First to third

   I played my first organized baseball as a sophomore in high school on the JV team.  We had baggy white uniforms with dark green pinstripes – hand-me-downs from the varsity team, which had gotten spectacular new green and gold uniforms that looked like the Oakland A’s. 

    I ran fast but didn’t hit well, so mostly I hoped for walks and a chance to steal second base.  Or to try the play that Donnie Webster came up with, when we played up in Woodstock. 

    I led off.  Donnie hit second, not because he hit well, but because he could bunt.  And he was clever.  He told me that if I got on first, he would bunt down the third base line, and when the third baseman came in to field the ball I should round second hard and just keep going all the way to third if, as happened in JV ball, the shortstop forgot to cover. 

    I think it actually worked once.

    We drive by the baseball field in Woodstock, right off Route 4, whenever we go up to Rutland by way of 93 and 89.  Some day I’ll stop and walk over to the field.  Maybe stand in the batter’s box.  Who knows, maybe even go stand on first base.  And then, if nobody’s covering, run like hell all the way from first to third.