“Thanks.”
He breathed a sigh of relief when the Panthers were able to notch two runs in the first frame. Still batting in the third spot, he contributed to the cause with a bloop single just over the shortstop’s head, and scooted around the bases to score on Dan’s double to the alley. He trotted out to the mound to face the Concord Dragons for the first time.
His arm felt good and loose during the warmup tosses, and he breathed a silent prayer when the umpire motioned for a batter to step in. Anthony signaled for a fastball on the inside part of the plate, and he went into his windup as the infielders tensed behind him.
Crack! The ball split the middle of the plate, and the hitter caught it with the fat part of the bat. The ball was a distant orb as it sailed over the wall beyond Dan’s reach. Home run! The home crowd whooped its approval as the grinning batter circled the bases.
“It’s okay, Stone.” Anthony trotted out to the mound and handed Bucky another ball. “Just be sure to keep the ball down and in on this next guy, man.”
Bucky nibbled around the edges of the plate and missed the strike zone with the first two pitches. Determined not to walk a whole bunch of hitters, he accidentally grooved the third one right down the middle of the plate, thigh high, and the batter jumped on it for a smash single up the middle.
The shortstop sidled over next to him. “No problem,” he assured. “Settle down, Stone. You’re just nervous, man. You’ll get your rhythm.”
Bearing down, Bucky managed to coax a double-play grounder out of the next hitter, and the Panthers escaped the inning still clinging to a one-run cushion.
But the second and third innings were just as ragged. His pitches had a sizzling velocity to them, but each time he tried a curve ball, it either bounced in front of the plate, or didn’t break at all and sailed high and inside. The Concord hitters began waiting him out, knowing that sooner or later, he’d have to offer up a fastball that split the plate. By the fourth inning, the home squad was enjoying a three-run lead and looking to make it a runaway.
Dan kept trying to offer encouragement in the dugout, and Anthony crouched next to his struggling battery mate. “Problem is, man, when it’s all fastballs, these guys can jump on ‘em. They’re all varsity. Next inning let’s really try to get the offspeed stuff in. Just shorten your windup when we bring the hook.”
Panthers did get a run back in the top of the frame, and Bucky breathed a bit easier when the first two Concord hitters lofted routine fly balls into the outfield. But the third hitter, taking advantage of Bucky’s still unpolished follow-through, bunted for a single, and went to second when Bucky threw the ball past Brian, his own first baseman.
“Bear down, Stone!” It was meant as an encouragement, but Bucky could sense his coach’s frustration that an important game was slipping away. The next batter conveniently hit a one-hopper right to Bucky, who expertly snagged it. But, forgetting there were already two outs, he instinctively whirled around to hold the baserunner at second base. By the time he realized his mistake and made the routine throw to first, the hitter had already crossed the bag. Runners safe at first and third!
His face flushed scarlet with embarrassment at the rookie flub. “Come on, guys!” Coach Demerest paced the dugout. “Get that third out!”
The inning unraveled completely when Bucky’s first pitch to the next hitter somehow got Anthony all crossed up. The bulky catcher signaled for a fastball up, but then set up low. When the searing heater came in around the letters, he lunged desperately at it, but the ball sailed to the backstop. The runner from third trotted home on the passed ball as the home crowd whooped in derision. Bucky managed to swallow his jitters enough to make one more pitch, and Dan saved his hide with a dazzling over-the-shoulder catch deep in left field, but he trudged off the field with a sick feeling of failure tightening up his bones.
“It’s okay, Stone,” the coach said evenly. “We knew it was a long shot, and I appreciate you trying so hard. We can still come back.”
“Sorry, Coach,” was all the tall athlete could manage, feeling almost ill.
With Bucky being such a power hitter, the athletic director had eschewed the designated-hitter rule, leaving him free to reinsert him in his usual spot in center field for the last two innings of the game. The Panthers tried valiantly to come back, and Bucky, desperate to make amends, coaxed a walk out of the Concord pitcher in the top of the seventh. But Dan popped up and the Dragons formed an ebullient dog pile around the mound, celebrating their two-run victory. Panther teammates gave Bucky sympathetic claps on the shoulder as they trudged toward the bus. “You tried, man. It’s not your fault we didn’t hit much.”
