"Little Black Book Story"

"The Little Black Book Story

Number One Recruit”

The white chalk blew ever so slightly outside the perfect ninety-foot line between third base and home plate. Manny dusted off home plate and admired his handy work. The patchwork design of the outfield rivaled any major league ballpark and the fine clay of the infield had been meticulously raked. The only remaining detail was to strap down the bases. Manny strolled to his Gator to grab the bases when heard a loud whistle.

The siren like whistle blew through Coach Reynold’s rounded lips. “Wow, Manny. The field looks amazing! We could not ask for a more perfect day to play for a championship. Is Ryan excited for the game?”

“Thank you, Coach. I wanted everything to be perfect too. Ryan is nervous, but he will be ready to play. The Hawks have won state the past two years, so he knows they will be tough. Then, there is the added pressure of all the scouts who will be watching.”

“He is going to be amazing, just like he has been for the past three years. I’ve got to tell you, Manny, I have never coached a more naturally talented ball player…and he is an even better kid.”

Manny’s heart swelled with pride. “I will let his mom know that you said so, Coach. That will mean the world to her. Ryan is definitely something special.”

“Manny, when you were a professional scout, did you ever see someone who could hit like Ryan?”

Manny smiled and slowly shook his head, no. “I called a couple of my old colleagues to come by the game this evening. I am afraid I am biased because he is my grandson, but he is one of the best I have ever seen too.”

“That is awesome about the scouts!” Coach Reynolds reached in his pocket and pulled out a baseball card with Ryan’s picture on the front and stats on the back. “I had these made for all of the seniors to share with any interested scouts…their parents will love them too.”

“Thank you, Coach. This is more valuable to me than any card I have ever owned. I’m going to head home now to get cleaned up before the game. I’ll see you in a couple of hours and I will be sure to introduce you to all of my old colleagues.”

“Sounds good, Manny. See you later.” Coach tipped his hat and headed towards the dugout.

Manny drove the Gator back to the fieldhouse and walked slowly to his truck admiring Ryan’s baseball card. Ryan’s dark brown hair was like his own and his daughter Amy’s, but his sapphire blue eyes must have come from his father. Manny never knew the identity of Ryan’s father and Amy would never tell. She said that she did not want to ruin his life and that he had way too much potential to give up his dreams.

Manny never agreed with Amy’s decision, but he felt responsible, none-the-less. How could he have ever thought that traveling the minor league baseball circuit was a place for a seventeen-year- old girl? Yet, when his Lilly died, he did not know what else to do with Amy.

Lilly had always been the glue that held their little family together. He had consistently traveled six months of the year, while Lilly held down the fort. She and Amy were two peas in a pod and they both loved him unconditionally and supported his passion for the game. So, when Lilly passed-away, Amy joined him on the scouting circuit. Manny masked his grief by throwing himself into the game and Amy apparently found a young man to help her through her grief. Looking back, it was inevitable…a beautiful young woman, longing for a connection, and a field of dreamers.

It was only a couple months into the season when Amy tearfully broke the news to Manny. She would never reveal the father, but she insisted on keeping the baby. Once Amy had Ryan, Manny knew things had to change. So, he gave up scouting and took a job at the local high school as the custodian and the grounds keeper. This also allowed him to be there full time for Amy and Ryan.

His dream changed that day, but not nearly as much as his daughter’s. She had always wanted to be a nurse; instead, she had to drop out of high school. Taking care of a baby took the place of prom, sleep overs and pep rallies. Yet, somehow…they made the best of it. Pouring their energy into a new baby helped push the grief of losing Lilly into the background.

Eventually, Amy was able to go to night school and get her G.E.D., and as Ryan got older, she was able to enroll in the local community college. Now, as Ryan was approaching graduation, Amy was finishing her clinicals to become a nurse practitioner. Manny could not be more proud of his family!

Manny had always shared his love of baseball with his grandson and Ryan embraced the game with a fervor that he had never seen. He was truly a natural. Ryan could hit anything and his pitching matched major league speeds during his sophomore season. Today’s game could help determine Ryan’s entire future. A baseball scholarship would be a dream come true or a professional contract, even better! It had not been easy raising a family on a custodian’s salary and Amy’s college had placed them further in debt.

Manny opened his glove compartment and pulled out his little black book. He hadn’t used it since his scouting days, but it looked as good as new. He slid Ryan’s baseball card between the first two pages and smiled. He knew his grandson belonged there. He turned the corner towards his house and the glare of the sunshine caught his eye. He never saw the SUV coming…and his last thoughts were of Ryan.

