for someone to help with the equipment and watch the score during a game. We would call you a manager. Whatta’ think ‘bout that.”
Averell was smart enough to know that the coach was right, he was a terrible player. He also knew that the coaches wanted Jimmy to play and be happy and since Averell was his friend, that was why Averell was offered the job. He knew from the beginning that he was not going to be on the team but he wanted to be part of the group. His hope was that he might be put on as the last man, more as ballast than player. So when the coaches offered him the manager’s spot, he was thrilled. He could be part of a team, he would be one of the guys, he would fit in, he was ecstatic. All that Averell had to do now was convince Ellie that he should be allowed to be involved with the team. When he got home and asked Ellie, she did not ask what he would be doing, she didn’t care if he was a player, a manager or even a cheerleader, all she thought about was that it was another way to keep Averell out of her hair and she approved. Averell, again sensed that her approval was more to benefit her than him, but he didn’t care, he ran out of the house and over to Jimmy’s to tell him that he was going to be with the team, as the equipment manager.
Jimmy was surprised that anybody would so excited at being in that slot, but it meant that Averell was going to be involved and would be together as friends should be. He gave Averell his first high five, and they laughed as they practiced a few variations that could be used when somebody scored a run or got a hit. The smile lasted on Averell’s face until he fell asleep that night.
As the practice sessions passed, Averell proved to be good at his task. He kept things in order, fully accounted for all the equipment and was treated like one of the guys. The coach showed him how the score book was kept and allowed Averell to try it out during the three scrimmages that preceded the regular scheduled games. During those games he kept track of the scoring, at bats, hits, runs and errors. He also learned how to track the action on the field and enter it in the book.
“Averell, nice job. The book looks pretty good, we have our first league game on Tuesday, why don’t you stay next to me during the game and keep the book. Before the game we have to set the line-up and figure who will come in for the pitcher in the fifth inning. So you will call the names of the guys, who’s up, who’s on deck and who is in the hole. You’ll keep track of the hits, runs and the errors. Are you okay with that?”
Averell was in his glory, he liked calling the batting order at the beginning of each inning and keeping the guys on deck and in the hole during the innings. Even better was giving high fives as the guys came off the field. He was given a task and he did it well, the coaches were happy with his work and Jimmy was proud to see his friend shine. The baseball season at that age is very short and ended when the school year ended. Jimmy and most of the other boys played in a community league over the summer. Those teams were overloaded with kids who wanted to play. most were not good enough to make the school teams, but they were all better than Averell and he did not stand a chance of playing on one of the teams in that league either. He would have been happy to be an equipment manager on Jimmy’s team, but the coach of that team had a daughter who enjoyed being around the boys and had the job the year before. Averell was relegated to the role of spectator. After the community league had run its course, Jimmy went away to a sports camp for two weeks in Olean, New York and Averell stayed at home.
* * *
CHAPTER SIX
It tasted terrible, stringy and tough . . .
It was July, his friends were all involved
Averell was smart enough to know that the coach was right, he was a terrible player. He also knew that the coaches wanted Jimmy to play and be happy and since Averell was his friend, that was why Averell was offered the job. He knew from the beginning that he was not going to be on the team but he wanted to be part of the group. His hope was that he might be put on as the last man, more as ballast than player. So when the coaches offered him the manager’s spot, he was thrilled. He could be part of a team, he would be one of the guys, he would fit in, he was ecstatic. All that Averell had to do now was convince Ellie that he should be allowed to be involved with the team. When he got home and asked Ellie, she did not ask what he would be doing, she didn’t care if he was a player, a manager or even a cheerleader, all she thought about was that it was another way to keep Averell out of her hair and she approved. Averell, again sensed that her approval was more to benefit her than him, but he didn’t care, he ran out of the house and over to Jimmy’s to tell him that he was going to be with the team, as the equipment manager.
Jimmy was surprised that anybody would so excited at being in that slot, but it meant that Averell was going to be involved and would be together as friends should be. He gave Averell his first high five, and they laughed as they practiced a few variations that could be used when somebody scored a run or got a hit. The smile lasted on Averell’s face until he fell asleep that night.
As the practice sessions passed, Averell proved to be good at his task. He kept things in order, fully accounted for all the equipment and was treated like one of the guys. The coach showed him how the score book was kept and allowed Averell to try it out during the three scrimmages that preceded the regular scheduled games. During those games he kept track of the scoring, at bats, hits, runs and errors. He also learned how to track the action on the field and enter it in the book.
“Averell, nice job. The book looks pretty good, we have our first league game on Tuesday, why don’t you stay next to me during the game and keep the book. Before the game we have to set the line-up and figure who will come in for the pitcher in the fifth inning. So you will call the names of the guys, who’s up, who’s on deck and who is in the hole. You’ll keep track of the hits, runs and the errors. Are you okay with that?”
Averell was in his glory, he liked calling the batting order at the beginning of each inning and keeping the guys on deck and in the hole during the innings. Even better was giving high fives as the guys came off the field. He was given a task and he did it well, the coaches were happy with his work and Jimmy was proud to see his friend shine. The baseball season at that age is very short and ended when the school year ended. Jimmy and most of the other boys played in a community league over the summer. Those teams were overloaded with kids who wanted to play. most were not good enough to make the school teams, but they were all better than Averell and he did not stand a chance of playing on one of the teams in that league either. He would have been happy to be an equipment manager on Jimmy’s team, but the coach of that team had a daughter who enjoyed being around the boys and had the job the year before. Averell was relegated to the role of spectator. After the community league had run its course, Jimmy went away to a sports camp for two weeks in Olean, New York and Averell stayed at home.
* * *
CHAPTER SIX
It tasted terrible, stringy and tough . . .
It was July, his friends were all involved
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