He lay awake in bed for a long time, replaying each inning, each at-bat, each pitch that had gone awry. Especially galling was the mental mistakes – forgetting how many outs, not keeping base runners close to first base. The opposing team had stolen three bases in those first five innings, and he realized that it was mostly his own fault.
“Guess that’s the end of that experiment,” he muttered to himself, twisting around in the bedclothes to get more comfortable.
• • • • •
He was grateful for the arrival of the weekend, and a few days away from baseball. Friday evening after supper, the entire Stone family went for a short walk to the park. He’d promised to go over and see Lisa, but that wasn’t until about 8:00. Rachel Marie and he did a few lazy circles on the tiny merry - go - round and watched as the sun slowly set behind the hills. It was a spectacular sunset, with just a few clouds on the horizon.
“Do you want to pitch anymore?” Rachel Marie asked as they climbed off the merry - go - round.
Her older brother sighed theatrically. “It’s actually pretty fun. Except that I didn’t do good. I don’t think Coach will ever ask me to do it again.”
“I bet you’ll win next time, Bucky,” she said stoutly. “Don’t worry.”
“No way.” He reached over and gave her an affectionate swat on the behind. “But thank you for still being my biggest fan.”
It was a little after 8:00 before he kissed his little sister and climbed into the Toyota for the short drive to Lisa’s. “Have a good time, honey.” Mom waved as he pulled out onto Woodman Avenue.
He felt a tingle of nervous anticipation as he pulled up in front of the Nichols’ home a few minutes later. Lisa’s mom had never liked him, and hadn’t bothered to be diplomatic about the fact. But she greeted him at the door and invited him in.
“She’ll be down in a minute,” she told him, brushing away a strand of hair. The older woman had a kind of tired resignation in her face that seemed to say, “I’d be on your case, young man, but it’s just not worth the bother anymore.” She went back into the kitchen without further conversation.
A few moments later Lisa came out of the darkened hallway and into the living room. “Hey.”
Bucky grinned. “Hi.”
“Want to go out for a little while?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
She turned her head and called out, “Mom, we’re going down to the park.”
The woman didn’t answer, and Lisa gave a noncommittal shrug. “Let’s go.”
As they walked in wordless silence toward the small city park she took his hand. Traffic was light in the residential area, and they did a slow, comfortable circle around the outer perimeter of the greenbelt.
“It’s sure great having you back here,” he told her.
“Yeah.” She gave his hand a little squeeze. “I guess.”
“No guessing about it. I’m really glad.”
Sitting on one of the concrete - slab benches, they watched as a couple of stray dogs snapped at each other in the distant moonlight. “Dogs are so dumb sometimes,” he murmured.
They chatted about school for a few minutes, commiserating about the blown baseball opportunity, before she suddenly shifted around and faced him. “I’ve got to ask you something.”
“Yeah, what?”
She took a deep breath. “This is going to sound dumb. But here goes.” A moment of hesitation. “What do I have to do to . . . be a Christian? Like you.”
Bucky’s heart began to pound in his chest. What? He’d figured it might take months for Lisa to begin to realize what she needed. And here, on their very first weekend together, she was already asking. “Are you serious?”
She nodded, her dark eyes intently boring into his. “Uh huh.”
He reflected on the question. The question. It was strange that a hundred answers flooded his thinking. “Do you believe in God?”
“Yeah.” A frown. “I guess.”
“No, do you really believe in him?”
“What do you mean?”
He glanced away from her, remembering. “When I was eight, my mom had Rachel Marie. And they were just starting to let dads and even other brothers and sisters go into the delivery room.”
“And you watched it?”
