Dropped Third Strike (Portland Pioneers #1)

by Micah K. Chaplin

  It didn’t work.

  She got up to walk around her office. Her stomach growled, and she was glad it waited until Reid was gone or he might have insisted on her taking a lunch break. Instead, she had her secretary order takeout from her usual place and sat back down on the couch with her laptop. She had a few more personnel items to take care of and then she needed to finalize her travel plans for Arizona. It was time to work.

  That was Kate’s mantra over the next few weeks, and there was plenty of work to be done as the team got ready for the season. She needed to stay focused.

  This was especially necessary every time she walked through the practice fields and spotted Reid working with the players. She paused to watch him a few times, noticing his patient, easy approach. He seemed really comfortable as he worked on hitting drills and watched batters swing. The younger men listened eagerly when Reid stepped in to talk to them about each part of their swing to correct or tweak it. Once, Reid looked up to find her watching. She expected him to call out to her or give her a smile, but he merely nodded. She nodded back and continued on to the next field to check out the pitchers.

  Reid was aware of Kate’s presence every time she walked through the practice fields. It took all of his will not to acknowledge her. But one day he couldn’t help himself, and he looked up to find her watching him work. He couldn’t read her expression, and he remained puzzled as she turned to go without saying a word. He watched as she walked away. For longer than he intended to.

  “Hey Coach B, you like Miss Marks?”

  Reid turned to find Carson Slater watching him with an amused smile. He’d enjoyed the opportunity to reunite with the young catcher. While the kid was a little rusty with the bat after so much time away from the game, he’d made some progress in the last few weeks. But bat speed wasn’t exactly on Carson’s mind at the moment. It wasn’t on Reid’s either, and apparently he hadn’t done a good job of hiding it.

  “She’s my boss,” Reid said, trying to shrug it off.

  “Yeah, but it looks like you’d like to be her boss, if you know what I mean,” Carson said.

  “If that’s supposed to be suggestive, it’s terrible,” Reid said. “I hope you’re better at calling a game than you are at dirty talk. And I feel sorry for your wife.”

  “My wife has no complaints,” Carson said, confidently.

  “Good, now let’s make sure your manager doesn’t have any either. Back to hitting,” Reid said.

  “Fine,” Carson said, settling back into his batting stance. “But you should be doing some hitting of your own this season.”

  Reid rolled his eyes but didn’t offer any verbal response to Carson’s challenge. Fortunately, he didn’t give Reid any more trouble.

  They both knew Carson didn’t have time to be messing around. The season was just weeks away, and the young catcher needed every bit of that time if he was going to be ready to take pitches in his first ever major league baseball game. Reid was nervous and excited for Carson. A major league debut was a once-in-a-lifetime event. If Carson was like every other player Reid had encountered, he knew Carson had dreamed about that day. Reid wanted to make sure he was well-prepared for a debut worth remembering.

  After giving Carson some things to work on, Reid moved on to the other players awaiting his help. Opening Day wasn’t too far down the road, and he hoped his players were ready for it. So far, he felt like he was doing a good job, and no one was telling him any different, so he was going with it. The players were listening to him and making the adjustments he suggested. Sometimes those adjustments worked right away. Other times, he had to talk the players into sticking with it, telling them it would take more time for it to click.

  His days were always busy, and they were about to get longer with spring training games about to begin. As it was, when he returned to his hotel room each night, he was too exhausted to do much more than order in food and watch a movie or college basketball. In spring trainings past, he regularly hit the bars and clubs, but even if he wasn’t being mindful of the clause in his contract, he didn’t have the energy now. He had vastly underestimated the amount of work his coaches had done when he was a player. He made a mental note to make sure to say some extra thanks next time he saw some of them.

