The Las Vegas Hustlers were losing to the Charm City Jimmies by a score or 9-4 in the sixth inning with one out when manager Henry Rectenberg went out to the mound and signaled for a right-hander from the bullpen. A routine pitching change in most games for sure, but this was not a routine pitching change at all.
In from the bullpen dashed a 6'2'", 200 pound pitcher. His slightly graying hair protruded slightly from his Hustlers road ballcap as he began to break into a sprint towards the mound. Arriving at the pitching mound, breathing heavily, he was handed the ball by Rectenberg. "Go get 'em, Ash," said Rectenberg. "This is what you've been waiting for. Make it count."
The righty took the ball, and began his warmups to Claudio Morgan. A fastball, touching 95 mph, then 97 mph. A curveball breaks and touches the outside of the zone. Then, with a motion indicating another fastball, comes a perfect changeup right down main street. "Guy was bringing it," said Morgan. "There was some electricity in his warmups, for sure."
As Morgan took his final fastball and fired it down to Stewart Turton at second base, he kneeled down and collected his thoughts. All of the sweat and tears, long bus rides all across the towns of the minor leagues, it had all led to this. "Let's go," said the righty.
First batter: Dave Ackerman. Plenty of power here, he thought to himself. Strike one and strike two on the first two pitches. Then Ackerman hits one on a line to left field, where Kidane Ata is perfectly positioned and makes the second out of the inning. Next up is Kazunari Chikifuji, who pops up the first offering to short right field, and Hustlers' first baseman Helmut Grun makes the catch and the side is retired.
- player_38154.png (18.8 KiB) Viewed 587 times
