It’s Jesse’s turn at bat. The pitcher on the mound steps back and winds up to throw the first pitch. It’s a perfect pitch down the middle. Jesse gives it a good look - it is a good one. He's got his mind on that next perfect pitch to come.
The pitcher winds up to throw his second pitch, and Jesse intently watches the
ball to see if is going to be too perfect, but it is low and away (ball one). The pitcher winds up to throw for a third time. As Jesse watches the ball come down the stretch it’s another perfect pitch. Jesse doesn’t swing but nods his head as Paul and I holler across the field for Jesse to swing at those perfect pitches.
But he gives me the look like, “I got this Dad.” Strike two.
The pitcher on the mound gets ready to throw for the fourth time. Paul, the head coach, and I, the assistant, watch intently as he winds up again. Here comes the ball. Whew. Low and away again - ball two. Two balls and two strikes. Jesse looks over to Paul behind first base, coaching from the side line, gives him the nod, and then looks back at me and gives me the nod. I can see it in his eyes. He is ready to knock one out of the park....
I look at Paul and Paul looks at me. We both know that Jesse is ready for the next pitch as we nod at each other and holler a word of encouragement to him to knock this one away.
The pitcher winds up – whoosh! Inside and low, ball three.... “Alright!”, as Paul and I smile to each other and to Jesse.
All three of us know all along that Jesse is going to get on base. There’s no doubt in our minds as we watch Jesse at bat. Three balls and two strikes. Paul and I know if we can get Jesse on base he’s going to make the other team nervous; they’ve already seen his demonstration of stealing bases. He’s really good at stealing bases, and has mastered it quite well.
Now we are all smiling as if we all know each other’s thoughts. The pitcher winds up again, and Jesse grips the bat even harder than before - he knows he is ready for this pitch... here comes the ball. It’s coming down the stretch as Jesse leans forward to watch it go out of his reach low and away.
Yeah, it’s a ball - we all saw it. But wait - the umpire calls a strike! Oh, my gosh - we are all stunned. Even the coach on the other team says it’s a ball... Strike three and Jesse is out due to bad call from the umpire.
I hurry Jesse into the dugout, as I run across the field to calm Paul. Whew, that was close.... After I get Paul calmed down, it is Jesse's turn. I need to get him calmed down. The two of them are furious. To this day, it is the most upset that I have ever seen Jesse.
Paul is pacing back and forth and hasn’t quite simmered down all the way yet – and, well - Jesse is still feeding off that too. As any father would do, I kneel down on one knee to talk to my son, his face red as can be. I encourage him to go out on the mound to show the umpire what a strike is... Little do I know, he has taken that to heart....
Now, it is Jesse's turn to show the umpire what strikes look like. And I know he is going to throw a couple of them right away because when he wants, he has pinpoint accuracy. “OK, Jesse. Show us what you got,”
Paul and I encourage him on the mound. Jesse starts his wind up and whoosh! - the ball is a perfect strike down the middle. Hard and fast like he has never thrown before.
Paul and I chuckle as we see the first pitch. Little do we know that Jesse continues to be upset all the way until he throws nine perfect pitches down the middle, hard and fast. Not one batter hits off of him!
Paul and I just look to each other in disbelief as Jesse comes running off the mound from striking everyone out. We tease him, telling him that from now on we will pay the umpire to strike him out every time if he is going to throw nine perfect pitches each time he strikes out.
Paul and I never will teasingly threaten him again because Jesse is not ever going to have an umpire call a bad game on him again – since that game, he has he swung at every ball that’s come his way.
He has even stepped over the plate to hit a ball. That hit went over the fence for his first home run ever!
This is one of my favorite stories about Jesse. I love you, son. Love Dad,
