The Perfect Game

By David Dobson

Becky Long has been a tremendous athlete her entire life; excelling in every sport she has ever played. Since the age of 10 she has focused and trained to reach her ultimate goal: to become the first woman to play Major League Baseball.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 30, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479776047

David Dobson

David has had the opportunity to travel throughout his entire life allowing him to meet many interesting people; many of which appear in his novels. David Dobson is an architect currently residing in San Diego, California.

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Copyright © 2013 by David Dobson.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013900395

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-4797-7603-0

                Softcover         978-1-4797-7602-3

                eBook             978-1-4797-7604-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 02/02/2016

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CONTENTS

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1

T HERE HAS NEVER been a more perfect day for playing soccer, Becky thought to herself as she looked up and closed her eyes with her face staring directly at the sun. She could feel the warmth of the sun engulf her face and then spread down throughout the rest of her body.

By any measure it was indeed a perfect day, 84-degrees at the 10:00 a.m. game time. There was not a cloud in the deep, dark-blue sky. A very slight cool breeze out of the north set the tone for the day's picnic-like atmosphere. Friends, families and fans alike filled the small wooden six-tier bleachers on either side of the soccer field, with several families scattered around on blankets outside of the grassy field outside of the soccer playing area. Small groups of children ran around the stands, running around, laughing and playing without a care in the world

Today was the day that Becky Long had waited on for many years; the final soccer game of her high school career. Today was the day of the Fairbanks District championship girl's soccer game while tomorrow was the day for the girl's softball and boy's baseball championship games. All three teams were favored to win their respective games, which added to the excitement in the air.

Becky Long, a seventeen-year-old senior stood five feet, eight inches tall with shoulder length straight blond hair and deep green eyes. Becky had excelled at every single sport that she tried since the age of four when she first started playing soccer in the local YMCA summer leagues. Even at such a young age she showed excellent athletic ability and quickness. She was always the fastest person on her team. She was even able to outrun many boys her own age.

As a junior in high school she tried out for the basketball team out of shear boredom and became the team captain even though she had never played basketball before in her life, she was just a naturally gifted athlete. She led all of her teams in every sport in scoring every year except for her sophomore year when she missed nearly a month due to a badly sprained knee she got in a freak accident falling down the stairs at school. It was rumored that another girl had pushed her intentionally but it could not be proven.

Of all sports, Becky's favorite was softball. Unfortunately the Fairbanks High School girl's softball team had never won a championship. They lost the final championship game the last two years in spite of Becky's all-star performances on the field. In soccer, however, her team won the championship in her freshman and junior years. This year the team was trying to make it's first back-to-back championship. She was the heart and soul of her team as well as being it's best all around player. Her coach moved her all around the field depending on what the game situation was and how good the opposing players were. Her favorite position was left wing butw she didn't mind switching if it was for the betterment of the team. Her coach even placed her at goalie in close games. Sometimes she would switch back and forth between left wing and goalie several times a game. In spite of spending considerable time as goalie Becky was constantly among the district leaders in goals and assists.

The two teams had finished their warm-ups and the game was about to start. As was her custom, right before the game started she looked at where her family was seated in the stands and rubbed her chin; a gesture she started doing for no reason at all when she was in the eighth grade. It was her way of waving to them because she was too to wave to them.

She also looked down the sideline to see her close friend Bill Stevens standing close to the player's bench with his arms folded across his chest. Bill was a handsome eighteen-year-old senior with short wavy brown hair and hazel eyes. He was very fit, and as always, wearing a University of Oklahoma T-shirt and faded blue jeans. Next to him stood Mike Rosen wearing a 3/4-sleeve Nike shirt and jeans. Mike was also a senior and a teammate of Bill's on the school's baseball and football teams. Their status as top jocks in the school allowed them access to the field at ever sporting event they wanted to go to. In football Bill was an all-district quarterback and Mike was an all-district wide receiver. In baseball, Mike was a dominating left-handed starting pitcher and Bill was an elite thirdbaseman. Professional scouts and college recruiters came to watch them both play football and baseball, but they were both determined to forget about football after high school and focus solely on baseball. It's not that these two were close friends, they just always seemed to be at the same place at the same time.

Becky was having another fine day; one goal and one assist in the first half. The opposing team quickly scored two goals to start the second half so the coach moved Becky to goalie as the team's regular goalie hurt her hand diving for the ball. With the score was tied at two-apiece with less than three minutes remaining in the game, the coach moved Becky back to left wing. A teammate stole the ball from the opposing team and passed the ball to Becky in full stride. Becky, who was by far the fastest player on the field ran past two defenders as she made a bee-line towards the goal. The goalie stepped forward to cut down on the angle and readied herself to defend the goal. Becky faked to the left but cut sharply to the right, causing the goalie to slip. Becky approached the open net and easily scored a goal.