“Uh huh.” He felt in awe as he recalled the event. “I saw my own sister . . . come out. I mean, her little face. And I was just, you know, a dumb kid. Eight years old. But I saw that baby face – and I knew even then, stuff like didn’t just happen. It wasn’t just dumb luck that makes a human being start growing. And then when I became a Christian, it really hit me hard: man, that’s God. All the design and planning in our world – God did all of it. Has to be.”
“Yeah.” Lisa nodded. “I never thought of that.”
He went on. “Anyway, for me it’s all a train of logic. I believe in God. And I believe he’s good, that he tells the truth. So when he says Jesus is his own son, I believe that too. That Jesus is the Father’s plan to rescue us and bring us home. And then I believe everything Jesus teaches. Everything. God is true; Jesus is true; his teachings are true. I can’t just jump off that train halfway down the track. So when I got into it, I said to myself: ‘If Jesus asks me to do things, then I do them. I don’t question it; I don’t try to find loopholes. Anything that comes from . . . my Savior, I’m gonna follow it.’” He paused again, searching her face. “I have to follow Jesus and his message all the way. It’s really as simple as that.”
She slid her hand up his arm until it was resting in the crook of his elbow. He could feel her fingers tighten as she thought about what he’d said. “Bucky, are you sure? Are you sure it’s right? What the Bible says? And following Jesus?” She swallowed hard. “I’ve got to be sure.”
The question made him quiver. “Babe . . . don’t decide because I say so.” He shook his head. “Because I’ve been a rotten Christian a lot of times.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, I have been. Anyway, being a Christian is your decision. You’ve got to think about it, and you’ve got to be the one who weighs all the evidence and then either give your life to it . . . or don’t.” The last two words came out in a pained whisper.
“But I still want to know. Inside you, Bucky, does it really work? I’ve watched you for four years, and” – she hesitated – “loved you for most of the four. So just tell me. Is it all true?”
The features in her face softened, as she looked into his eyes. “Please.”
Bucky remembered past moments when Sam and then Dan and Miss Cochran had faced this exact same crossroads. And then girls such as Deirdre and Tracy had at least had a glimpse of the life Jesus offered, and turned away. But nobody had ever meant to him what Lisa did. Sitting here in the moonlight, the weight of such a destiny in her eyes – he winced. Something inside him cried out for Lisa to choose.
“Yes, it is,” he told her, his voice husky. “It sure is. Absolutely, it’s true. It’s true and it works.”
“It’s what I want to do then.”
He felt something catch in his throat. “Are you sure?”
Lisa nodded. “Yes.”
Not knowing why, he slipped an arm around her and pulled her closer as a kind of heavenly joy flooded him.
“You know something? I’d rather . . . have you do this than to get you back. I mean it.” He looked up at the stars and actually murmured aloud: Thank you, Jesus.
She gave him a tiny smile. “How would you feel about getting both?”
A soft shuffling sound made them both look up. A tall figure was approaching in the darkness, and Bucky felt a momentary flutter of apprehension.
“Stone? Is that you?”
“Jeff?” Bucky half - rose off the concrete bench. “Man, what are you going here?”
The pitcher laughed. “Well, I was just coming through town on my way back home. So I called your house, and your mom gave me the number of . . .” He paused, turning to Lisa. “Sorry, what’s your name again?”
“Lisa.”
“Yeah. Your house. And then your mom said you guys were probably down here. Hope you don’t think I was spying or something.”
“No way.” Bucky slid over to make room, but Jeff casually parked himself on the sidewalk right next to the couple. “So what’s up?”
“Nothing, really. Except . . . well, I heard about your game with Concord. Guess they kind of roughed you up.”
“And you’re just heartbroken.” Bucky grinned despite himself. “Are you guys up by a game on us?”
“I guess. We’ve only lost the one time.”
Bucky shook his head. “Yeah, I didn’t do too well. Curve ball was a joke, I messed up a routine grounder.” He sighed. “There’s more to pitching than just throwing hard.”
His new friend hesitated. “Man, I’m really sorry.” A pause. “If you like, we could get together some time. I mean, what do I know? But I could give you some pointers.”
