Po
Boy Views
By
Phil
LaMancusa
Yes, we’re in the thick of baseball season. Baseball
described by Brazilian friends as the “hit the boll with a stick run around in
a circle” game that is near and dear to the heart of any red blooded American
who believes in apple pie, Mom, the NRA and people pulling themselves up by
their bootstraps (even those with no boots).
Okay, here we are in the World Serious--game seven-- each
team has won three and this one is for the whole enchilada. The Chicano Red Sox
are playing the New York Wankers for the title of ‘World Champion. It’s a cool,
clear day in the Wankers’ stadium, the fans sit half-dozing in their seats,
women in tight dresses and men with powerful thirsts and a taste for tubes of
mystery meat wrapped in bread garnished with a spiced yellow substance which we
thought was mustard, but wa snot.
The score is tied at nothing to zero in the bottom of the
ninth and if this game goes into extra innings the crowd will surely riot. To
pay good money for this much boredom is close enough to criminal to warrant at
least one arrest. The air smells of stale beer, cooked swine, sun tan oil and
pot. Runners at first and third and this year for the first time each team has
brought picnic lunches and barbecue grills. The Wankers are holding their
annual carwash in center field complete with women in skimpy swimsuits. The Sox
not to be outdone are passing around shots of tequila and funny cigarettes.
Up at bat is the Wankers’ Lefty Miller who is batting
right handed since being hit by a fly ball in the sixth inning while waving at
the crowd and still making a spectacular catch with his cap. He eyes the
pitcher warily sensing a real showdown. The pitcher Willie Mantle is answering
a text from home plate while the catcher counts to five four times with his
left hand signaling Willie’s famous twenty second slow ball which can be swung
at three times before passing the plate effectively banishing another batter to
the dugout bullpen walking slow and singing sad.
Lefty steps up to the plate, swings a few times for
practice, spits, grabs his crotch and hits his shoe with the bat before
crossing himself and looking up to heaven for the Lord’s sanction. Willie grabs
his crotch and spits, looking to the first baseman who spits and then grabs his
crotch, the runner on first spits twice and grabs his crotch with both hands;
soon both teams are spitting and grabbing crotches (theirs and those of their
teammates); the umpires call a time out to gather and lecture both team’s crotches…
er….coaches who are eating sunflower
seeds and spitting the seeds out and scratching the backs of their necks. Soon
the umpires are scratching their necks and chewing tobacco because they don’t
have any sunflower seeds, but still feel the need to spit something to stay
part of the game in solidarity.
The play continues and the ball is thrown. Swung on and
missed, strike one; a snore goes up from the crowd. The catcher returns the
ball and Willie throws again,. Close and inside and Lefty puts one high on the outside over
right field, the right fielder picks the ball on the bounce stops to take a
selfie , throws to home and the runner is picked off at the plate after a ten
yard slide, the call is ‘out’ and the score remains tied, nada nada. After
snuffing out the runner from third the catcher tweets his prowess to the
multitude of his followers. Lefty holds on at first and instagrams his arrival
with a pose with the first base coach who slaps him on the ass and high fives
are passed around.
The score is still zip to zilch at the top of the ninth
with runners on first and second, two outs and up to the plate comes Pee Wee
Romano the Chicano short stop, who walks to the plate slips under the ump’s arm
and steps on the catchers foot. He swings two bats and throws one over his
shoulder, hisses under his breath and shoots a dirty look at the pitcher who is
on his cell phone and with his back turned tosses the ball which Pee Wee bunts,
slides to first, trips the first baseman and the bases are loaded. The crowd wakes
up. And as if you cannot guess what happens now, Mighty Casey comes to bat.
Wearing headphones.
The time is now the place is here, folks; top of the
ninth bases loaded and so is Casey. The pitcher throws one at his head and the
call is ‘ball one’. Next pitch is a screaming fast ball that catches Casey
unawares and : Steeeerike One!!!” two pitches follow quickly, aimed at his knees and feet, and the call stands at three balls
and one strike. The women are throwing their panties into the infield and the
men are calling their mistresses.
Mighty Casey points his bat over center field to indicate
where his next homer is going to land and Willie takes a wad of spit from under
his cap and greases the ball, the coach rubs his stomach, picks his nose and
pulls at his belt. The catcher is signaling in sign language and the pitch is
thrown. Casey, Mighty Casey, Huge, mean, powerful, godlike Casey swings his
mighty bat …………..and misses. Men cry, women faint, children pick pockets and
snatch purses
This
is the moment of truth; bases are loaded, full count to the batter, the best
batter the league has ever seen and the pitcher winds up; but before the pitch
is thrown the skies open up and it starts to pour rain and the game is called at
nil to nothing. Tune in tomorrow..
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