Becky's teammates mobbed her in ecstatic celebration and the crowd on the home sideline erupted in cheers and applause. Once again Becky looked towards her family and rubbed her chin. On the sidelines Mike Rosen folded his hands across his chest and turned his head towards Billy, Man, she is fast.

Her soccer coach talked her into running track and cross-country in her junior year, Billy stated. No one can even come close to touching her. She excels in every sport, he continued enviously.

I've heard you talk about her a lot but I've never paid any attention to girl's sports, Mike replied. "I'll bet she's faster than half the guys on our football team.

You should, Billy said with a smile. The sports are not as competitive as men's sports but girls are much more fun to look at than guys.

I still can't believe you let her talk you into going to Texas, Mike said with a sneer. I thought you had plans on going to Oklahoma.

If I don't go high in the draft this summer then I'll go play college ball, Bill replied. She had made up her mind when she was ten years old that she wanted to go to UT, she loves the colors of their uniforms," Billy added.

That's not a very good reason to pick a college, Mike said.

She's gotten scholarship offers from every school you can think of in nearly every sport, but her mind is dead set on Texas, Bill said. We've worked out a lot together over the years, I've never met anyone with more determination that her. She said that she hoped we could go to the same college and keep working out.

So is she your girlfriend? Mike asked.

I wish, Bill said. I've tried to talk to her about it but she only wants to focus on sports, especially softball. It's as if softball is the only thing that matters to her.

Mike just shrugged and asked, "Why is it so important to her? There are no professional women's softball leagues.

Bill said, I know what you mean, but working out with her has been very challenging. Like I said, she is just so determined to be the best.

Changing the subject Mike said, A couple of scouts from Atlanta came over to our house the other day, they seem very interested, Mike said. The Cubs and Royals also have some interest. All three teams are going to have scouts at the game this afternoon, Mike continued with an obvious boastful tone in his voice.

My dad has been talking to an agent and he's assured me that the Reds will have a scout there also, Billy said. It's been my life's dream to play third for the Reds.

The Douglas High Panthers began moving the ball towards the opponent's goal once again. The ball was passed once again to Becky as she was running full speed towards the goal. The ball reached her in mid-stride thirty yards in front of the goal. After dribbling the ball for just two steps she kicked the ball to the right end of the goal. The goal keeper dove in the direction of the ball but the ball sailed like a rocket past her finger tips into the goal as time expired.

The Douglas High School fans erupted in cheers as the rest of the team ran onto the field towards Becky and mobbed her in celebration. This was their third championship in four years, and their first back-to-back championship. Each time it had been Becky leading the team to victory in the Championship game.

The victory dinner seems to have become an annual event by now at TGI Friday's. The restaurant was very crowded with people having to wait at least forty minutes to be seated. Becky's father, mother and three sisters were celebrating with her at a long table along with Bill Stevens and a few other friends.

Becky's dad, Frank leaned over and said, Congratulations Beck, you nearly won that game single-handedly." He beamed with pride and always let everyone know that his daughter was the best player on every team she played on.

C'mon dad, you're the one that always talks about teamwork, Becky replied in a false shy tone.

Hey, I'm just proud of you, all that practice and hard work has certainly paid off. You've been playing all-out since you were four, he said, still beaming with blatant pride.

She certainly is a natural Mr. Long. It must have been difficult putting up with all of the recruiters that called you all year, Billy said as he tried to find something worthy to say.

I don't know why they all bothered coming over, she told them all outright that she was going to go to Texas next year, he said as he reached for his beer.

The waitress brought the food to the table, serving Becky and her sisters first. Becky took a long drink of her Dr. Pepper and let out a loud belch that drew stares and laughter from everyone at their table and the surrounding tables.

Becky's younger sister Cheryl raised her hand to give her sister a high-five, Good one.

I see you haven't lost your touch, her father said laughing. Too bad your uncle David wasn't here to witness it.

Yeah, too bad, her mother, Rachael said sarcastically. He would have retaliated to show everyone that you couldn't out-do him in the public embarrassment department.

I can't help it, Becky said to Billy. It's a family trait that I inherited. It's almost like a birth defect..

From your father's side of the family, her mother added.

Uncle David is your brother, mom, Becky said. He taught me how to really bring it.

He was adopted, Rachael said defensively.

That's what he says about you, Becky quipped.

We should never have let my brother near our children, Rachael said to Frank. He's really such a Neanderthal.

What is he up to these days? Becky asked.

It was going to be a surprise but he'll be in town tomorrow covering both your softball game and Bill's baseball game. He makes much more money writing for ESPN the Magazine than he did when he worked for the paper. He seems to enjoy it more too, Rachael said.

Becky turned to Billy, Now that Uncle Dave's a member of the Baseball Writer's Association he'll be able to vote you into the Hall of Fame someday.

Rachael, reaching across the table to grab the ketchup, boastfully said to Bill, He's written and published articles on many of the girls' accomplishments in the past.

Billy was well aware of this fact. So many times he had to appear interested as Becky and her mother showed him the dozens of newspaper articles that