Page 84 of Safe at Home

“I love my corny, Major League Baseball-playing husband!”

My leg wouldn’t stop bouncing as I sat in the dugout and watched my team out on the field. I tried to hide my nerves and hoped they weren’t obvious. As Tristan Barnes threw a slider, it popped right out of Kraig Johnston’s glove. The opponent on first base easily stole second. I closed my eyes, and with a sigh, I reached for the tablet near me. I began analyzing the pitch that had just been thrown and what I would have done differently. Johnston only had a few games behind the plate, so he didn’t have much more experience than I did. I began to look at the next few batters’ statistics and got lost in thought. Before I knew it, my team was jogging back to the dugout.

“What could I have done?” Johnston asked me as he slid next to me on the bench. He looked defeated, and I could tell he felt he was to blame for the fact that our team was losing by three runs.

“Don’t move the glove at all once the ball is in the sweet spot, especially a slider,” I explained. “You turned your glove, which probably was instinct, but you can’t do that.”

“Maybe you should be out there,” he said with a shrug.

“Not my call,” I said as I watched Ethan Monroe head to the batter’s box.

I noticed in awe when he didn’t swing at the first pitch and allowed a ball to fly by him. He swung at the next pitch, and the ball screamed out to the outfield while he raced to first base, easily making a single.

After him, Dallas Miller went up to bat, and he soon had two strikes, and then a ball passed him. He foul-tipped the next ball and finally hit a ball out to the center fielder. Landon made it look easy as he ran and dove for the ball. He jumped up and quickly got it back to the infield, but Monroe was already at second.

That’s right, as in Landon, my brother. I smiled and shouldn’t be proud of that diving catch, but I was. I grinned wider as I thought about my phone call to him after I boarded my plane.

“Hey, how do you think you guys will do against the Coyotes today?” I asked him.

“We’ve got our ace on the mound, so I think we’ll do okay,” Landon said. “I heard the Coyotes starting catcher, Roberts, got injured in a car accident this morning. Is he okay?”

“He broke his arm when the airbag deployed, so he’s going to be out for a few weeks. Other than that, I think he’s okay. I guess the other car ran a red light. It could have been a lot worse.”

“Are they just going to use their backup catcher now?”

I tried to hold back my smile. “Yeah, they are going to start Johnston.”

“What’s with the change in your voice?” Landon asked. He knew me way too well, just as Molly did. “Holy fuck! Please tell me you’re saying what I think you’re saying.”

“I’m coming up, brother,” I said and had to laugh. “And my first fucking game is against your team tonight!”

“No fucking way! I’m so proud of you, Ty! Have you told Mom and Dad yet?”

“You’re my second call after Molly. She said she’d call Mom and Dad and let them know.” I couldn’t stop smiling. “I’m so excited but nervous, too.”

“Is there any chance of Molly coming to the game?” Landon asked.

“Probably not with seven-month-old babies and it being very last minute. We didn’t even talk about it, actually. She cried harder than I did when I told her I was moving up.” I told him about how Olivia said her first word and Hazel being excited about watching baseball.

Landon had to laugh. “That’s awesome, T. You’ll have to tell the girls that story when they get older about your first time up to the majors.”

“She was so damn proud, Landon. I lucked out with her.”

“Bro, you found the perfect girl for you! Maybe, someday, I’ll find someone.” Landon told me he had to go see the trainer, but he couldn’t wait to see me tonight.

I still couldn’t believe I was heading to Miami to play for the Coyotes against the Jaguars.

“Stone! Did you hear me?”

I shook my head to come back to the present and looked up at my new manager, Harry Schroeder. “I’m sorry, Sir. I missed what you said.”

“Get your helmet and bat ready. If Wilson reaches base, I want your bat up there.”

I nodded and took a deep breath. I didn’t have time to be nervous, and I felt confident. I knew everything about the Jaguars’ ace pitcher, Chuck Bradley. I had a feeling he probably didn’t know much about me, other than maybe that I was Landon’s brother.

I stood on the top step of the dugout with my bat in hand and watched as they intentionally walked Dean Wilson. I knew they had walked him with first base being open because they wanted to pitch to the new rookie, me.

I strode towards the batter's box and remembered how it had felt playing my very first t-ball game. I was so excited to play ball with my brothers, and I was sure I was going to hit the ball the hardest. I felt that same excitement now, but I tried to tamp it down and walk as calmly to the box as I could. I loved that Landon was out on the field today, just like he had been in the ballpark behind the elementary school. I stepped up to the plate and heard the announcer say, “.... making his Major League debut for the Coyotes, number 17, catcher Tyler Stone.” I was sure the broadcasters were all having a field day with my debut happening while playing against my brother’s team. I do wish Carter could be here, too. I took a cleansing breath and tuned out everything except for Bradley on the mound.

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