Outfield Beginnings (3)

"It's more interesting now that you're here."

Linus didn't really know what Liam meant by that. Was it because Liam thought it would be fun to see if Linus failed or not, or was there something else? Linus couldn't tell, but he didn't have much time to dwell on it. As they talked, their team's first batter had already been sent back to the dugout after a quick out. The second batter stepped into the batter's box, and Linus figured it was about time he started paying attention. After all, he was going to bat sooner or later, and he had no idea what he was doing.

His sister would definitely make fun of him if he messed up. He could already hear her teasing him.

As he watched the next batter, Linus tried to figure out the basics of swinging the bat. He observed the batter's hands closely, noticing how the non-dominant hand sat at the bottom of the bat, the dominant hand right above it. The batter looked focused, gathering power from his legs and core as he swung. Linus realized that hitting the ball wasn't all about using your arms. The body worked as a whole, and the legs and hips played a huge part in transferring power. Still, knowing that and doing it were two different things.

He mentally filed away those details, knowing he'd have to replicate the motions soon enough. But before he could focus more, the third out was called, and his team was back on defense.

Jogging out to right field, Linus found himself lost in thought again. He knew how important it was to pay attention, but baseball felt so different from anything he'd done before. It was slow and fast at the same time—long moments of calm punctuated by bursts of action. He kept his eyes on the batters, watching how each one had their own style. Though the basics were the same, no two batters moved exactly alike. It gave him some comfort to know that he didn't need to be perfect, just good enough to make contact when his time came.

The top of the second inning moved quickly. The first two batters from the opposing team were retired in short order, and Linus couldn't help but start to feel more comfortable. Maybe fielding wasn't so bad, especially since nothing had come his way yet. His mind drifted as he imagined how he'd look at the plate—awkward, sure, but not as bad as he initially feared. He'd grip the bat just like the others, his stance a little stiff but serviceable. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to make solid contact with the ball when the time came, but he convinced himself it would be fine. The pitches didn't seem particularly fast, and as long as he timed it right, he figured he could at least get a piece of it.

Just as he was reassuring himself, he heard a ding coming off the bat. His heart jolted. The ball was headed straight toward him.

Linus froze. He hadn't been paying attention at all. His mind raced as he tried to gather his thoughts and react. The ball was dropping short, not coming high or deep like he feared, but he still had to move. Realizing it was his responsibility, he sprinted forward. His feet felt heavy as the grass pushed back against his cleats, his heart pounding in his chest.

But he was just a few moments late.

The ball bounced on the ground right in front of him. He scrambled to scoop it up, the awkwardness of the moment making his hands fumble slightly. Still, he managed to gather the ball and look up. The batter wasn't running for second base, so Linus had a moment to calm down. He tossed the ball to the second baseman with a soft throw, relieved that he hadn't made a wild or embarrassing mistake.

As he jogged back to his position in right field, his thoughts raced faster than his legs had. He realized he had made himself more nervous and tense than he needed to be. If only he had been paying attention from the moment the ball was hit, he might have been able to react faster, maybe even catch it. The ball wasn't as tricky as it seemed, and the situation wasn't as hard as he had built it up to be in his head.

"Focus, Linus," he muttered to himself, knowing that if he could keep his head in the game, things would go smoother. His body was tense because he wasn't used to this, but he reminded himself that he didn't need to be perfect right away. This was his first real game, and learning on the fly was part of it. He just needed to focus a little more and not get lost in his thoughts.