The Ball

By William Carlyle

In the 1928 World Series a baseball was struck with such force that it cleared the backfield fence. The batter was Babe 'Bambino' Ruth and it was the last hit of the game, placing the New York Yankees at the top of the baseball world. Franklin T Williams, was the go-fer for the Yankees, doing clean up chores and running errands. He was black and 15 years old. Williams watched as the orb cleared the fence and knew intuitively that the ball was valuable. After a short search, he found it in the field. He showed it to the Babe and it is noticed that the ball has a dent in it: this has never been seen in a baseball before. The whole team ends up signing the ball, allowing Franklin to keep it. It is a high point in his life. For the moment, the ball drops out of the picture. Ten years later, Franklin is in his mid twenties and somewhat adrift so he joined the Army Rangers at the beginning of WWII. He became an instructor and rose in rank until being sent to Germany. While on patrol, he was wounded and hospitalized in England, he met a nurse named Lucy, who became his only true love. They married and had three children. Thomas, was the oldest, and he, in turn, had kids of his own. The oldest, Thomas Jr, was Franklin's grandson and wheel chair bound for life. He eventually became Franklin's best friend. At 14, Thomas Jr finds the long lost ball that his grandfather had found in 1928, but misplaced over the years. It has a lot of what appear to be chicken scratches on it, which turn out to be the signatures of the NY Yankees, increasing the value astronomically. Thomas and his best buddy, Stevo, do not know the ball's history or value, but decide to make copies of it. They sell one copy to Roger, a friend. Tim is Roger's dad and an avid Yankee fan: when shown the copy, he goes into a tailspin. He knew that there had never been a signed baseball from that era, so if a real one existed, it would be priceless. Enter Elvis the dog, a short legged Heinze mix whose favorite pastime is chewing up balls of all sorts. Elvis finds one of the copied baseballs and destroys it. The boys think that the real ball has been chewed up, but later discover that the original is still in one piece. At some point, Tim has a beer at a local bar and is overheard talking about the ball with the bartender. Two locals, Ted and Bob, are unsavory thieves and listening to Tim, form a plot to steal the ball. The next evening, they hide out in our heroes fort but are discovered by Elvis who begins to bark loud enough to raise the dead. The two miscreants break into Thomas's room and take the ball from him. Franklin is alerted by the noise Elvis is making and is quickly informed of the situation. Anticipating where Ted and Bob might be found, he enters the tavern and confronts them. In a matter of minutes the bad guys become aware that they have been discovered and prepare to beat the old black guy up. They discover that an angry Franklin can be very dangerous and both guys are thrown out the tavern windows. Several days later, Franklin and Tim have a long talk about the ball and it's relative value. The ball is conservatively worth over half a million dollars. Franklin offers it to Tim free of charge in trade for the operation that would get Thomas out of his wheel chair. Tim contacts a friend who is one of the top surgeons in the country and after a lot of discussion, the decision is made to do the trade. The ending is how all stories should wrap up: with a good feeling and Elvis headed for the bushes with a ball in his jaws.

• Language: English
• Publisher: William Carlyle
• Release date: May 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463248065

William Carlyle

Born 1941 to the best parents in the world. Oldest of 7 kids, 6 surviving. Live in the hills out of Santa Margarita, California with Maygee, my soulmate - Female terrier mix, the dog, not me.. Am a happy hermit: Love movies and good food. Joined Smashwords recently and find that I really like writing. Have written 3 novellos and one documentary.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

THE BEGINNING OF ALL THINGS

The crack like a rifle shot is heard almost a mile away. In New York, it could easily be mistaken for a firearm discharge, which would not be all that unusual in the Bronx. Yet It was not a shot but the sound of a baseball bat connecting with a ball, a solid hit and impossibly loud. A cone of silence follows. The breathless void before pandemonium: then the gradual rising of an incredible crescendo of noise almost unrecognizable due to it's volume: it is cheering, shouting in a synchronized chorus of human elation. We got the Babe, we got the Babe, we got the Babe. over and over; joy, warrior battle cries so loud it was later claimed to be heard on the other side of the city.

The focus of the roar of humanity is a home-run by Babe Ruth who has slammed a baseball with such force that it has sailed over the right outfield fence into the lot beyond. This is the winning home run of the World Series, 1928, and ends the game in the New York Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The Yankees against the St Louis Cardinals. Ruth, the Yankee's most valuable player, has scored the winning run, witnessed by 61,426 baseball fans.

Almost immediately after the ball clears the wall, a young black kid races along the sidelines and slithers through a hole in the right field fence. His name is Franklin T Williams and he is 15 years old. He knows that this ball will be sought out afterwards by many of the fans. In fact he sees some guys near the back fence pointing outward, probably trying to figure out how to scale the fence. But only Franklin knows of the hole as he slips through and wades into the field. He desperately looks for the ball in the tall grass anticipating that other fans will appear momentarily. He knows approximately where it has landed, but cannot locate it. Becoming frustrated, he starts calling for the ball in his searching. Here ball, come on ball, good ball, where you at? He does not expect the ball to respond, but suddenly Franklin hears something. Is it his imagination? No, the ball is answering. He hears a soft pinging sound: it's as if the ball wants Franklin to find it. He hears the ring, even above the roaring of the crowd, and finally locates the prize, his prize, almost tripping over it.

Sticking it in his pocket, he then re-enters the stadium through the small hole in the fence. And into bedlam. There is a huge crowd of fans milling around, in the stands and also many on the field. Some are trying to climb the back fence to find the ball. Taking no chances, Franklin quickly works his way through the mass of humanity. The ball is his for the moment, concealed in his pocket. This is subtly aided by the fact of his wearing a pair of oversized baggy pants, way too big for his slender frame, hand me downs from a Yankee team member. Franklin knows that if someone spotted him with his treasure, they would quite possibly try to take it away. And that must not happen: he would have no story to tell.

CHAPTER 2

LOCKER ROOM AFTER GAME

The Yankees have left the field to avoid being mobbed, two guards keeping the crowd at bay. The team has entered the locker room and are on a high over their victory. Some are getting ready to shower. There is a lot of boisterous talking and shouting about their win today. The Bambino, Babe Ruth, who hit the winning run that ended the game, is unusually quiet. This is not normal, for he usually likes to boast. But today he is reserved, seemingly thinking whatever a champion might contemplate over a win such as this. However, his teammates are not going to leave him be.

Hey bud, that was some powder you put on that ball, says Lou Gehrig, in an unusual compliment. Lou and the Bambino like to compete against each other: who scores the most home runs in a game. In a friendly way of course. Babe just smiles, still silent. I thought that thing was going into orbit. I coulda sworn I saw a trail of smoke behind it. exclaims George Pipgras. Babe hesitates, then says, It was weird. still thinking. What was so strange? asks Pipgras. Well, on that last hit I was just a little bit off balance as the ball was coming at me: it was a fast ball with an inside curve. So, big deal. Nothing you haven't seen before.. says Gehrig. But at the last split second, the ball took a hook right into the zone. Babe adds. If it hadn't, I would probably have fowled into the bleachers. I mean, it was just a lucky hit. he conludes. Man, I sure could use a couple of those 'lucky hits'. says Cedric Durst, and That may be the first time a ball cleared the right field fence. Babe and the other players did not know the extent of that lucky hit, nor the reason.

CHAPTER 3

BALL'S DEFECT

Will Tennor was the lead foreman at the prime baseball manufacturer, Acer Sporting Supplies, the company that supplied balls for the major league games. Will had had an argument with his missus several months before the Series. Of course that was not unusual, but the upshot of the spat would alter future events. On a particular