  Reid thought a lot about his old teammates and coaches these days. It was strange leading spring training drills and workouts instead of participating in them. At times, he longed to participate. He missed the feel of a good run, the smack talk in the batting cages, and a full day of fielding drills. He missed feeling completely worn out after a long day at the fields. It was a different kind of tired than what he was feeling now. He was proud of his role as a coach, but it didn’t give him the same sense of exhilaration and accomplishment. He suspected that might come in time, but he doubted he’d ever get over his desire to be on the field again. Even though he was committed to his responsibilities as a hitting coach, he hoped it was a temporary stop en route back to playing.

  He also hoped this year would help him work through some of the things that had taken him off of his game.

  Athletically, he worked out every morning. Long before his players were even out of bed, Reid was already at the field. He ran laps, lifted weights, and took some swings in the cage with a pitching machine. There wasn’t much he could do to test his fielding skills, but he tried to take every measure possible to keep his body in top physical form. Or rather get it back there. At the close of the most recent season, he’d taken some time off. A lot of time. Too much time. Instead of working out, he’d been going out. Getting released might have been the wake up call he needed to get serious again. He sought additional motivation as he watched young players every day who were working hard and were more than happy to be playing in the league he’d been in only months earlier.

  Personally, he’d also made some significant lifestyle changes. Since his release, he had slowed down on the alcohol considerably. And the women, too. He’d met a few beauties in Arizona who gave him a nighttime workout, but the frequency was far lower than usual for him. At first, that hadn’t been intentional. He simply hadn’t had the time or energy for either. Fortunately, that meant he hadn’t had time to miss them either. The players he coached were all the company he needed right now. As long as he stayed busy, he could stay focused on doing what he needed to do to get back on track and get his life back on the path he’d charted out years earlier.

  One evening, as he was leaving the fields, already thinking about the pizza he was going to order, he heard someone calling his name. He turned to see Derek Beaman running toward him. Derek was a pitcher, and since American League pitchers only took a few at bats a season, Reid hadn’t had a chance to work with him just yet, but he knew who the kid was.

  “Coach B, can I talk to you for a minute?” Derek asked, a bit out of breath once he caught up with Reid.

  “Sure, Beaman, what’s up?” Reid replied.

  “Do you have dinner plans?” Derek asked.

  “I was just going to get a pizza and take it to my hotel room,” Reid said.

  “Mind if I join you?” Derek asked.

  “I suppose not,” Reid said. “But wouldn’t you rather hang out with the other players?”

  “The guys I usually hang with are hitting the club tonight, and I don’t think that’s a good idea for me,” Derek said. “You know?”

  Reid did know. Derek’s history of drug use meant he was tested frequently. He couldn’t afford a slip-up of any kind. Going to a club with the guys might seem harmless, but Reid knew it could easily open a door to a whole mess of mistakes for Derek. Costly mistakes.

  He nodded at the younger man.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. Let’s go find some food.”

  The men abandoned the pizza plan and stopped at a chain steakhouse instead. Dusty, sweaty, and still in their baseball clothes, Reid and Derek looked a little out of place. But this town was used to baseball players and fans taking over in February and March, so there weren�
�t too many stares.

  When they sat down, Reid looked at the beer menu, but then glanced at Derek. The kid had come out with him to avoid alcohol. Reid didn’t need a beer that bad, so he stuck with water. The waitress who took their order eyed both men with interest, but Reid decided she was a little young for him, and Derek barely seemed to notice her. Reid found that interesting – he would have behaved completely different at Derek’s age – but he didn’t comment on it.

  Throughout the meal, the men discussed baseball. Reid was impressed by Derek’s optimism and high expectations for himself. He also had plenty of complimentary words about his peers, explaining what he thought he could learn from each of the other men – even the rookie. Derek asked Reid about some of his experiences playing, and the two ended up swapping minor league stories and laughing long after the waitress had brought the check, which Reid quickly picked up.

  “I make good money too, I can get it,” Derek said.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Reid said. “You can pay next time.”

  A little while later, Reid dropped Derek off at the building where he shared a small temporary apartment with three other guys.

