Our record was near flawless. With fourteen games played, we had only lost two. We laughed as we hit in the batting cage, expecting a win. The other team was ready to play. They may have been a little slow, but they still were very intimidating. Although, we are usually not this unfocused. I knew in the back of my mind that we needed to be more locked on the game ahead, but I did otherwise.
Our normal infield outfield routine was horrible. Balls slipped by our feet like it was a greasy pig. Our effort was not at its greatest. The mood was not down, but rather everyone was excited and talking. The talking was not necessarily about baseball. We let our minds lead out of the game, talking about video games, and other irrelevant things. The coach wasn’t currently there to tell us otherwise. Then the game started.
Our current pitcher could not throw a strike to save his life. The coach had told me the previous night that I would be the pitcher at some point. I was trying my best to stay focused in the game, but I was having a hard time with that. Although, I was still ready to take the mound when necessary. Finally, a ground ball was hit to me. I scooped it up with ease and threw it over to first base as fast as I could. The ump swung his hand in the air and yelled “out!”. The opposing team scored three runs in only the first inning. Everyone hung their heads with shame after that. We gave up even though the game just begun.
Soon, I was once again on the mound. I took a deep breath before throwing the first pitch. The baseball made a little hum as it flew down the center of the plate, right into the catcher’s mitt. Ball. I was extremely frustrated by this horrible call made by the umpire, but I did my best not to show any anger on the outside. It was a very long inning. My teammates stared me down, hoping I would finally throw a strike so we could go hit. I focused again on the catcher’s mitt. I threw a fastball on the outside corner of the plate as hard as I could. The batter followed the ball in and hit the ball with great force. I watched as the ball soared over my head, right into right field. The right fielder failed to catch the ball and slowly jogged over to get it. The runner hit a double, of which should have been a single. The right fielder knew he messed up and let it sink in. I wasn’t out of the game yet.
It was finally the fifth inning, and we were only down by three runs. Even the slight thought of losing put the team down, we acted as though we had already lost. I was up to bat with two outs. I waited for the perfect meatball to come across the plate. When I saw it, I swung as hard as I could. The ball made a satisfying ding noise as it hit the barrel of my bat. The ball was a perfect line drive right into the gap between the center and left fielders. This victory was short lived. I was soon again on the mound, now the top of the sixth inning. The umpire was killing our team! I couldn’t stop myself from blaming the ump after all of the bad strike and ball calls. This thought would not allow my mind to focus on the next pitch, but only on how much I dislike the umpire.
The game ended after seven innings. We had lost sixteen to eight. My teammates and I went into the game very unfocused, and seeming to not care. The coach gave us the lowdown of the game as usual. He told us to “only control what you can control and to live up to the expectations of the officials. It’s attitude and effort that matters.” Combined with both of these, we would have beaten this team. From this day on, I make sure I am mentally prepared for games and put in my best effort. Attitude and effort is what wins games.