Josh Muller tried to clear his mind. He wiped the sweat from his batting helmet and tuned out the screaming crowd. He could hear the clicking of cameras and out of the corner of his eye he spied an ESPN reporter scribbling madly on a yellow legal pad. Stepping back into the batter”s box, he knew that the game was on his shoulders and for an athlete of Josh”s caliber, the pressure of the moment wrapped around his body like a Snuggie on Christmas morning. Everything he had ever wanted, everything he had worked so hard for was on the line.
His was a story of sacrifice and if he could only connect, it would all be worth it. Josh had put his academic future on hold for this game. He had left his loved ones behind. He had even agreed to let his younger sister Kathy have his room for the summer … all for the glory of the Little League World Series.
For the Tallum County Tigers, this was a season of long odds and tall obstacles. Their star shortstop was scratched from the lineup two days prior for getting a D in Social Studies and subsequently trying to hide it from his mother. Batting leader and starting catcher Miles Deloy was deemed ineligible by the league after testing positive for Performance Enhancing Drugs. Although the ruling was still in appeals (Miles claims he was given the Ritalin by the school nurse and didn”t know what he was taking at the time), his absence was certainly felt at this moment. Even the Tigers” bench had taken a beating and the depth of the team, usually one of its strengths, had been reduced to the Delohney twins and the funny smelling kid with asthma.
After a long season, setbacks always take their toll but the past few weeks made winning seem all but impossible. John “The Afterburner” Johansson”s allergies flared up in the semifinals and his mother”s inability to find non-drowsy Benadryl insured that he was a non-factor early in this game. Center fielder Andrew Calloway was sent home a week earlier with a broken wire on his braces in what could only be described as a “freak” Jolly Rancher accident.
But their season was also marked with positives. Three players in the Tigers” lineup had started puberty just before school let out and the dark, wispy hair on their upper-lips sent waves of fear throughout the opposing teams. The boys in the other dugout sat terrified as the Tigers” chant of “We want a pitcher, not a belly-itcher” contained three-part harmonies complete with a baritone section. The Tigers were also fortunate to have Steven Mikimoto”s father as refreshment captain. He owned the local sushi restaurant back home and Mr. Mikimoto”s ability to cut orange slices was unparalleled anywhere in South Williamsport, PA.
But none of this mattered now. Only the 60 feet to first base separated Josh Muller from destiny. Well, 60 feet and a hard-throwing lefty from the Dominican Republic.
Marco Castillo had a controversial history as long as the shiny black ponytail that ran down his back. He was only cleared to play in the tournament after his family back home mailed in his birth certificate to league officials, putting to rest speculation and proving that Marco was not, in fact, 27 years old as Kyle”s dad had insisted. Actually, while watching Marco on ESPN in the preliminary rounds, Josh was struck by how similar their stats matched up. Throws left. Bats right. Favorite food: macaroni and cheese. Favorite subject: math. Josh was sure the two would be friends if only things had been different. If only …
Marco shook off the catcher”s first two signs. After the third sign wasn”t what he was looking for, Marco flashed what looked to be a switchblade knife at the catcher and the debate was settled. Fastball, low and in. Josh turned on the pitch and sent it flying over the Dominican shortstop, easily scoring Landon Breen from third. Josh had done it! The Tigers had won! His destiny had been fulfilled and his teammates carried Josh off the field on their shoulders.
Back in the clubhouse, the celebration was in full swing. The customary consumption of cake and soda had been replaced with Vitamin Water and tofu burgers on account of Billy Thompson”s diabetes. He had struggled with sugar consumption his whole life and in a gesture of solidarity, the boys had decided to spare him the temptation. It didn”t affect the party one bit.
Josh Muller watched his teammates celebrate from a quiet corner in the clubhouse and realized that this was easily the most significant accomplishment of his life … a point he would later lament in his 40s. But for now, the Tigers were the champions.
