It Was A Babe Ruth Game

It Was A Babe Ruth Game

Copyright Catcher78 all rights reserved

Author's notes: This is a true story, a vignette I guess it can be called. There is no sex in it at all, underage or above. It's a simple story about a dangerous man walking amidst families at a ball game.

I own this story and it cannot be copied, published or messed with without my expressed written permission.

We lived three blocks to the North from Howe field, which was located on Second West and Blaine. After church we would have a sandwich and read the funnies, I'd started when I was three or so. But in the spring baseball was the deal.

Howe field was built during the depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Home plate was in the Southwest corner of the field. It was a two story concrete edifice that rose above home plate protected by a "turtle-screen" of two inch square eighth inch thick steel. The turtle had two purposes, it protected parents from foul balls and nominally nearby homes from foul balls breaking windows in their homes as well as broken windshields.

The game was a huge deal in the community atop the six hundred foot tall hill that rises from the shores of Puget Sound. If it is possible to be isolated in a city of five hundred and twenty five thousand people it described Queen Anne Hill in 1959.

Billy Benedict the oldest son of Bill and Elaine Benedict was fifteen that summer. He had survived a battle with polio prior to the vaccination's creation, his entire left side atrophied as he left the old Children's Orthopedic Hospital with his head pulled over laying on his right shoulder as his neck had no strength on the left side of his neck nor his left arm which hung and his left leg drug by his right leg. Elaine had slumped forward onto her face having passed out, since Billy had been quarantined for fear of other's catching polio from the seven year old boy.

They had just bought a home on the hill when Billy was afflicted one house to the north of the intersection of second avenue west and Boston street. Big Bill could not keep a job to save his soul. He was a decorated war hero from World War II, a B-24 pilot who had been shot down near Trieste in February of 1945 who broke his back.

Although his back was broken, he walked one thousand miles eastward towards Bucharest, Romania through Croatia, a puppet state of Nazi Germany.

Elaine getting the telegram from the War Department which stated that her husband had been shot down and presumed dead, concluded he was dead and quickly married another man and had two children over nineteen months, only to discover her first husband was still alive. Number two with the help of some money from his rich parents had the marriage annulled on the condition of her soon to be ex-mother in law would get the children took the deal.

The treatment of Billy some six years after Elaine's folly proceeded her and both of Billy's grandmothers treating him with an Australian nun's, (Sister Elizabeth Kenny) that involved hot water bottles and physical manipulation in one hour on one hour off to the point that Billy silently wept through the day.

Billy tried out for little league and although he was painfully slow at the age twelve, he was five foot eight inches tall and Lord could he hit. Getting to first base being slow afoot soon disappeared as an issue as ground rule doubles, home runs became regular parts of his games. He had been the last pick for the Lion's Club team whose manager Bud Wise was Big Bill's drinking buddy.

Bill made the all star team. The Queen Anne Team advanced to the final's in the city wide tournament and despite Billy going four for four with two home runs the Queen Anne team fell fifteen to twelve.

Bud had alerted both the Seattle Times and Seattle Post Intelligencer of Billy's story. The Times an afternoon daily, ran the story on page one of its sports page. The PI a morning daily ran with it on the front page with a photo of Billy striking a ball that was a home run. Between Elaine, Hazel and Lola (two grandmothers) one hundred copies were bought from the PI located on fourth avenue and just off Denny, which cost ten dollars.

By the time that Sunday afternoon Bill and Elaine were in their Sunday church finery. All the husband's wore fedoras, pork pie hats were the most popular. Before the game Bill would stand out across the street with Edsel Godsey smoking and drinking Edsel's home made Aquavit a clear licorice tasting one hundred proof throat burning joy. Edsel's wife was Norwegian, her family immigrated in 1939 as World War loomed. Their son Steffen Godsey was a blond speed burner and was a year younger than Billy and they were fast friends. Billy made friends wherever he went.

On the other hand there was Lee his brother. He was twelve and caused his sixth grade teacher to suffer what was caused a nervous breakdown and had set a Coe School record for getting swats from the sadist/perv principal Ernie Bartol every day during his fifth and sixth grade year. Lee had Osgood's Schlatter an excruciating painful knee problem from growing to fast. Lee had also torn up his knee sliding into home plate catching the same knee on a protruding nail. The tetanus shots had strained the family budget.

