April 6, 1995  Thursday

Tomorrow I am going to be the starting pitcher for our junior varisty game vs. Hope Valley (if it doesn’t rain).  I was supposed to start Tuesday, but the game was canceled due to the cold.  Dad could have seen me and everything, since it was a home game.

This is how I find myself on the mound: At the end of last week, at the close of practice, Mr. Kyte the assistant coach took notice that I’m a lefty.  I was told to practic on the mound–really my first time ever doing it–to get used to the rubber and the motion.  By the end of my little session the entire team was circled around, watching me, including the manager Mr. Slapeck.  My pitches seemed wobbly, and I can’t say I brought the heat, but I whipped it as hard I could, and it found the general area of the mitt alright.  Mr. Kyte is always saying now, “We’re going to have a left-hander!”  I guess my southpaw is doing me some good (what’s the big deal about left-handers, anyway?).  Anyway, I think I will do well.

The baseball strike ended Saturday night.  The replacement players are going home and the regulars are going to take the field.  The season will now start April 26th.  This is in part so Cal Ripken can break Lou Gehrig’s 2,000-some consecutive game record.  Cal’s been playing for thirteen years and he’s never missed a game.  Wow.

Tom Waddle, a former wide receiver for the Chicago Bears, has gone to the Cincinatti Bengals as a free agent.  It’s where he grew up.  I’ll miss Tom in training camp at Platteville.  He would sign for everyone, talk to the reporters, and he always wore a D.A.R.E. shirt under his practice jersey.  Tom was always really nice to me and a real class act.

I feel good because I got a 89% percent on my Algebra test, which I often struggle at. It’s my second-highest score in that class.