“Thanks for dumbing it down for me,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Have him talk to Caryn. From what I hear, he might want to let Kendal do all that for him.
“She’s good. I’ve not seen any drop-off in net income since we hired her. I’m not sure Tom would add anything to my bottom line for that,” I said.
“Would you be upset if I tried to hire her?” Ms. Dixon asked.
“I want what’s best for her, but I don’t want to get hurt in the process,” I said and then sighed. “You need to talk to Caryn. She runs the day-to-day and answers to my dad. They would have to make that kind of decision.”
“I promise to get their blessing before I talk to her.”
“Fair enough.”
◊◊◊
Today in baseball practice, Coach Haskins included a base runner and the infield. He’d call out different scenarios, and then they would hit the ball into center field where I had to make the right play. Did I just return the ball to second base, try to throw out a lagging base runner, hit a cutoff man … and it went on from there.
Baseball can be like a game of chess. There’s a lot more strategy than it at first seems. Coach Haskins was teaching me to think ahead and make the play. It wasn’t as complicated as reading a defense in football, but I found it challenging to learn the subtleties of a new position.
After practice, I stopped Moose and Coach Haskins to talk to them.
“Why are you spending so much time with me? I don’t want to short the other guys their chance to get ready for the season,” I worried.
“The whole infield got work today, and we practiced base-running,” Moose pointed out.
I could see his point, but I’d never seen Moose focus regular practices on just one player. Like football, baseball was a team sport.
“I understand, but you know what I mean.”
Moose looked at Coach Haskins, who just scratched his head. It looked like Moose would have to answer me.
“I’ve received several calls about you. Lucas Kite, from the Cubs, has been checking up on you. I had a long talk with him and your hitting coach. They feel you have the tools to make it to the big leagues, and both agreed you need a crash course on playing center field. They want you ready for when you go to the Under-18 tryouts.
“Coach Haskins and I agree that you can help this team …”
“But …”
“No buts, David. I’ve never had a player with your potential. When you go to the tryouts, you’re also representing Lincoln High. You may not know this, but Coach Hope was on cloud nine when you excelled at all those football camps last summer. He knew that your achievements would rub off on everyone back home. Several of your teammates will get scholarships because of you. Coach Diamond was given a head-coaching job because he coached you.
“I’ve never had a player drafted in baseball. I know that if you turn into the player we think you can become, you could be the first. If it looks like that’s going to happen, that means scouts and college recruiters will come to our games to watch you. And if that happens, it gives everyone else a chance.
“I also know you worry about everyone not getting equal coaching. You need to trust us. I’ve been doing this for twenty-seven years, and Coach Haskins longer than that. Let us deal with how we divvy up our time. You also needn’t worry about your teammates feeling slighted. They know the score and are on board,” Moose explained.
“You’re the boss.”
“You finally got that right,” Moose said with an amused grin. “Now go hit the showers!”
◊◊◊
I skipped the dojo again so I could work on the play.
This play is usually performed on a mostly bare stage. In some ways, it made it more challenging for us, because the actors were forced to use their acting skills to get points across instead of relying on props.
Act I was about the daily life of the townspeople in a small New Hampshire hamlet in 1901. The stage manager sets up the story, and then Professor Willard speaks to the audience about the history of the town. The audience was then introduced to the different actors. Joe Crowell delivers the newspaper to Doc Gibbs, Howie Newsome delivers milk, and the Webb and Gibbs households send their children, Emily and George, off to school.
Act II was set three years into the future and was centered on the marriage of Emily and George, played by Halle and myself. It was a stressful day. George was faced with the prospect of squandering his baseball talents in exchange for marrying Emily. He visits his future in-laws and was told he couldn’t see his bride-to-be since it would be bad luck.