The younger player gaped. “You’d do that? I mean, we’re on different teams. You’re talking to the enemy right this second, Hilliard. In some countries, they could probably execute both of us just for being in the same city park on a Friday night.”
Jeff laughed. “Yeah. But look, man. You’re my brother and I still owe you. Just say the word and we’ll do it. As long as you’re not playing us, I’d love to see you throw five no-hitters in a row.”
Bucky felt a rush of gratitude for the generous offer. “Man, you’re too much. And yeah, that’d be awesome.”
In the distance, a heavy truck squealed its tires as it negotiated the sharp corner on the west end of the park. Jeff edged closer. “So the two of you were just cuddling up here before I showed up?”
“You wouldn’t believe it if I told you what we were actually doing.” Bucky was suddenly sober.
“What?”
Bucky turned to Lisa. “You tell him, babe.”
She reddened, her hand tightening in Bucky’s. “I . . . just decided to become a Christian.”
Their visitor let out a yell. “Whoa! Are you kidding?”
“No. Just about two minutes ago.” She gave a little laugh, then suddenly grew emotional. “Sorry. I’ve been crying so much lately, and now I just get all weepy over the least little thing.”
“This isn’t the least little thing.” Jeff, bubbling with enthusiasm, carne over and gave Lisa a huge hug. “Praise the Lord! That’s fantastic news.”
The trio visited another few minutes, and then began walking back out to the main sidewalk where Jeff had parked his car. “So what are you going to do now?” he asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know, you’re a Christian now. So what next?”
Lisa turned and faced the two ballplayers. “Do you know what I want to do?”
“What?” It was Bucky who asked.
“Get baptized.”
He felt a renewed sense of sheer happiness. “Babe, that’s so awesome. I can’t wait.”
“No, I mean like right now. Tonight.”
“Yes! Go for it.” Jeff pumped both fists in the air and then pounded them on the hood of his car.
“Wait a minute,” Bucky put in. “Tonight?”
“Why not?” she asked. “I want to right now.”
“I know, but . . .” It was such an odd thoug
ht he didn’t know what to say.
“Hey.” Jeff began pacing back and forth in front of his battered Ford. “Check out the book of Acts, you guys. When Philip met that Ethiopian ruler in the chariot, they had that Bible study and then he got baptized right there. Same day, man.” He flashed Lisa an ebullient grin. “I’m with you. Why wait?”
“Yeah, but . . .” Bucky hesitated. “You haven’t done any . . . Bible studying, or gone to any discipleship classes or anything.”
“So?” Still holding his hand, Lisa looked up at him. ‘I want to be what you are,” she told him simply. “You’re a Christian; I want to be one too. Starting tonight. Plus I’m going to be going to church with you each week anyway.”
“Fantastic,” Jeff murmured again.
“Yeah, but, babe . . . hang on. There’s more to committing to Jesus than just John 3:16. There’s stuff you’ve got to study through.”
“I already did.” She thrust both hands in her jacket pockets and looked up at him defiantly. “When you wore studying with Dan, I heard a whole bunch of it. And then when I moved, you gave me that extra set of Bible lessons. Remember?”
Bucky had forgotten that part. “So?”
“So when I got to Seattle, I went through every single one of them.”
“Lisa . . .”
“And I know it’s all true.” She looked at Jeff and then back to Bucky. “I want to be baptized.”
Chapter Eleven: The Best Baptism
“What’s this about, Bucky?”
He grinned to himself. “I really can’t tell you. But it’s kind of a good emergency. Can you meet us over at the church?”
A pause on the other end of the line. “Well, I can guarantee you I’m not wearing my best suit at the moment.” Pastor Jensen’s sense of humor still showed through even at 10:00 on a Friday night. “But if you want me to come, I’ll come.”
“You won’t be sorry,” Bucky promised him. “We’ll see you there in a few minutes.”
He hit the off button and glanced over at Jeff. “You’re comin’ too, right?”
Bucky Stone: The Complete Adventure (Volumes 1-10) Page 100
