“The Last Out”
Spring Training - 2010
The crack of a bat is heard reverberating throughout the cement walled enclosure. A ball sails into the warm blue spring sky towards a razor wired topped wall but lands 30 feet short: a slim middle age black man at the plate of a makeshift ball diamond kicks the dirt at his feet and yells at a middle aged white man of similar stature.
“Shit man. Three years ago I would have cleared that wall no problem.”
The crack of a bat is heard reverberating throughout the cement walled enclosure. A ball sails into the warm blue spring sky towards a razor wired topped wall but lands 30 feet short: a slim middle age black man at the plate of a makeshift ball diamond kicks the dirt at his feet and yells at a middle aged white man of similar stature.
“Shit man. Three years ago I would have cleared that wall no problem.”
The pitcher glares in from the mound and replies: “Three years ago you wouldn’t have gotten around on that pitch.”
The pitcher and batter continue to berate each other for a minute and then continue throwing and hitting under the watchful eyes of observers in towers at each corner of the cement walls.
Suddenly a door bursts open from a building adjacent to the field and out runs a number of men in ball uniforms followed by a much older gentleman well dressed and superbly coiffed. He gazes at the two men on the field and yells “Hey, Rocket and Barry! Hustle over here. I want to go over this afternoon’s game against The Tampa Bay Correctional Facility.”
The pitcher turns and replies “Sure thing Warden Hazen: we’ll be right there”
On the way over to the others Barry asks Roger if he has heard anything about the “Hall.” Roger replies “Barry they can’t hold us back. We need to get in; for Granny, for Nate, for Caretaker.”
The pitcher and batter continue to berate each other for a minute and then continue throwing and hitting under the watchful eyes of observers in towers at each corner of the cement walls.
Suddenly a door bursts open from a building adjacent to the field and out runs a number of men in ball uniforms followed by a much older gentleman well dressed and superbly coiffed. He gazes at the two men on the field and yells “Hey, Rocket and Barry! Hustle over here. I want to go over this afternoon’s game against The Tampa Bay Correctional Facility.”
The pitcher turns and replies “Sure thing Warden Hazen: we’ll be right there”
On the way over to the others Barry asks Roger if he has heard anything about the “Hall.” Roger replies “Barry they can’t hold us back. We need to get in; for Granny, for Nate, for Caretaker.”
Dwight from Scranton
Posts
