Curveball Page 6

  Coach offered some words of encouragement before they got off the bus, but most of the players were shocked by the sudden ending to what had been a great run.

  Miguel stood up.

  “Team party Friday night in the back room at El Torito,” he said. “We had hoped it would be a championship celebration, but we can still be proud. You can invite one guest apiece.” A small smile brightened his face. “Hopefully a few of us will invite girls. If you don’t have any friends, tough luck. Just get there yourself.”

  Miguel swallowed hard, choking back a tear. “My aunt and uncle are providing food and soda, and my parents are buying pizzas from Villa Roma. Anybody who doesn’t like Mexican food or pizza can bring a peanut-butter sandwich, I guess. And if your parents want to send some cookies or brownies, that’d be great, too.”

  Spencer started to clap, and a few others joined in. “Great season,” Spencer said. “I mean it.”

  “Great team,” added David. “I wouldn’t trade you guys for anything.”

  Eddie nodded, but he couldn’t speak. The feeling of that final line drive was embedded in him now. He kept reliving it—the surge of energy and joy as the bat met the ball, feeling so solid and certain to bring one run home if not two. The lightning-quick end to all of those good emotions as the ball went straight into the fielder’s mitt.

  The disappointment on his teammates’ faces. The knowledge that the difference between a win and a loss had been tiny.

  When Eddie entered the cafeteria the following day for lunch, he was surprised to find small stacks of papers on each table. It was a one-page edition of the school newspaper.

  Jared and Willie were eating their lunch and reading the paper. Eddie sat down to join them.

  HORNET HIGHLIGHTS

  SPECIAL EDITION

  FRIDAY, MAY 26

  LIBERTY OUSTS HC FROM PLAYOFFS

  INSPIRING SEASON ENDS

  WITH ONE-RUN LOSS

  By Calvin Tait, Sports Editor

  JERSEY CITY—A terrific season-ending run came to a heartbreaking end for the Hudson City seventh-grade baseball team Thursday. Top-seeded Liberty Junior High School edged the Hornets, 4–3, in the first round of the East Hudson League playoffs.

  Hudson City had overcome the adversity of a four-game losing streak to start the season, winning eight of its final ten games before Thursday’s loss. The Hornets deserve a lot of credit for keeping their heads up during the dark days of early April and rebounding with a great stretch of baseball.

  “Liberty’s good,” team leader Spencer Lewis stated in an e-mail message Thursday night. “They beat us twice in the past week, so I guess they deserve to be playing for the title. It’s painful for us, but what can you do?”

  Liberty will host second-seeded Union City in the championship game this afternoon.

  David Choi pitched a solid game for the Hornets Thursday, taking the loss despite yielding just three hits in five innings.

  “Liberty is a hard team to get out,” Choi said Thursday evening, also via e-mail. “They’re patient, so they draw a lot of walks, and they make the most of every base runner. I think we showed that we’re a great team, too. It could have gone either way.”

  Lamont Wilkins had a towering home run for the Hornets to spark a fourth-inning rally. Jared Owen and Eddie Ventura also scored as the Hornets briefly took the lead.

  HORNET HAMMERINGS: Jimmy Fleming pitched one shutout inning in relief Thursday…. Choi struck out six hitters, but he also struck out twice himself…. Special thanks to quiet first baseman Ventura, who provided invaluable insights for our baseball coverage this season!

  “Not a bad article,” said Miguel, who was reading over Eddie’s shoulder. “He didn’t mention my double, but it’s a pretty good wrap-up on the season.”

  “He revealed me as the source!” Eddie said.

  “You weren’t fooling anybody anymore,” said Willie.

  “Guess not.”

  “I guess I ought to invite Calvin to the team party,” Miguel said. He turned to Eddie and squinted a little, nodding. “I mean, the coverage of the team was pretty good this season.”

  Eddie shrugged. He’d take that as a compliment. Why continue to hide behind an illusion? He could play baseball and he could write articles. And anyone who wanted to judge either performance was welcome to do so. He was proud of what he’d done—on the field and in print.

  As he walked down the hallway toward his next class, Eddie became aware of a familiar voice in his head. He hadn’t heard it for a while, and he’d missed it. That voice was a big part of who he was.

  All in all, it’s been a pretty good year for this kid Ventura, the voice was saying. We’re expecting big things in coming seasons. Be sure to stay tuned for more.