Yesterday, I talked about winning and losing. So I guess it's time to talk about my competetive nature. I've been competeing forever, always playing to win. So now it's time reveal a secret that will shed some light on my competitive nature.
When I was in little league I was a tremendous pitcher. My brother Bobby taught me to throw sidearm like Kent Tekulve. I perfected a sidearm riser that was virtually unhittable. I had one other pitch, a devestating out of control fastball. I couldn't throw the heat for strikes but it really kept the hitters off balance. As the season went on I became confident and cocky. I remember one game, I struck out 9 and walked 1 in three innings of work. A little Papplebon in the making. Together with Randy Penny we formed a great one two punch. So enough about me, you get the picture.
Sandra Whyte is possibly the greatest athlete to ever come out of Saugus. She was all world evrything in high school. Field hockey, softball and of course hockey. She went on to play field hockey and ice hockey at Harvard. At one time she was Harvard's all time point scorer in ice Hockey. After college Sandra played on the US National women's hockey team and eventually played in the olympics. You may remember that she was accusded of making fun of a Canadian players dead father ( a true Saugonian). Sandra denies this by the way. She was also very smart and one of the nicest kids I've ever known. When Sandra played little league she was a terrific hitter, a feared Wade Boggs type of line drive hitter. A very tough out for any pitcher. So now you know about Sandra.
One day at school my buddies were busting my ass all day about facing Sandra that evening. They talked a lot of smack about her lining hits all over the place on me. They really got into my head. I was freaked. I decided there was only one thing to do, I would bean her.
Sandra stepped into the box and got comfortable. I went into a full wind up, no pitching from the stretch for this one. I unloaded a fastball right at her skull. It may have been the hardest pitch I have ever thrown. Sandra ducked her head and raised her shoulder. Kaboom, smash kabaam. I beaned her in the shoulder. If she didn't move the way she did I may have killed her. She dropped like the titanic. The poor kid started crying as the coaches ran to the batters box to scrape her up. That would be her only at bat that night. I promised the kids at the lunch table that she would not get a hit off me, now it was officical. I had protected my ego.
As Sandra fell to the ground I turned around and winked at my second baseman. One problem, my dad liked to watch me pitch from centerfiled. I thought he was going to hop the fence and beat the shit eating grin off my face in front of my friends. Thank God he waited until later. My dad was bull shit, but he didn't go totally off. After all, how could he. He was the one who taught me the brushback pitch. He fully endorsed beaning the first batter of each game in the leg. He figured everyone else would be afraid to dig in against me.
So there you have it, I'm a competeitve freak with an ego and always will be. I will need that competive fire to finish this marathon. As for Sandra, I like to think that I helped "toughen" her up, that somehow this was a positive experience for her also. I don't think she knows I did it on purpose and she probably doesn't even rembemer it. I on the other hand will never forget it.
Up until now only a few people knew my secret. Well now its out, in print and off my chest. I feel so much better now. So there you have it. I don't regret the beaning and I'm not embarrased about it. It is what it is, two people competeing at a high level.
Sandra if you ever hear this story, I'm sorry and I hope you are doing well.
talk to you soon...ross
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