Page 21 of The Battery
“I was playing for myself. Not for others. There was a point—probably at the beginning of the season—when it was clear Iwould make the forty man. And I knew I wouldn’t be raised to the majors unless someone dropped down. So I just… played for me, because I was waiting. And I hadsomuch fun.”
“Used your knuckleball plenty of times, I saw.”
I smiled. Beamed, actually. My not-so-big secret in the minors that I hid from the majors. “I did, yeah. Coaches hated it. So did the catcher. I loved using it. There’s something fun about unpredictability in a game where everything is now mathematics.”
“Damn right,” Leo said.
And then I almost fainted. I blinked wide in surprise. The man had smiled. I had yet to see his mouth make that shape. It was a sly, crooked grin. Rugged.
Emboldened, I continued. “I feel like I’m playing for other people now. Which, I mean,I am.I recognize that. I’m getting paid. This is about the team. But there’s this element to it that makes me feel superficial.”
“Is it the Assholes?”
“Partly. I feel like I’m fighting to keep my spot.”
“Because you are.”
I nodded. “Because I am.”
“In those first couple of innings against Savannah. You were having fun, right?” I nodded yes. “What about it was fun?”
I blushed, then cursed myself for letting my emotions show so easily. “You, I guess. The other players, too. You’re, um… you can be a dick, Leo. But you’re calm. Reliable. That steadiness makes things easier for me. More fun, I suppose.”
“I like hearing that,” Leo said, and not in a cocky way. Proud, almost, that he was doing his job correctly. “The Assholes? Look, Cody, those guys are good. Especially Shoji. They wouldn’t have made it to the majors if they weren’t. The reason they’re jabbing you is because they know what it will do. The more you sink into the hole you’ve dug, the more dirt they’ll pile on. They see aneasy win to get a potential star athlete out of the way, and they’re taking it.”
I perked up a fraction at that. “Star athlete?”
“Absolutely. Our captain sees it, too. You have incredible potential. Especially after I watched all your highlight reels. It’s there. We just need to get that guy back.”
I stood from the couch and blew out a long jet of frustration I had been holding on to. “How do you cope? When people bug you the wrong way?”
“In my younger years? I’d hit them. Now? It bounces off. You probably can’t do either of those things.”
“Nope.”
He stood as well, then crossed his arms. “Which means you use it. Might not be easy at first, but those guys aren’t short of insults, and I know management wants to keep you longer so you can prove yourself.”
“Use it how?”
Again, he pointed to the TV. “Show themhim. See,that’swhat you work on. You already have the talent Cody, you just need the mental fortitude and only one person can train you on that. I’ll take care of the rest.”
I laughed at the incredulous thought. “What do you mean by that?”
“I see now what you are fully capable of. It’s my job to use your skills in the best way possible until management and the coaches are comfortable with you calling the shots out there. I’m gonna use you to show them how fuckingsickwe can make this battery.”
Desire unfurled in my belly at the way he spoke. That classic Spartan look of his was back and directed in a way I liked. It wasn’t the time, though, so I forced myself to discard the thought.
“Yes,” I said. “You’re right. The only way to fight the Assholes is just to prove them wrong. That’s why I had a bad inning the other week. Because Ihad two good ones.” We both said that last part at the same time. His voice deeper and richer than mine but hitting the same syllables at the same time.
“So, what do you want, then? What’s your number one goal now that you’ve reached the majors?”
That was an easy answer. “I want to be a closer.”
Leo’s brow lifted a fraction. “Most relief pitchers vie for starter. Why closer?”
“The pressure. Ilovedthe pressure in the minors. Loved it. Thrived on it. There’s something different about that kind of pressure that I never felt in other positions.” I felt the need to be blatant with my feelings, not that I had been dishonest to this point. But therewasa degree of ego at play here that he would understand. “The idea of delivering a game where we have a narrow lead and everyone is on the edge of their seat? It’s a high for me.”
I was rewarded with another offset grin.
