Pardon me, however have you ever by any likelihood seen second base? It may normally be discovered over in that enormous patch of dust, however I appear to have mislaid it. Second base. It’s the second of the bases. I may have sworn I left it proper there. Amid the dust. You flip your again for one second. Possibly I ought to retrace my steps. Right here’s what occurred.
It was the underside of the ninth. One out, runners on first and second. Fernando Tatis Jr. got here to the plate. That’s the white pentagon within the floor over there. When a strapping slugger involves the plate, I’ve to take a stroll. Out of respect for his prodigious energy, I bid farewell to my conventional publish alongside third base and I sojourn a half dozen steps in a northerly course, towards the outfield. Generally I carry a beneficiant scoop of path combine in my again pocket for such journeys. Tonight I went with out, and possibly that’s what did me in. Low blood sugar can wreak havoc in your sense of course.
Anyhow, I traveled north-northeast towards the left fielder. That’s my colleague, Randy. When he desires to indicate you that he’s completely happy, he crosses his arms and scowls as if he’s indignant. When he’s indignant, he scowls however doesn’t cross his arms. It’s complicated till you get used to it. I traipsed all the best way over towards Randy, after which wouldn’t you recognize it, that pesky Tatis hit a pleasant smooth chopper again to my proper. I had been standing in the best place all alongside! I swiveled with the quickness of a cat. Crouching like a tiger on the prowl, I crept in and towards the third final analysis. Gracefully as a lynx, I secured the bouncing ball. Ferociously as a panther, I pivoted and heaved it to second base. Or so I assumed. Second base had vanished like an elusive snow leopard. My throw sailed into the night time.
I suppose you possibly can argue that I solely threw to the place I assumed second base to be, that every one the twisty-turnies had a deleterious impact on my inside compass, inflicting me to throw wildly into the night time, that the bottom is round right here someplace and I’ve simply been trying within the incorrect course this complete time. However that strikes me as unlikely. Extra importantly, it will be unprofessional to entertain such a thought. A superb infielder at all times trusts their inside compass. It’s simply one of many instruments it’s important to preserve honed to a effective level as a way to play at this degree.
You want a clock in your head so you know the way a lot time it’s important to catch the runner, a compass in your head to know the place all of the bases are, a barometer in your head to know the way the dew level of the grass will have an effect on a bouncing ball, a calorimeter in your head to be sure you don’t overdo it on the path combine, and an alethiometer in your head to ask the Mud what’s actually happening. I suppose nowadays, you possibly can simply do away with all of the litter and preserve a smartphone in your head, however the level stays. It’s much less probably that I fully misplaced second base and threw the ball on to the center of nowhere than it’s that second base merely disappeared totally.
With no vacation spot to talk of, my throw skipped joyously throughout the springy grass for what felt like an eternity. What I wouldn’t give to really feel that free for even a second.
I regarded down at my hand. “Do you might have any concept the place second base went?” I requested it. It mentioned nothing. That about brings us as much as the current. I queried my hand only a second in the past. Nonetheless no reply. Right here I stand, questioning what occurred to second base. Possibly you may assist me discover it.
Wouldn’t it assist if I had been to explain it? Bodily traits: It’s a giant white sq. on the bottom. I suppose technically it’s a cuboid, say, two inches tall and 18 inches to a facet. Barely domed. Cryptic markings on the highest. It’s composed of a troublesome rubbery composite. Very sturdy. It could actually make an incredible homicide weapon, ought to issues take a flip. It’d be a bit unwieldy, however that’s the way it goes when issues take a flip. You possibly can’t at all times be a Choosy Ricky about your bludgeons.
Metaphysical traits: I suppose you possibly can argue that second base is the axis round which the sport revolves. The beating coronary heart of the enjoying subject. A minor fortress standing resolute in opposition to outfield encroachment and the unrelenting waves of time that search to clean our sharp edges. Second base is the cusp. The launchpad for the flanking run from scoring place to scoring. The rally level at which the numbers actually begin to depend, particularly if it’s essential to complain about Juan Soto. Have you ever seen something that matches that description? White, cuboid, beating-axis-fortress-cusp-heart?
A person spray-paints it eggshell white after which stabs it into a giant gap within the floor earlier than the sport. One other man takes it away after the highest of the fourth inning and stabs a contemporary alternative into the bottom. Really, it could be the identical man. I’m simply now realizing how little I do know concerning the particular person or individuals who paint and stab the bases. Wait, may that be it? Did the person overlook to switch the bottom? That’s a robust working concept. I actually wouldn’t have seen if it disappeared for 5 innings or so. When was the final time I noticed it?
You understand what? I used to be standing proper on it, and it may well’t have been greater than an hour in the past. I took a stroll, after which my pal Josh hit a single that allowed me to jog over and stand immediately on the bottom. Josh and I had been figuring out of Arizona earlier than this. He was transferred out right here to Seattle per week earlier than I used to be. “I suppose you’ll need to commerce your parasol for an umbrella,” I kidded him. He laughed, however I may inform he was solely being well mannered. Umbrella humor isn’t for everybody. Anyway, Josh moved me over to second. I used to be proper there. I believe I also have a image.
Hmm. It’s just a little blurrier than I keep in mind it, however that’s positively me standing on second base.
That was solely an hour in the past, however lots has occurred since then. I scored. Josh scored. My pal Mitch scored. His pal Jorge scored. Mitch and Jorge labored collectively in Minneapolis earlier than this. Apparently, Mitch’s highschool associates name him Garv Sauce. That doesn’t sound very interesting to me. Should you served me some fries with a facet of Garv Sauce, I believe I’d lose my urge for food. Wait, that was within the backside of the fifth, so the person had already come again and put the bottom again in. There goes that concept.
I suppose it’s attainable my goal wasn’t completely true. I imply, I actually felt like I nailed the throw, however I did need to execute these livid half-turns at excessive velocity proper earlier than I let the ball go. If I’m being completely sincere, I’m nonetheless just a little dizzy. I may actually use that path combine. Possibly it’s time to place a gyroscope in my head too. However I don’t assume I may have gotten so circled as to lose sight of second base totally. It appears more likely that the bottom simply disappeared.
Possibly it was swallowed by a sinkhole. Or a dashing baserunner trampled it with such pressure that it was pushed deep into the earth and the encompassing dust fell into the ensuing gap and coated it up. Or they pushed off the nook with a lot angular velocity that it spun and spun till it rose off the bottom like a gyrocopter and floated out into the bay. The theories are actually coming to me now. Maybe an intense slide showered it with a lot dust that it’s nonetheless on the market however completely camouflaged. That’s bought to be it. Should you see it, let me know.