Ryan was on deck in the clean-up position. As he swung three bats back and forth, he scanned the stands. It seemed like the entire town was there cheering them on; however, he had not seen his grandfather. He knew he must be in the crowd though. He had never missed one of Ryan’s games, ever. Ryan could still remember his Grandfather yelling words of encouragement when he stepped up to the tee years ago. “You’ve got this my boy! Give it your all!” Grandpa Manny had prepared him for this moment his whole life.

The batter before Ryan got a hit and bases were loaded. Ryan stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and a feeling of warmth and peace flooded his body. He knew that his Grandpa Manny was watching and he knew what he had to do. The opposing pitcher went through his wind up and released a fast ball that had struck out many of Ryan’s teammates. Ryan’s laser like focus watched the pitch connect with the end of his bat…CRACK! The ball soared beyond the left field fence. It was a grand slam! The crowd went wild! Ryan rounded the bases smiling from ear to ear. He waved at his mom and continued rounding second base. He was so excited to speak to Grandpa Manny and his scout friends. This was the moment he had waited for his entire life.

As he crossed home plate, his teammates grabbed him and hoisted him onto their shoulders! Euphoria was washing over him and from that higher vantage point he hoped he would spot Grandpa Manny. Instead, he saw his mom talking to two police officers and sink to the bleachers with her hands over her face.

“Put me down guys, put me down! Now,” Ryan shouted! He broke free from his teammates’ grip and ran towards his mom.

“Ryan, wait up” a white -haired man in a Cincinnati Reds cap yelled. Ryan ran past him and directly to his mom.

Ryan looked into his mom’s tear-filled eyes and took her into his arms. He knew right away that something had happened to Grandpa Manny. The police confirmed their worst nightmare. Grandpa Manny had been killed instantly in a head on collision. Ryan went into shock. His grandpa, his father, his coach, his best friend…gone.

The next few days flew by in a blur. Ryan and his mom received so much love and support from their friends and their community, but nothing seemed to dull the pain and the emptiness that Ryan was feeling. It was the first time in his life that baseball did not seem to matter. The scouts were keeping their distance and being respectful of their grieving process. The state championship that they had won three days previously didn’t even seem real…nothing did.

As the last of the well wishers left Grandpa Manny’s mercy meal, Ryan and his mom sat quietly holding hands. They were physically and mentally exhausted. “You know, he loved you more than anything.” Ryan shook his head and a tear ran down his right cheek.

Knock, knock, knock. They looked up startled and saw a police office at the door. “Amy and Ryan Rodriguez? My name is officer Jordan and I have the contents of your father’s vehicle.” He handed over a folder of papers and a little black book.

“Thank you, officer Jordan.” Amy took the items and could not believe her eyes. She had not seen her dad’s little black scouting book in almost twenty years. That black book had been his bible. He tracked every rookie he had ever discovered in that book. Amy did not even know it still existed.

Ryan watched the surprise in his mother’s eyes. “What is that, Mom?”

“It was your Grandpa’s scouting book! I haven’t seen it since before you were born.”

Ryan slowly opened the leather-bound Moleskine black book. Something fell to the floor. Amy bent down to pick it up. “Look at this Ryan! It was Ryan’s baseball card. Ryan was reading the first page and he quickly realized that what he was looking at. He was reading his own stats. His Grandpa had recorded his stats from every game he had ever played.

“Ryan, this is where your Grandpa tracked all his best players and you were number one!” Ryan started leafing through the pages and suddenly he looked up at his mom, in shock.

“Mom, this book is full of rookie cards!” Ryan picked up one card, in particular, and held it up to Amy. Amy quickly inhaled and she saw the same sapphire eyes as Ryan’s looking back at her. Memories of a summer love, long gone by, overtook her.

“Mom, do you know who this is?” Ryan’s excitement was undeniable.

Why did he pick that card? Of all the cards, why him?

“Yes, Ryan…why?”

“Mom, this is a Derrick Peter rookie card! It is worth like $20,000!”

The shock of seeing Ryan’s father again was superseded by what Ryan just said. “Seriously, Ryan?”

“Yes, mom! Grandpa did it again. He is still taking care of us. This little black book is the answer to all of our prayers.”

Amy grabbed her son and hugged him tightly. Tears ran down her cheeks and she held that little black book. “You’re right, Ryan. He loved us more than anything and according to his scouting report… you are his number one recruit!”