Gambel's Last AB

“It’s all tied up bottom of the ninth, two outs, and full count. It all rides on this pitch,” the radio commentator exclaimed. If they weren’t at the game, every student was tuned into the radio cast. Pete Gambel is up to bat, the whole season is on his shoulders, but there was one thing his team did not know.

It was June of Pete’s graduating year, and he had worked hard all year up to this point. He had just finished his senior project and now he had officially mentally checked out of school. Pete was on the baseball team at his high school, and the long regular season was over and the stressful postseason has begun. Pete had practice just about everyday unless it was game day. Pete enjoyed going to practice. It kept him bust and kept him clean. When Pete wasn’t playing baseball he was either at one of the many California beaches working on his body-surfing or relaxing with his sweetheart, Daisy Rinehart.

Daisy was the perfect girl. She was on honor roll every single quarter of her high school life. She also was the captain of the 2007 ladies soccer sectional championship team. Pete always told her that her intelligence combined with her supreme soccer skill would land her a scholarship. Pete’s envious predictions proved correct, this past December Daisy was offered a full ride scholarship to the University of California Los Angeles which she plans on attending this upcoming fall. Pete also planned on attending UCLA, he was offered a scholarship but not to the extent of which his girl friend was. Pete excelled in the classroom when he put the work in, but his last two years he was relatively lazy passing classes with a c plus or a b minus when he definitely could have aced them. His very impressive score of a 1520 on the SAT and his athletic ability landed him a half-tuition scholarship. Pete planned on living at home while Daisy wanted to live on campus. The two never discussed their relationship past high school. They were nervous and did not know what to expect.

San Modesto High was always competitive in sports especially baseball and soccer, Pete and Daisy’s sports respectively. San Modesto High’s baseball team has made the championship game 7 out of the last 11 years. They are prestigious for putting players in to top tier division one baseball colleges.

The week before the sectional championship series was upon the team and Coach Buckwalter had one more ‘hell day’ in store for the team. A ‘hell day’ is a day of practice when the coaches run the athletes to the verge of puking. The players were instructed by Buckwalter to “bring shorts, running shoes and water and meet me at the track.” They started out light with a mile jog after stretching. Then the hell really began. Buckwalter signaled the team to the start line for sprints. It is here the team would stay for the remaining hour and a half. After an hour in some kids had puked and were recovering off to the side. The remaining players were on the line waiting for the dreadful screech of the whistle. Every break was met with endless complaints from the athletes, none of the complaints were every muttered from Pete’s mouth. That is because he enjoyed the painful running more than he enjoyed going home everyday.

Going back home was a chore to Peter. He hated having to go home to his alcoholic mother. Pete would come in the door everyday to see his intoxicated mother lying on the coach with an empty bottle in front of her. She would mutter “Can you make your sister dinner tonight?” Only this was met with a grunt of approval from Pete. Pete’s mother Dianne wasn’t always like this. Pete could recall the days he was happy to come home to his mother. She would ask him about his day and offer to help with his homework, the typical mom stuff. She taught Pete all he knew about baseball; she was a star softball player in high school. She holds three high-school records for most hits, most steals and the only player to ever be named a captain as a sophomore. That has all changed now, ever since she lost her job due to a huge out-sourcing of jobs. Pete’s little sister, Katie, never met her father and Pete only lived with him until he was 8, the time his sister was born, and his father ran off. Even though Pete lived with his father, he never really had a relationship with him. His father was always too busy with work or out of the house with late-nights. Pete didn’t understand it then but he does now. That made Pete angry his old thoughts of wanting his father turned into hate when he made this realization. Dianne never mentioned his father as she too has built up hate for him.

Katie was 9 now and she played softball. Katie learned everything from Pete; he would take her in the back yard and play catch of throw her balls to hit. Pete enjoyed taking care of his sister they had a very good relationship. Pete would help her with her homework if she needed it and make her dinner every night, sometimes making extra for Daisy when she would come over. Without a father, Pete felt an obligation to take care of his sister.

The championship series was here and Pete was amped up to play. He brought his sister to every game so she could sit in the stands and watch. The first game was a blow-out and The San Modesto Titans lost horribly to the Winchester Knights, 14-1. Pete wanted to forget this game as soon as possible and the only way to do that was to start the next game. The next game came 48 hours after that tremendous lose and the Titans were ticked off from the last game. They were going to use that to fuel their intensity in today’s game. Pete had a spectacular game going 3 for 4 with single, double and a triple. He scored three times and batted in 6 runs. San Modesto took an early 4 run lead only to see it diminish to 1 going into the last inning. The coach brought in Pete to try for the save. Pete hasn’t pitched in a real game since last year; he threw batting practice every now and then and pitched in two scrimmages this year. After the game when questioned about this decision Buckwalter answered with a “I thought he was the best option mentally he is the strongest kid on the team and I am glad to have chosen him.”

After the game Peter took his sister out to celebrate. He picked her up out of his old dodge caravan and was carrying her to the booth inside at his favorite ice cream parlor, Zingers. “You’re getting big,” he muttered as he placed Katie down next to him. Katie ran ahead of him to go hop on the concrete parking stump. She was hopping from stump to stump and Peter was just about to call her in when she took one last hop-she missed the landing rolled her ankle and fell on her arm. Katie’s wrist bent back and her ankle rolled over. Katie was tough for a 9 year old as she tried to hold back the whimpers. Pete knew she had at least sprained her ankle and that she needed to see a doctor, but when Dianne lost her job, she lost her health insurance and Pete couldn’t afford to go to the hospital. Pete placed Katie into the seat and buckled her seat belt, ran into Zingers, and grabbed Katie a cone. On his way out his old buddy Steve was coming in. Steve was a compulsive gambler and he at the age of 17 had already lost over $10,000. Pete became curious and asked Steve what the odds of the final game were. Steve replied, “7 to 11.” “Thanks,” Pete replied. Another thought ran through Pete’s head, he could get some extra money for Katie by betting on the game. He asked Steve if he could place a bet through him and when Steve confirmed, he asked what team he would like to bet on. Pete figuring that he could win the most money by betting against his team, did. He placed a $150 bet on the Knights.

Pete stepped out of the batter’s box; nervous sweat ran down his face and dripped off his nose as he looked at his clapping, encouraging coach. Thought’s of what was right ran through his filled brain. Pete’s conscience kept re-asking, “Should I take the pitch and strike out, or should I swing and try and win it for my team and friends.” The pitched wound up and began to throw. Pete shaking, gripped his bat. The ball was on its way. Pete didn’t flinch. POP, the ball hit the catcher’s mitt. “Strike 3” shouted the umpire. The game was over.

It was a good thing that the school year had already ended for Pete. His core of friends, fellow members of the baseball team, found out about his bet. After some threats of kicking his ass, they just left. Left him with no friends. His girlfriend sympathized with him and took a great deal of stuff from her group of friends, but they eventually let it pass. Pete’s sister got the care she needed and she was back on the softball diamond quicker than the doctors expected. Pete has trouble living with his decision but it appears that he doesn’t regret his decision. He just wishes he hadn’t had to make that decision.