𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒊𝒙𝒕𝒚-𝑻𝒘𝒐 | b. rodriguez

the beast

Gasps, all around. Mouths hung open.

"What?" Ham asked, stepping away from Scotty in disbelief. "What did he say?"

Benny rubbed the back of his neck, looking down at the ground. I felt so ashamed for Scotty.

"What, were you born in a barn, man?" Bertram asks.

"Yeah, yeah– what planet are you from?"

I face palm, suffering extreme second-hand embarrassment from my little brother.

Even I was surprised that Scotty hadn't heard of the Great Bambino. I mean, anywhere. School? Come on.

"You never heard of the Sultan of Swat?" Squints asks, amazed.

"The Titan of Terror," DeNunez adds.

I could tell they were trying to help, get my brother to experience some sort of recognition – I knew it was pointless. Scotty didn't know squat about baseball.

"The Colossus of Clout?"

"The Colossus of Clout?"

Even Kate knew who Babe Ruth was.

"The Big Bam," she said, earning a few looks of admiration.

"The King of Crash, man," Benny offered. He looked at me and I nodded my thanks. It was up to Scotty to wise up now..

"Oh, yeah.. the Great Bambino," he started.

Oh boy..

"Of course. I thought you said the Great.. Bambi."

I held back the urge to sigh in relief.

"That wimpy deer?"

"Yeah, I guess– sorry."

"Huh.." Everyone was silent, as if pondering how on earth anyone could compare the greatest baseball player of all time to a cartoon deer.

✱ ✱ ✱ ✱

Later, at the Sandlot, Ham was up to bat.

"Hamilton.. 'The Babe,' Porter" he said, announcing himself to the imaginary stands.

I held my mouth shut but the air in my stifled laughter found its way out of my nose.

"'Longball' Porter."

Kate and I connected glances, rolling our eyes.

Ham held his left hand out to the sky, pointing to left center where he was calling his shot, just like the Babe.

Everyone cackled at him, and it finally made sense to me where he got his nickname.

A chuckle escaped me, but I didn't want to be on Ham's bad side anymore, so I tried to hide it, holding my glove up to my face as I stood, knees bent in right-field.

"Hurry it up, Hambino," Kate called from her newly assumed position in the outfield.

"Shut up," he muttered scrunching his nose as he finally swung the bat over the plate a few times to warm up.