Lost Letters / Lost Love - 2. Chapter 2 1974 – Best Buddies

In chapter 1 you learned that Gary and Kevin had been best buddies in high school, forty years earlier. Why now is their now such animosity that the two purposely avoided each other at their fortieth reunion?

Their friendship started in 1974. Kevin and Gary both excelled in baseball. Years earlier they both played Little League. In middle school the two were on intramural teams, and when they entered high school both were on the junior varsity team in their freshman year and played on the varsity team beginning their sophomore year. In 1974, their junior year (third year), both were first string players. Kevin was the catcher and Gary usually played first base. Each had his own circle of friends and they did not socialize off the ballfield. Their only contact and conversation took place on the playing field and in the locker room. Without their interest in baseball, they would have been total strangers. It wasn’t that they didn’t like each other - they just never really knew each other.

In the spring of 1974, the Long River High School was the top team in its league, which made it eligible to play in the State Championship Tournament. LRHS was playing the final game in the tournament, having won each qualifying game. Their opponent, Mill Valley High School, had won the state championship the two preceding years and had been expected to again be the champion.

In the third inning the first man up struck out. Kevin then doubled by hitting deep into center field with the ball bouncing off the fence. The next batter was Gary who had a swinging strike on the first pitch. Kevin successfully stole third base with Gary again swinging. He then hit a fly ball deep to right field. Kevin tagged up and ran like hell. He beat the throw from right field by a fraction of a second and scored the first run of the game. In the seventh inning Gary hit a homerun. Mill Valley had scored one run in the fifth inning. Thus, at the end of the eighth inning the score was LRHS 2 and Mill Valley 1. Kevin and Gary had scored the two runs.

Long River batted first in the ninth inning. Although two men got on base, there was no scoring. If Mill Valley did not score in the bottom of the ninth, Long River would win the game and receive the State Champion Trophy. Mill Valley needed one run to force the game into extra innings and two runs to win. The first batter singled on a blooper that bounced between the short stop and left fielder. The second man up hit a line drive into right field. As the right fielder ran and dove for the ball he slid on the grass and stopped it on the second bounce. Seeing the fielder on the ground, the batter rounded first base and slid into second. The runner on first base advanced to third base. Ace Newton, Long River’s pitcher, walked the third man up. With the bases loaded, Walt Jones stepped up to the plate. Walt not only had the highest batting average of the Mill Valley team, he led the league in batting, runs batted in, doubles and home runs. He already had three hits including a home run, Mill Valley’s only score.

Ace felt intimidated at the thought of pitching to the opponent’s top batter. After five pitches, the count was three balls and two strikes. If Ace walked Walt the runner on third base would score and the game would go to extra innings if there was no other scoring. If the batter hit to the outfield the runner on third would probably score. Ace rejected Kevin’s, the catcher’s, first two signals. Then he pitched. Walt swung. As a line drive appeared to go over the head of Gary playing first base, the agile sportsman leaped into the air and caught it (first out). As he landed back on the ground he quickly tagged first base catching the runner who was a few steps off the base off guard (second out). Meanwhile, the runner on third began running after the catch and was attempting to score. Gary from first base hurled the ball to Kevin the catcher who tagged the runner as he attempted to slide into home plate (third out). A TRIPLE PLAY! The game was over and Long River won its first state championship in any sport.

Every player on the team rushed onto the field to congratulate the two young men responsible for the win. Not only had Gary and Kevin made the only score, the two were responsible for the triple play that defeated Mill Valley. As the team celebrated with high fives and back slaps, overjoyed Kevin and Gary spontaneously hugged. As they embraced each felt a tingling coming from more than the exuberance of winning. The celebrating continued on the field, in the locker room, showers and on the team bus returning to Long River. Up to this moment, Gary and Kevin had been acquaintances with nothing in common other than baseball. They had suddenly discovered each other. There was a comradery that neither could explain. They had hugged on the field and later showered next to each other. When they got on the team bus to return to Long River, these two young men, who had never before had any interaction together except on the baseball field, sat together. The forty-five-minute ride was boisterous as the teammates happily discussed their winning the state championship that had seemed unlikely, even a week earlier.

The following day, Sunday, the team was invited to the home of the president of the Sports Booster Club for a pool and pizza party. Kevin and Gary were inseparable. Each totally enjoyed the company of the other. There was some unknown force that was pulling them together. The following Monday, at lunch in the school cafeteria as Kevin approached the table were Gary sat with his friends, Gary motioned to an empty seat. They became lunch partners and on Friday Gary had a suggestion, “My parents have a cottage on Eagle Lake. I’m going there this weekend to do some spring yardwork which will take a few hours. You are welcome to come with me. This is a great time of the year to canoe as the summer crowds have not yet arrived. We could just hang out. No one else will be there. We could go on Saturday and stay over until Sunday afternoon.”