1. All characters are 18+
2. No characters resemble real people
3. Enjoy the fiction
Baseball Ch. 10 - The Old Man
Williamsport was a smaller town than Allentown, but it was one of the larger cities in the area, surrounded by tinier towns. It was home to the Crosscutters, one of the Phillies' single A minor league teams.
The good news about being assigned here was that it was still in Pennsylvania. I was only a few hours of driving from Casey. I could have been assigned to another single A team further south, much farther away.
The bad news I was easily the oldest player here, at 27. Most of the other guys were 19, straight out of high school. Everyone was under 23 except for one 25-year-old named Hank Lyman, a third baseman.
They all looked at me funny when I came into their locker room. A few of them thought I'd retired and become a coach. "No, I'm here to play," I told them.
"Awesome, you can buy us beer," one of the young guys quipped.
"Ha! No." I quickly shut that down. I'd find out later that they could get their own beer, thanks to the couple of guys of legal age. Their actual interest was more about my contract and salary. As a former triple A player, I was still making decent money. These single A guys had poor salaries, and many had daytime and winter jobs to help support themselves.
It was weird getting used to the new position. I'd drilled at first base during spring training, but the coaches and trainers had forbidden me to do some things. "No sliding," they told me first. I nodded. Second was "no diving for the ball."
I frowned at that. "You don't want me to... field grounders?"
"Fielding is fine. Bending over to get them, yes," Bud said. He was my new coach here in Williamsport. "But no diving left or right. Above all, we don't want you to reinjure your knee. You're too valuable a player. We don't want you to do anything the doctors don't clear you to do."
I guess I should be grateful that they still saw me as valuable. The team was invested in me. I wanted to show the same level of commitment.
----
Speaking of commitment, Casey and I decided to go ahead and plan for a mid-November wedding. The season would be over, and we'd have a winter honeymoon before the next spring training. Casey promised to visit during the season as much as possible. And Lani, Casey's best friend and soon-to-be maid of honor, was on board to help.
Then the GM, Bob Blazer, had a heart attack, right before the season started. He survived, but he'd be out for at least a month. Casey was suddenly thrust into his responsibilities. I knew before she told me, she'd have no time to drive out to me. And even when I had a day off, she'd be busy.
----
Bud played me at first base every other day, giving me plenty of time to rest and recover. He clearly wasn't taking any chances with me. After the first few weeks of the season, I was feeling better. My knee didn't bother me so much, and I felt like I was acclimating to playing my new position.
I told that to Bud. But he wasn't going to take a chance and play me more than one day in a row. He also had other, younger players to play. He told me, "I need to see their potential, just as much as yours. I know you're used to playing most days. But I just need you to be patient." He didn't say it, but the message I was receiving was this: I was a low priority to him. He made his living on developing the young guys, and rehabbing the old man wasn't as important.
After watching Hank Lyman, I realized why Bud thought that way. Hank wasn't good. He'd never advance to a higher league. But he had a contract, and management was too lazy to cut him, so Bud had to play him every once in a while. Hank was hanging onto the dream for as long as he could.
Bud was an older man, skinny, with short white hair, and a perpetual frown. It took a lot to make him smile, let alone laugh. It was unfair that Bud was lumping me in with Hank. I was much better, but older. And I began to resent the implication that I was another Hank.
----
"You're not happy," Casey told me on a video call one night. I sat on my bed in my tiny apartment. It was a studio, far smaller than my first place in Allentown, but it was cheap and close to the stadium.
"No, I'm not. I just want a chance to show I'm doing better." I sighed. "I'm wasting time here. And to top it off, I'm hours away from you."
"I miss you too." She gave me a soft smile.
"How's the team? And Bob?"
"The team is fine, just fine." Then she frowned. "Bob is... not well. He's not recuperating as fast as expected. He wants to come back, but Dad is thinking he should just retire."
"Wow. If he does, are you ready to take on the big job, full time?"
"I'd better be. I'm already doing it. I had to hire someone to help take care of my job while I do Bob's. Landon is helping where he can, but he's a data analyst, not a manager."
"I get that," I said. "I'm sorry you're overwhelmed."
"Me too. I could use you here. I need some stress relief."
I grinned. "Me too."
She picked up her computer and carried it into her bedroom. "Take off your clothes," she said, closing the door behind you.
"What are we doing?" I asked, taking off my shirt.
She took off her shirt too. "We're having phone sex. Video style." She deftly removed her bra, then squeezed her breasts in her hands. "I miss you so much."
"God, I miss you too. I wish I was there with you."
"Tell me what you'd do if you were here. Describe it to me."
I'd never done this before, so I didn't know any smooth lines or sexy things to say, but I gave it my best shot. "I'd kiss your neck, right by your ear, in that spot you like."
"Ohh, yes."
"Then I'd run my hands all over your body, softly, to give you goosebumps."
Casey shuddered. "Im feeling them."
That gave me a little confidence to keep going. "Then I'd kiss your breasts, nibbling on them gently. And I'd slide my hand into your pants, gliding my finger on your little slit." I watched as Casey closed her eyes and her hand dipped into her shorts. I asked, "Are you getting wet for me, baby?"
"Yes. So wet."
"Take off your shorts, let me see."
She stripped them off with her underwear, and now sat naked on her bed. "You too," she said. "I want to see you."
I dropped my pants too and my dick proudly stood up for her. "Oh, hello friend," she cooed, "I miss you too."
"He misses you. He wants to be inside you as soon as he can."