Teddy was five, the accident that came from a reconciliation between Bill and Elaine, Bill finally getting back at Elaine. Teddy worshipped Billy and stayed away from Lee who regularly beat the shit out of the five year old, unless Billy was there to protect him. Teddy was shy, quiet and smart, who would at the age of five walk up Friday nights to spend the night at Lola's, who as cooks go could make dirt taste good.

Elaine routinely cooked rubbery un cooked bacon that caused Teddy to give it to the dog under the table, when nobody was looking.

Being caught doing that was a beatable offense. Teddy worried about sickening the older border collie too.

This was the third year that Billie had played for the Cardinals and they were playing the hated Hawks who the Cardinals had lost the previous five games to over three seasons. Billy had not been picked by the Hawks as a thirteen year old due to his lack of speed. The Queen Anne Babe Ruth Association created a second team and Billy was a Cardinal.

By the time of the game that day Billy at fifteen and 1/2 years old was now a man child He was six foot two inches and weighed two hundred and thirty pounds who could dunk a basketball with both hands. The Hawks needed a victory to win the city wide league.

There were ropes strung from the end of both dugouts all the way to the fence to keep attending family and baseball fans off the field. There was a red and white truck selling popcorn, peanuts, hot dogs, pop, and ice cream bars.

Tim Donoghue was the regular beat cop for Queen Anne hill, who normally covered the hill on his motorcycle an ancient Harley Davidson. Today he was wearing his heavy blue uniform with the double breasted wool coat with the twelve buttons down the right side of the coat. Tim was an easy six foot six and two fifty pounds.

Tim was a friendly man, whose eyes were steeled at Normandy beach and his ruddy face told the story of his love of Whisky. He knew Big Bill from reserve duty at Ft. Lawton. They had several pops at Edsel Godsey's car. He knew Bill had an explosive violent temper when people fucked up.

The Hawks were confident. They had a late birthday tall left hander Mike Budinich who had played junior varsity for the Queen Anne Grizzlies, along with Billy who was the only freshman playing for Coach Mel Waite the Marine Corps veteran who was wounded at Iwo Jima.

The Hawks were home team and the Cardinals led the game off. Steve Godsey, lined a single between the short stop and third baseman. Steve Hopps the junk balling five foot four inch fifteen year old who went on to be an NCAA All American doubles tennis player sacrificed Steve to second base. One out.

Third baseman Alden Giss son of Elaine's friend Peggy Giss on an oh and two count hit a gork off the handle just beyond the reach of diving third baseman Pat O'Rourke. Steve Godsey had to hold close at second, in case the ball was caught, immediately raced to third base.

It was first and third with one out as Billy strode to the plate wearing a gray flannel uniform lined with red piping round the collar and down the front of the shirt, the red jersey visible down the arms worn underneath the uniform shirt. Calling time out to the plate ump, Billy scratched out the back line of the chalk on the batter's box with his cleats, stepped back out cracked his neck both ways and swung the thirty four inch Louisville slugger model used by his Uncle Les Moss who was in his thirteenth year playing it out with the White Sox as a back up catcher with some pop.

Billy was in the box now twirling the bat then bringing it back to load just as Budinich arm was firing the first pitch. It was a chest high fastball inside by six inches. Bill stepped back and smacked the cleats of his right foot and looked at the catcher a late birthday guy named George Vanni who also played for the Grizzlies. Billy did not like him.

He shrugged his shoulders and was back in the batter's box. Budinich tried to quick pitch him and threw a thigh high fastball middle away.

The crack of the bat caused spectators down both lines to surge toward the field as the ball soared over the fence in right center landing in the yard of a house across first west. Bill's best friend Chuck Dagg, playing center field for the Hawks saw the ball clear the fence. Billy rounded the bases with his head down to touch home plate.

Improbably the underdog Cardinals had surged to a lead, playing their guts out. Big Bill and Elaine were hugging and Elaine was crying.

The umpires had to push the spectators back off the field down the lines as the buzz was palpable. For two innings, Steve Hopps dipped and doodled with a twelve six curve ball that would almost reach the plate, causing batters to front foot the ball and weakly dribble a ground ball back to him or to Alden Giss at second base, Steve Nilles at third base or Steve Godsey at short stop.

Top of the third saw Billy walk on four pitches and Budinich got a double play immediately and then a flyball out.

