Personal Narrative: My Most Dangerous Game

While losing hurt my team's record, it also brought us closer together. We shook off the loss and pushed through the pain to earn our future

Today, was the day that all that hard work, dedication and hours of practice was going to pay off, today was that day. My dad drove me to the park, we got there and looked at me very confidently “you can do it, just go out there and do what you do.” It was sunny and hot with no breeze which made it feel even worse. I jumped out of the car and got my stuff and walked to the field. I could smell the freshly cut grass and the dirt that's when i knew that baseball was back.

In the bottom of the inning, with the chance to win, I would make the first plate appearance of the inning with hopes to start it off with a hit. Before our at-bats, Coach Sullivan talked to the team saying, “This is the moment you have all worked for. This is where all that extra work will finally pay off. This is a moment you will remember for the rest of your lives. Now GO GET ‘EM!” So I ran in the dugout, grabbed my helmet and bat, and began getting ready for my at-bat. As I was preparing Coach Sullivan came over and gathered up the next few batters, including myself, and said, “Right now! This is your time! Go do your best and good things will happen!” I was as prepared as ever when I finally stepped up to the plate to start the inning. As the pitch came towards me I swung the bat and felt a POP. I looked up to see the ball soar into the outfield and land as a base hit. The next batter was Ben Beis who, on the first pitch, watched a ball in the dirt which got past the catcher allowing me to advance to second base. Ben then did a sacrifice bunt moving me from second base to third

I could feel the pitcher’s stress from 200 feet away in the dugout. We were up five at the top of the eighth, but the win was not secure. I could tell the pitcher was struggling to keep his composure. Suddenly, the coach calls me to warm up in the bullpen. I was excited and nervous to enter the game; I knew my warming up would add pressure to the pitcher and this was the Legion Sub-State Semifinal game, which determined our chance to advance to state. By the time I got to the mound, the bases were loaded with two outs. I noticed the packed stadium, felt the sweltering 90 degrees, and sensed the crowd’s tension. I had never pitched against this team, so I relied on communicating with the catcher. I threw a knee high fastball--STRIKE ONE. Next, I threw low and away curveball--STRIKE TWO. The catcher signaled a high fastball, knowing the batter was expecting another curveball. The batter chased the ball--STRIKE THREE. We won the game and moved on to finals. Two hours in the dug out, five minutes in the bullpen, and thirty seconds on the mound--not to mention fifteen hours a week, ten months a year for fifteen years--all culminated in a few seconds to advance

I really didn’t do to well hitting but the rest of my team did and that’s what meant a lot to me and watching my teammates making plays and working as hard as the possible can play in that field made me supper happy. It came down the last inning and we kind of just fell apart in the field but we still have to fight and play hard and just because we are losing doesn’t mean we stop playing. The game finally came to the end and the seniors started getting emotional and then everyone on the team started to get a little emotional it was a very hard loss for the whole team and the coaches. After knowing that we had a great season the team got together for one big last eagles on three for the

On that first Saturday in June 2012, my teammates and I fulfilled our life-long goals of winning a state championship together and proving to the people that did not believe in us that we could do it. On that day, those fifteen guys I had grown up through grade school with were no longer just teammates and friends, they became brothers to me. Another reason Huntington Park is so special to me is because I was the final pitcher in both championships, meaning I had the ball in my hand when the game was on the line. Standing on the mound in front of ten thousand people with all eyes looking at you is a nerve racking feeling but there was no better feeling then being the guy that our coach trusted to bring home the trophy for our team. Lastly, this baseball stadium known as Huntington Park is so special to me because after receiving that trophy and medal for winning the championship I also received my high school diploma at home plate because our team missed the graduation ceremony. There are not many people in the world that can say they received their high school diploma on the same field they won a state championship. Huntington Park may not be a special place for anyone else but it will always be a special place for my teammates and myself. Those two days our dreams became realities and that is something we will all look back and cherish forever. Whether it’s passing by the stadium in my car or attending a Columbus Clippers game during the summer time, any time I find myself back at Huntington Park I still get the chills from knowing I played on that

The following morning my nose still hurts but I have a game to play so there is no time to dwell over it. We show up and the kids we are playing are throwing seventy, which isn’t that fast for us. I was fairly confident that we are gonna win, all of my teammates were being cocky as usual. The game started and just like that, we are losing by 4-runs, none of it was my fault. We commited 6 errors in the 1st inning, I had never been more disappointed in any team i had played with, ever. We ended up losing but I didn’t worry about it because I was going out to dinner after.

To be yourself because at the end of the day none can ever take that away from you. It was the hot summer day and I was doing what I loved to do playing softball. When I play softball it makes me feel like I can anything I put my mind to. When I'm out on the field no matter what is going on I play my heart out. This day it was game day and I was so ready for this game before every game I stretch to I don't hurt myself during the game. I warm up so I'm ready for this game and to put everything into this game. We were playing the Rangers that day. I absolutely love to play the Rangers because every time I play them I do so good when playing. I'm always leadoff when I hir because of how fast I am and we need some speed at the top of the order.

Once again the pitcher lifted legs and was in motion of releasing the baseball, I was determined to get a hit so I loaded up and swung at the ball. I will never forget the feeling when the baseball bounced off the bat like a trampling, there was a sudden happiness in me as I knew it was a good hit

After all my hard work and preparation it is final time to kick the season off. We start off with a tournament in Fountain Hills. It’s our first game of the year and I’m leading off the game, I walk to the plate and stand in the box, my first at bat of the year I make contact with the ball and man did I get all of it, I hit a homerun on the very first pitch of my new season. Even though personally I started off the season on a great note it wasn’t the same for my team, my team was off to a 0-8 start.

The whole team stood on home plate as I rounded 2nd and 3rd base . I was so proud of myself my first homerun of the season . When I got to home plate the team patted me on the back and my helmet .

Bases were loaded and I was up, I took a deep breath and stepped into the box. I stood there frozen as the pitch passed me. “Strike one”. Let's go Noah what are you doing, stop standing there and hit the wicked ball, as I thought to myself. I swung at the next pitch as hard as I could while staying on balance and hit it to deep left center. I ran through first, rounding second heading to third the Bulldogs were just getting the ball into the shortstop. “SAFE”called the ump, I got up and dusted myself off thinking, golly a triple, not bad. Now it was 7-3 us, the pitch was thrown, it went way over the catcher and I started heading home all the momentum I could get was speeding me up. It was going to be a close play, but I knew I could get in there….

The top of the first inning went by super quick, going 1,2,3 with two strikeouts and a little dinker hit right back at me. I got all kinds of congrats going back to the dugout. It was now our turn to bat. I was not in the batting lineup since I was pitching. We ended up scoring one run that inning. That was all we were going to need for runs.

It was an ordinary sunday afternoon in late May, smoldering hot and filled with travel baseball. In a small town outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, my 14 year old traveling team was playing in the tournament semifinals. Myself, in particular, had been struggling throughout the tournament, but I wouldn't let it affect my attitude going into this game. Due to my determination to win, I was able to lead my team to victory.

Your daggers of deception pierce my heart With a cold, sharp blade I begin to feel as if the whole world has turned on me But it’s only you with your harsh games And your eyes as unforgiving as the sea Betrayal combines with overwhelming sadness Causing a feeling that cannot be matched Every rain cloud seems directed with gladness Towards me only and it sparks a match inside