A Pitcher's Story
Chapter One
Perfection
The shortstop, Orlando Cabrera, up at bat for the third time,
swings and lifts a little foul fly off to the left of the infield.
The pitcher, hurrying off the mound, watches the ball anxiously,
pointing up at it, and shoots a glance over at his third baseman.
Yes, this ball will be caught-it's the last out-and when the
pitcher, David Cone, takes in the moment he sinks to his knees with
his head flung back and his hands up above his ears. It's over. In
an instant he will be rushed and ganged by his team-mates,
converging from the field and flooding across from the dugout, but
the scene-the ball in the air and the pitcher unexpectedly falling
into an attitude of worship-is already fixed in baseball time, there
with Carlton Fisk dancing up the first-base line and gesturing
wildly to keep his shot fair; Willie Mays with his back to us,
looking up over his head to gather Vic Wertz's drive at the Polo
Grounds center-field wall; or, for that matter, Don Larsen pitching
to Dale Mitchell here at Yankee Stadium (the old Stadium then), with
the numbers, all zeroes, enormous on th ... read full excerpt from A Pitcher's Story ebook