  “Thanks for having dinner with me tonight,” Derek said. “I know you have a history too. Kind of like mine.”

  “We’ve all got a history, Derek,” Reid said. “Maybe you and I should hang out now and then. You can help me stay out of trouble.”

  Derek laughed. “I think Miss Marks meant for you to keep me out of trouble.”

  “Miss Marks? What does she have to do with this?” Reid asked.

  “She was at the fields this morning when the other guys were talking about going out. They were giving me kind of a hard time about not wanting to go. They mean well, but they don’t get how hard it is,” Derek said. “Anyway, Miss Marks came up to me later and said I should track you down and try and hang out with you. She said she thought we’d get along real well. Guess she knew what she was talking about.”

  “Katie usually does,” Reid said, smiling a little.

  Even when she made no sense to him, Reid had to admit Kate had always been smart about her words. She knew what to say and how to say it. That had been his downfall, so it was something he’d always admired in her.

  “Katie? I’ve ever heard anyone call her that,” Derek said, bringing Reid out of his thoughts.

  “And you probably won’t again,” Reid said. “In fact, you better not tell her I called her that. We’re old friends, and I used to call her Katie. She isn’t very fond of it now, I guess. I should probably follow your lead and stick with Miss Marks.”

  Derek laughed. “Yeah, that’s probably a safe bet. No need to piss off your boss.”

  “No doubt,” Reid said, chuckling.

  I’ve done enough of that already.

  “See you tomorrow, Coach B,” Derek said as he closed the car door and headed inside the apartment building.

  As he drove back to his hotel, Reid thought about Derek’s words. He was surprised Kate had told Derek to spend time with him, considering their last conversation when she said he was a terrible person. Okay, so she didn’t say those exact words, but she might as well have. She’d said he was a good athlete and that was all that mattered. If you added in the way she spoke to him, it was clear she didn’t hold him in high esteem. So then why was she encouraging a young player to hang out with him? Especially a young player with such a troubled past? If she thought so little of him, why would she entrust such a high-risk investment to his company? It didn’t make any sense.

  His attempts to analyze the whole situation kept him up later than usual that night. As a result, he overslept the next morning and woke up too late to get in a workout. He felt a little out of sorts as he grabbed a quick breakfast and washed it down with a cup of coffee on his way to the ball fields.

  Several players were already stretching when he walked up.

  “You’re late, Coach B,” Carson said.

  “I’m not late,” Reid said. “I’m just not early for once.”

  “Yeah, that’s late for you,” Carson replied. “It’s all good. I’m sure she was worth it.”

  Reid laughed and shook his head. Carson’s assumption was amusing because it wasn’t correct, but it wasn’t completely wrong either. Indeed, a woman had kept him up late. Unfortunately, the distraction was completely of a mental nature instead of what Carson was imagining.

  “Don’t you worry about that right now,” Reid said. “Let’s get to work. Come on, I’ll run with you guys since I was ‘late’ this morning.”

  Running with the team actually helped Reid clear his head a little. He also joined them for jumping jacks, push-ups, and sit-ups. By the time they started hitting drills, his mind was solely on baseball and the work he needed to do for the day.

  He spent extra time with Carson until they broke for lunch. Then, he took his spot in the dugout at the main diamond for that afternoon’s first game of the spring. It was a perfect Arizona day – clear and sunny with a game time temperature in the mid-80s. There was no better weather for baseball, in his opinion.

  It didn’t take him long to spot Kate in the stands. Once again, she was dressed casually – jeans and a polo shirt that was somehow perfectly cut for her figure without being inappropriate. Her hair was pulled back in a way that was simple and professional all at once. There was nothing about her look that should have made her stand out and yet Reid had found her in seconds. He was careful not to stare at her for too long this time. He didn’t need to be called out by his players again. Or worse, any of the other coaches. That didn’t keep him from glancing in her direction often during the game. His eyes were drawn to her. Fortunately, no one caught him – especially Kate. She didn’t seem to be the least bit aware of him, and that bothered him more than he wanted to admit.

