Red Bird Sweeps Competition

Yesterday was the first game of the season it was an awesome sight, watching so many old baseball players return.  Jetson Davis, Tiger Blue, Melvin Chandler; Bob Tucks, man oh man how these guys could rumble on the baseball field. Willie Rudolph,  sporting a Red Bird Cap;  hair a little grayer than last season was bitting at the bits to show his stuff on the mound.  I  heard someone yell out from the dougout, “we’re gonna put a world of hurt on ’em boys  today.”  Willie, the pitcher is about as serious as a Cougar.  He lived and breathed baseball, never blinked an eye when the first batter stepped up to the plate.  You could almost see Willie’s game plan written on his face, strike one, strick two, strike three and you are out.   ”A fan screamed, “come on Will make us proud,  you are the bomb!”

The first batter never made it to first base.  On the third strike, he hit a pop-up; Jetson Davis leaped up in the air and caught it, mesmerizing the fans.  Will’s confidence took off like a rocket….he was on his way to a shutout game.  In the dougout voices were lowed to a whisper, each player vowing to keep the game tight and play to win. 

Anyone sitting on the sidelines would never has guessed that Willie’s Dad was near death in the hospital, only two miles away from the stadium.  Watching Willie pitch that ball, you would have sworn that he had no outside worries at all.  The Red Birds, continued to play fast and hard throwing-out their opposition right and left.  The fans shouted and danced in the stands with glee, praising Will and the Red Birds with shouts like, “you’re the greatest, amazing, awesome, the bomb.”   Finally, in the ninth inning, Willie threw a  curve ball that the opponent’s  batter just could not hit.  With  hands that were as red as a  piece steak and bruised as if they had been beaten, Willie made his way off the basefield field headed for the locker room.  There stood his best friend Dan Smith, with the most amazing news.  Willie’s Dad had responded well to a medication that was given to him the night before; his blood pressure was close to normal and his temperature has dropped to 98.6 degrees.  Willie  shouted, “let the celebration begin.”