As the teams exchanged there was some yelling and Big Bill stood up and looked over the back of the stands. Across the street some fat man was slapping the shit out of Lee.

Resembling a lowland gorilla, Big Bill was down the stairs out of the stands across the street and it was Bruno Vanni the father of George Vanni, brother of Seattle baseball legend Edo Vanni who was beating the shit out of Lee blood streaming from Lee's nose.

Bruno was amazed when he was repeatedly slammed face first into the side of the house he had been standing next to, which caused him to release Lee from his grasp who ran from the spot knowing there would be hell to pay sooner or later. Bill was now back handing Bruno's face who appeared to be out on his feet.

Bill felt a sharp poke in his ribs. It was Officer Donoghue. "That's enough Bill let go of him."

Bruno slumped against the house and pointed at Big Bill and said, "Keep that little bastard away from Pammy," he said pointing at the dark haired girl standing a few feet away in pig tails and a parochial school skirt and white blouse clearly without a bra and a smirk on her face.

"He was kissing Pammy, "Bruno was angry now, at both his daughter, Lee and big Bill.

Bill said, "Bruno, she's two years older than Lee for God's sake, that cow's out of the barn. Tie a leash on her. Lots of boys have kissed her. Don't blame my son, but if you ever touch him again, I'll kill you."

By the time Bill got back to the stands the Hawks were ahead six to three. Elaine was furious with her husband for leaving and hissed at him, "Where the hell did you go?"

He shook his head and quietly said, "Lee."

She deflated.

Bill walked again in the fifth but it amounted to nothing.

Stevie Hopps danced through a hurricane through the next three innings without getting wet as the score held at six to three Hawks.

Ken Moultrie, thirteen year old center fielder batting ninth for the Cardinals having struck out twice before, did not appear to be a threat against Budinich who was the better part of four years older than him. Baseball being what it is, saw Budinich's fastball come whistling back at his head and past into centerfield. A murmur of hope was heard.

Steve Godsey walked on four pitches. First and second.

Next up Stevie Hopps on a three and two count whiffed on a chest high fastball.

One out.

Alden Giss on a three one count walked on a pitch in the dirt.

Billy walked back to talk to Woodie O'Rourke his coach in the third base box. "Get a pitch, take a deep breath now," patting Billy on the shoulder."

For Billy he had seen what had happened to Lee from the dugout and despite how irritating Lee could be, he was family. Seeing George Vanni behind the plate saw an ice cold rage take over Billy. The plate umpire came from behind Vanni to dust off the plate. When he turned to return, Billy spat a loogy on Vanni's chest protector, then stared at Vanni in the face who was five foot nine to Billy's six foot two.

Georgie was full of his own rage now, a hot rage. When he signaled in the pitch, twice Budinich shook him off.

Billy got his pitch a fastball down the middle of the plate from a tired out pitcher. As Woodie had told him to take a deep breath he had done so and he got it all.

The sound of a fastball being struck perfectly is surprisingly not as loud as a line drive because it generates back spin.

The ball was a moon shot way up in the air that soared over the fence in left center field above the four hundred and four foot sign to strike the recreation center some forty feet beyond on it's roof.

Seven to six Cardinals. Nobody else got on.

Five foot four inch Stevie Hoops slowly trudged from the dugout to the bump. He turned around and Billy was there. "Okay now big fellow, I want you to really focus on location. If I pat the ground I want you to bounce it right there, I will block it and we will get a strike.

With two outs things had gone better than the third inning for Stevie. Chuck Dagg was on second base having doubled Stan Talof to third base. Pat O'Rourke was up.

Billy called time out and went out to talk it over with Stevie. Stevie was worn out and Billy could see it in his eyes, but there was no quit in those eyes. He said, "Okay one pitch and we're out of here. I want you to drop down and throw a fastball in the middle of the plate. It will work, " Stevie nodded and Billy trotted back behind the plate.

There was no reason to stretch nor get a signal. From the windup Stevie looked at the runner off of third freezing him and threw the fastball.

O'Rourke crushed it on a line into left center, only to see Ken Moultrie lay out and catch the ball for the last out of the game.

Pandemonium ensued. Billy was carrying Stevie around on his shoulders screaming.

Big Bill and Elaine both wept. It had been a long journey from the Children's Orthopedic Hospital to this day.

Cardinals seven Hawks six.

End