The Hitting Zone

"Tell me your thoughts." Zeke said.

I tapped my leg. "His style really throws off my timing. His speed makes it worse. Not including the breaking balls he threw, I think I would have struck out if I didn't see you face him first." I told Zeke.

Zeke lifted an eyebrow. "So you don't think he can strike you out now?"

I shrugged. "Unless he's hiding another breaking ball, but even then...I think I have good control over my swing."

"That's only if your goal is to foul the pitch off, correct?" Zeke questioned.

I nodded. "If I'm aiming for a hit, it'd be more difficult. Probably couldn't aim where to hit the ball either."

Zeke and I watched Noah swing and miss on three consecutive fastballs from Rhys. Noah really didn't stand a chance.

"I want to get a hit off him." I told Zeke.

Zeke looked down at me.

I looked up. "Do you think I can?"

He smiled. "I think you can do anything you set your mind to. Even if you can't do it today, I'm sure you'll be able to do it soon."

I looked away. If I can't do it today? I had thought Zeke had some confidence in me like Noah did, but maybe...he didn't. I frowned and watched Rhys strike Noah out on another three straight pitches. Rough. He did it again to send Noah out.

Noah pouted as he came out. "What a waste. I'd be better off just swinging my bat around out here." He looked at me with hope in his eyes. "You've got to redeem me, Jake!"

I glanced up at Zeke then back to Noah. "Do you really think I can get a hit off him?"

"The goal is to not strikeout." Noah reminded me. "But-" He grinned. "I believe you can get three hits off him. There's no fielders. It's just like being in the cages except there's some variations in the pitches and location."

That's right. I just have to put the ball in play. I can do that. If Noah believes in me, then it's possible.

I picked my spare wooden bat up and headed for the entrance.

Rhys had finished collecting the balls from Noah's turn and stood on the mound with a wide smile. "Ready to face off?"

I nodded, but then hesitated as I got to the plate. Should I bat from the left side or the right side? I looked to Noah and Zeke.

"I'm umpire and Noah's a spectator." Zeke spoke up. "You've got to decide for yourself on what to do."

I decisively got in the left-handed side and faced Rhys.

Rhys laughed. "Don't you know it's better to bat opposite of the pitcher?"

I swallowed. "I'll try that for my next at-bat." For now, I was more comfortable batting lefty. I've done it for most of the season. Even when I go up against Garret, I choose to bat from this side. Ah...but that's because Garret throws a cut-fastball that goes inside on righty's; and I think it's easier to chase a ball away than trying to bring the bat inside. Where did Garret's slider land again? It dropped, but it went in on Zeke. Down and in. So for me, it would be down and away. That's going to be a little difficult.

Rhys grabbed his first ball and got set. He completed his motion and I saw the first pitch. Surprised, I still completed my swing and sent the ball back to him. He caught it.

"Are you going easy on Jake?" Noah hollered from behind me.

I looked at Rhys, waiting for an answer. I didn't want to play if he wasn't going to be as serious as he was against Zeke.

"Hey!" Rhys yelled back. "That was serious! That was my fastest pitch, okay?!!" His eyes focused on me. "Do you want to switch to the righty's box now?"

I shook my head, not feeling it. "Why switch when I'm not having any trouble yet?"

"Little brat..." He got set once more, eyes on me.

I hurried to get set. His mood had change. Did he want me to bat from the right side? His first pitch came...it was fast, but had movement. I held back from swinging, let the pitch go by.

"Ball." Zeke decided.

Rhys threw his slider, but I didn't commit to swing, and his pitch missed the zone. He got a new baseball and got set again. He upped the speed, but the throw was the same. A slider. I held back.

"Strike." Zeke stated. I guess it made it to the corner of the strike zone.

I pursued my lips. 1-1 count. Would he throw another slider?

Rhys grabbed a new ball and was set. He completed his motion and whipped his arm forward, revealing the ball in his hand. I started my swing, following through when the ball arrived at the plate. My hands shook as I completed the swing, sending the ball forward.

"Way to go, Jake!" Noah hollered. "Rhys, you can't even beat Jake. How will you survive in college?"

Rhys looked genuinely confused as he stared at me. He glanced at his glove then back at me. Then, instead of grabbing another ball to start my third at-bat, he walked over to me.

I swallowed a lump, feeling slightly nervous at the sight of his face.

Rhys didn't look so good. "Hey...am I tipping my pitches?"

??

I stared blankly at him.

"Don't be making excuses." Noah told Rhys. "Jake beat you fair and square."

"I'm serious." Rhys looked distressed. "I know that Jake is good. I don't doubt that. But...it feels like he knows what I'm throwing." He looked at me. "Can you tell when I'm going to throw a slider or fastball?"

I nodded.

"What?!" He looked alarmed. "How?? Is it something with my glove or is it the way I move?"

"It's your fingertips." I told him.

Rhys looked stunned. "Am I showing you the ball when I draw my arm back?"

"No. It's when you throw the pitch." I told him.

"Explain." Zeke demanded.

I turned so everyone can see me. I put my right hand forward. "When Rhys throws a fastball, I see two fingertips. When I don't see it, I just assume it's a slider." I scratched my head. "I don't know if I can hit the slider so I decided to wait for the fastball."

"So what would happen if I threw nothing but sliders?" Rhys asked.

I shrugged. "If I had two strikes against me, I would do my best to foul them off until you showed a fastball."

Rhys looked even more distressed. "Are you even human? There's no way you're 14. You should be closer to Noah's level, not the pro level."

I felt embarrassed. "It's not a perfect system, but I tried to think of the different ways you moved when facing Zeke. Nothing but the fingers changed." I shrugged. "In a way...I feel like I'm cheating. I know I can hit the fastball, so that's what I hit."

"That's not cheating!" Rhys told me. He put his hand on my head and messed up my hair. "You're a real prodigy. Did you just think of this??"

I nodded. "You pitch faster than anyone I've seen." I glanced up at him. "And I felt like you really wanted me to bat righty. Like Zeke. But I don't know if I could still see your fingers clearly from the other side and time my swing." I looked to Zeke. "Is it easier to hit a slider from the left or right side?"

Zeke grinned. "It doesn't matter if you can find the fastball instead."