout. The third out comes with a ground ball to Colby at shortstop. All of our outs came very quick with a groundout, flyout, and strikeout. Almost all the innings went very quick especially since no you got a run, however, both teams did eventually get a hit in the 4th and 5th innings. The hits did no harm either way. We had many chances to take the lead, but we were not able to come through. With a player at the plate, and a 3-2 count, they get a walk, which puts him on first. “One pitch at a time, turn two!” Bam! A base hit to left field, now they have a runner in scoring position, that enables them to score on a base hit. Oh no, it can be, why now, a hard line drive flies through the air toward left-center field. Woho! Great play! A spectacular diving catch by Spanky. It was just what we needed. The next play we get a ground ball to Colby for the last out. Bottom of the fifth inning bases loaded, Jack’s at the plate. Crack……..a fly ball with two outs, and we can’t even get a run. That is the second time Jack has done that, with bases loaded. We were all very

It was the top of the seventh, and the Freeburg Rebels had a 1 run lead. After one of my teammates made the last out, I headed to the mound for the bottom of the last inning. While warming up, I could feel the scorching heat piercing my skin. As the first batter walked up to the plate, the umpire yelled out “Play Ball”! Despite this being one of the most important moments in my baseball career, I wasn’t nervous. I was locked in. On the first pitch, the catcher held up a 1, signaling for a fastball. I started my windup and continued to throw the pitch. The batter swung out of his shoes like he was trying to take one over the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Channeling my inner Bob Gibson, I threw the 2 filthiest breaking balls I’ve ever thrown

It is the top of the 5th inning and the first batter hits a sharp grounder to the shortstop. It should be an easy out, but the ball bounces off his glove and scatters toward the center fielder. The next batter hits a pop-up to the first baseman. One out. Next up, the catcher. He hits a sharp bouncing ball to the 2nd baseman, who turns it into a 4-6-3 (second bacemen, to the shortstop, to the first baseman) double play.

I was getting very nervous, because all three of us were hitless today. Okay, we need base runners, and we need them now. Don’t try to do too much, just get a hit. I thought. The first pitch was a fastball right down the middle of the plate, a perfect pitch to hit. My eyes got big, and my mind said swing, but before I could react, the ball was past me.

As I come up to the dusty plate, I tap the beaten bat on the pentagon, I step out of the batter’s box and read my coaches signs, Stepping back in I load up my swing, waiting for the pitch. The pitcher started his motion, slowly coming towards me, I could see the ball rotating: a curve ball. I hold back my swing and crunch! I take off running down the base path, Only to notice that the ball went over the fence.