  After the game, his ego was soothed a bit when he found her waiting for him near the clubhouse.

  “I wanted to thank you for spending time with Derek Beaman last night,” Kate said. “I’m sure you had different plans for your evening, but I appreciate you helping out one of our players.”

  “No big deal. I had a good time with him. He’s a good kid,” Reid said. “But I was surprised you referred him to me.”

  “Why?”

  “I got the impression you don’t have a very high opinion of me.”

  “I told you I think you’re a very gifted athlete.”

  “But you didn’t say anything about me as a person.”

  “I don’t think I know you well enough to have an opinion on that.

  “Are you kidding me?! You know me better than anyone else here.”

  “You’re wrong. I used to know you. But I don’t anymore.”

  “Come on, Katie.”

  “And every time you call me Katie, you just prove you don’t know me anymore either.”

  Reid started to reply, but Kate put her hand up to stop him. She had a lot more to say.

  “Look, maybe I’m not sure about the person you are anymore, Reid. But I knew you once, and I believe you can be a good resource and mentor for all of our players, including Derek,” she said. “When I heard the other players badgering him about going out to the club, I was impressed that he stood his ground and politely rejected their invitations. I also knew that their offer might be tempting if he left the field with no other plans. You are a little older than he is, but you’ve experienced some of the same things as he has, so I encouraged him to talk to you. I’m glad he did, and I’m glad you two had a good time.”

  “We did,” Reid agreed. “I’m just curious about why you would send a young player with his kind of history to me when you’re obviously not too fond of some of the choices I’ve made in my past.”

  “I think you should stop worrying about my opinion of you. I’m not sure why it matters so much to you.”

  “It matters because you’re my boss. And you used to be my friend.”

  “Well, now I’m just your boss, so just do the job I hired y
ou to do.”

  “You know I’ll do my job.”

  “Show me.”

  Kate could feel Reid’s stare on her back as she walked away from him. She was surprised she’d been able to keep her composure during the conversation. It was meant to be a short one – she just wanted to thank him for helping Derek, and he was supposed to nod and continue on with his day. She should have known better. There was no such thing as a short conversation between them. That just wasn’t their style. Instead, they always had to dig deeper, pull out their defenses, and go a few rounds before one of them walked away. It was emotionally exhausting, and Kate wondered how she would endure a whole season of this without exploding or melting down. It was going to be one or the other. She could sense that for sure. She only hoped that whichever route she chose, she went through it in private and was able to continue functioning in her job until and after it occurred.

  She joined the other front office staff members in the meeting room for a quick post-game discussion. There wasn’t any urgent business, but it was good to touch base and share opinions about the team. In the coming days, they would begin to make the first rounds of cuts – deciding which players would stay in major league camp and which would be sent over to minor league camp. Each round of cuts got progressively harder, and she knew it was possible some players would be released by the end of spring training. Those decisions were always difficult. The business of baseball could be very emotionally trying. Kate hated being the one to destroy or delay someone’s childhood dream, and yet she knew she’d played that role many times. Even though she’d only been a GM for a few years, she’d already had dozens of exit conversations with players. The sadness on the faces of the young men was often enough to break hear heart. Some seemed to see it coming, while others were caught completely off-guard. Disappointment was universal, even when they tried to act tough and hide it from her. Those conversations routinely tested her resolve to avoid being described as heartless or overly emotional. It was a difficult balancing act, but she did her best to offer compassion and sympathy to the players while remaining professional with her words and the way she treated them upon exit. And she always held back her tears until after the player was gone and the door was closed. She wondered if any of the other GMs went through this. In a way, she hoped they did. She hoped she wasn’t alone in her emotional tests. She hoped there were other GMs who saw their players as actual people with real feelings rather than just commodities to be used up and tossed aside.