Date: Wed, 25 May 2011 20:18:30 +0000
From: Douglas DD DD <thehakaanen@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Perfect Game  Chapter 23

Welcome back to "The Perfect Game" and spring break. For a chapter we
leave to the boys and enter the world of adults, in this case the Mayfield
Middle School coaches. While the players on the Titans might want to tell
you otherwise, it is the adults who run the show.

However, two important things happen in this chapter. One is the
germination of an idea that will lead to an interesting pairing of boys. The
other has to do with an already existing boy pair as we find out that the
connection between the twins and the coaching staff is connected by a sexy
pair of munchkins.

Thanks for reading. Remember to be over 18 and send any comments you
may have to thehakaanen@hotmail.com.

CHAPTER 23
SPRING BREAK-THE COACHES

Coach Sanders and Coach Ecklund were enjoying an after dinner chat about
baseball, kids, and baseball and kids. Coach Sanders had been invited to a
Sunday night dinner at the Ecklund house. Vince Sanders was a bachelor
and Dean Ecklund had been happily married to the same woman for 25
years. He had a 20 year old son in college, a 17 year old daughter who as a
senior at Mayfield High School, and another son, Chandler, who had been a
pleasant surprise 10 years ago.

"So you're heading up to Seattle tomorrow?" Ecklund asked.

"Yes. I will be back Thursday in time for practice."

The two coaches took sips of their coffee when Ecklund's wife brought in
some boysenberry pie for dessert, each with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.
The men took their pies and thanked her. Just as they were getting ready to
dig in the phone rang. Mrs. Ecklund answered and quickly called out,
"Dean, it's for you."

"Who is it?"

"Avery Benson."

"Well now, isn't that interesting," Dean said. "I wonder what he wants."
Avery Benson was a dentist and was also on the school board. His son Carl
had been one of the sixth graders cut by the coaches. "We've already had
our talk about Carl."

He flicked the switch on the phone to Speaker Phone. "Hello, Avery. This is
a pleasant surprise."

"Maybe not so pleasant when you find out why I am calling, Dean."

"We've already had our chat about Carl. There is nothing more to say there."

"This isn't directly about Carl, though after I have my say you might need
him to fill a roster spot."

Dean looked and Vince, shrugged his shoulders and said, "Go on."

"You know about the tradition of the baseball alumni party, I assume."

"Unfortunately, I do. But what does that have to do with Carl or with me?"

"Some of your boys were there on Saturday," Avery Benson said with some
satisfaction. "Once I tell you who they were you might just have some roster
space open for Carl."

"I know about the whole high school tradition behind the party, Avery. Jack
looks the other way, the parents look the other way, the town looks the other
way, and most people are happy." Jack was Jack Collins, the longtime head
coach of the Mayfield High School baseball program. "I don't approve, but
that's the way it's been for a long time."

"But what about your own middle school boys being there? Isn't that a
different issue?"

"It is indeed. It is a much different issue. If any of them were there I wasn't
aware of it."

"Then let me tell you who was there," Benson pushed.

"Before you do, let me tell you a few things," Ecklund said. "No matter how
many places open up on my roster, Carl will not be filling one of them, for
two reasons. First, like I told you after he was cut he is overweight, woefully
out of shape, and worse he is lazy.  He won't play for me until that changes."

Coach Ecklund had told Avery Benson about why Carl had been cut when
Benson called the next day. He also told him that Carl had some positives
going for him, including his love for the game and his ability to hit the ball.
He said if Carl showed up the next spring in better shape and a willingness
to work at the game he stood a chance of making the team. He then outlined
a fitness plan, gave the names of a couple of excellent baseball camps, and
said that playing summer ball was a must.

"You've already made that quite clear," Avery Benson said with more than a
hint of anger in his voice. "And what is reason two?"

"Reason two is that giving your son an easy way to make the team is
teaching him that he doesn't have to be responsible for himself. If he sits
around long enough his dad will find a way to help him out. I won't be a part
of that and I know you are too good of a father to want to lead your son
down that path."

There was a long silence as Avery Benson worked to regain control of the
conversation. "Okay, we'll deal with that later. But do you want the names?"

"Before I answer that, let me ask you a question. You realize that if you give
me the names of the middle school boys who were at that party you will
have to give the names of the high school players who were there too?"

"And your point is?"

"My point is," Coach Ecklund said in measured tones, "is that there will also
be some roster spots open on a team that is currently 8-1 and 4-0 in league.
The point is I know how much you like seeing those trophies in the trophy
case and would be happy to add another one."

