I stood on the mound, holding the ball, wondering what to do. The manager strolled out to meet me.
"What are you doing?" he said.
"I'm thinking about pitching," I said.
"Thinking what?"
"Well, should I throw a fast ball or a curve? Or a slider? I have a pretty good slider? But should I throw it low and outside, or high and tight? And if I choose a fastball, should I do a two-seamer, which sinks, or a four-seamer, which stays up. Should I keep it in the strike zone, or outside, and hope I fool the hitter, and he swings at it anyway? And if I don't get a strike, what's the next pitch? And where should I locate it . . . . ."
He took the ball from my hand, looked at it a moment, and handed it back to me.
"Throw the damn thing," he said.
caw
"What are you doing?" he said.
"I'm thinking about pitching," I said.
"Thinking what?"
"Well, should I throw a fast ball or a curve? Or a slider? I have a pretty good slider? But should I throw it low and outside, or high and tight? And if I choose a fastball, should I do a two-seamer, which sinks, or a four-seamer, which stays up. Should I keep it in the strike zone, or outside, and hope I fool the hitter, and he swings at it anyway? And if I don't get a strike, what's the next pitch? And where should I locate it . . . . ."
He took the ball from my hand, looked at it a moment, and handed it back to me.
"Throw the damn thing," he said.
caw
