They have not yet played a game, and they are still being evaluated for positions. When Coach Shumate asks if anyone can pitch, the boy volunteers. He is picked to try out third, so he stays at shortstop while Mike Davila and Mike Sheehan each take turns pitching to a couple of hitters. Davila isContinue reading “The Natural”
Category Archives: Stories from Childhood
Hello, Dolly
They play it indoors using a small wooden bat and a wrist band as the ball, and they call it wrist band baseball. They used to play it in the living room when they lived in San Antonio. If you hit the wrist band into the lowest basket of the hanging fruit basket, you gotContinue reading “Hello, Dolly”
Maximum John
The boy is dressed in a suit and is sitting in the passenger seat of Dad’s gray Chevy Citation. They are heading to the north side of San Antonio for the award hearing in a lawsuit against the government. His parents have let the boy out of school for a half day to accompany Dad.Continue reading “Maximum John”
Ain’t No One to Give You No Pain
They have been on the road for probably seven hours and spent another hour and a half at stops for lunch, the bathroom, and changing drivers. It’s dark now, and they are northwest of Albuquerque. They started from their home in Corpus Christi two days ago, and they plan to stay in Utah for aContinue reading “Ain’t No One to Give You No Pain”
Secret Weapon
The boy and Stephen are in their first year of Little League Baseball. They each have been given two cardboard boxes of chocolates to sell as a fundraiser. They have also been coached on all the fine points of selling the bars–the Pizza Hut coupon printed on the wrapper around the bar, the options ofContinue reading “Secret Weapon”
The Russians Are Coming
They are on the swings together at the park up the street, Stephen in the left swing and the boy in the right swing. “MiGs at two o’clock!” the boy yells. “Break right?” They swing higher and harder. “You got one coming around on you, Ice,” says Stephen. “Can you get him, Mav?” says theContinue reading “The Russians Are Coming”
The Primary Program
The boy has the biggest part of any kid in the primary sacrament meeting program. The primary president gives him the script weeks ahead of time, and he spends hours each week memorizing his lines and learning his cues. They have two Sundays of rehearsals, and he delivers all of his dialogue without looking atContinue reading “The Primary Program”
Fifteen Bucks for a Joy Ride
They have retrieved Peanut again from one of his neighborhood escapades, covered his new hole with a rock, and come back inside. It’s dusk on a warm, humid evening. Their mother is playing Super Mario Brothers. After Kevin showed her on his system, he gave her a turn, and she took them out that dayContinue reading “Fifteen Bucks for a Joy Ride”
The Boy’s Cat
When the boy was nine, he noticed a large black cat in their Leon Valley neighborhood. It dominated other cats. Sometimes, he would hear intense whining or crying and see the black cat on top of another cat, pinning it in place with his fangs embedded in the other cat’s neck. Once, he saw boysContinue reading “The Boy’s Cat”
Peanut
Their mother parks the minivan in front of a drab building in downtown Corpus Christi. “All right, everyone out. You have to come in and help decide.” “Decide what?” Ruthanne says. “This is animal control. We’re going to see if we can find a new dog.” “Really?!” they all yell. They have two cats. TheyContinue reading “Peanut”
The Living and the Dead, by Gordon Laws 