"Okay, I see your point. But still, you can't say you can really look the other
way regarding seventh and eighth graders being at a kegger."

"Here is what I think we should to, Avery. Hear me out and if you agree
with me then we can move on."

"Okay, talk to me," Benson said.

"Jack will give his usual meaningless talk about the rumors he heard
regarding the alumni party. He will then make the usual promise about how
being at a party where alcohol is being consumed could mean suspension.
And it is an empty promise because he only follows up on it if somebody
rubs his nose into the issue." Dean Ecklund was not a big fan of Jack
Collins. He liked Collins enough as a person, but he felt that Collins had
spent the last decade resting on his laurels and that baseball in Mayfield had
declined as a result.

"I will read the riot act to the middle school kids," Coach Ecklund
continued. "In my case I was truly unaware that middle school kids have
been attending that function, so my talk will have a bit more depth to it. I
will make the same promise as Jack. Only in my case I will follow through
on anything I hear."

"So far you haven't told me anything new," Benson said, interrupting
Ecklund's flow.

"Hear me out," Dean Ecklund said somewhat impatiently. "I will then talk to
Jack and tell him that I had a chat with a member of the school board who
thinks the whole charade surrounding the alumni party needs to end; that it
has gotten out of hand. I will suggest that maybe it's time to have a chat with
Abner Hotchkins regarding high school kids attending the party."

"Will he go for it?"

"He will. Jack is a good man and a good coach, but he developed this big
blind spot regarding that party and other goings on. I dealt with it the couple
of years I coached JV ball, and I let my feelings be known then. I have said
little since because to my knowledge it wasn't affecting the kids on the
middle school team. But now that it does I am going to step in. I will also
tell him that next year when the alumni gathers on the farm, if they gather on
the farm, he and I should promise the kids we plan on stopping by sometime
that night to monitor who is there."

"Okay, I will go for it if you follow through on all of what you said. But I
will ask one thing first."

"And that would be what?" Ecklund asked warily, thinking it was going to
be a favor regarding Carl.

"That you use my name as the school board member who is concerned. That
should make it official."

"I was hoping you would say that." Coach Ecklund knew that when he
wasn't dealing with his son Carl, Avery Benson was actually a pretty
reasonable man.

"One more thing before you go," Ecklund said.

"Yes?"

"Doesn't Danny Foster live near you?"

"He does. About a block away."

"Are he and Carl friends at all?"

"They hang out together. Play together sometimes at each other's house.
They go to the same church youth group. Why?"

"Just an idea I'm working on," Ecklund said. "I'll let you know if it has any
merit once I figure things out."

"Always the man of mystery are you?"

"Sometimes I am."

The two men finished their chat and hung up. Ecklund turned to Coach
Sanders and asked him what he thought.

"I think it was a pretty productive conversation. I think we both will be glad
to see that farce of an alumni party end, at least as far as current students are
concerned. What was the deal with the question about Danny?"

"I'm not sure yet. I just think Carl has some potential but is a bit spoiled by
his dad."

Sander laughed. "Just a bit spoiled? How does totally spoiled sound?"

"Point made. I think Avery will suggest Carl do the things I laid out, but I
don't know how hard he will push him. I think he still feels that Carl has
some from of entitlement coming to him and all he needs to do is be a year
older to make the team."

"And you're thinking that matching Carl up with a somewhat driven athletic
type like Danny might be the ticket to getting Carl to work hard?"

"Something like that. But I needed to know if the two of them were at least
friendly. And I have to figure out how to broach the topic with the two
boys."

"Good luck," Coach Sanders said. "Who from our teams do you think were
at the party?"

"I don't know, but not many. The high school kids really don't want to be
hanging around with the `little' kids, but a couple of our boys have older
brothers and a couple of  our kids have honed their middle school
rebelliousness.

" So, who was probably at that party? I would say Marty and Steve. We
know that Marty likes to follow trouble and rumor has it he has problems
with alcohol. Maybe Crawford because he hangs with Steve. Vince because
he has an older brother on the high school team who is known to be a partier.
That would be about it. But you never know."

"That sounds about right to me," Coach Sanders. "That many at the most,
and probably those boys."  Neither of the coaches had the remotest thought
that Rich would be one of the boys at the party.

The phone rang again. Ecklund recognized the number and picked it up.

"Hello?" He listened for a moment and then said, "Sure, I'll call him."

He covered up the mouthpiece and yelled out, "Chandler. It's for you.  It's
Korey."

Next: Spring Break---Eric and Scott