The Lineup(4)

Carson kisses the side of her head. “The way it should be.”

“Now that you’re back in Chicago, do you think you’re going to reconnect with any old flames from college or high school?” Emory asks.

“Old flames?” I take a bite of my sandwich and chew for a few seconds before swallowing. “I didn’t have any old flames, one-night stands, sure, but nothing I’d consider rekindling.”

“Are you open to a relationship?” Milly asks. “I know a few single moms who I’m sure would be interested.”

I glance at the two eager matchmakers and motion my finger between the two of them. “Are you guys trying to set me up?”

Emory shrugs. “You’re such a catch. It’s hard to understand why you don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Taking a little too much interest in his love life,” Knox says from the side of his mouth.

Emory palms his face and pushes him away. “Don’t worry, your penis is the last penis I’ll ever touch.” Knox perks up with a smile. Such a douche. “But wouldn’t it be fun to all go out on a date together?”

“The guy just moved here, maybe give him a second to unpack before you start thrusting women at him,” Knox says gently. “Unless . . . do you want women thrown at you?”

I grab the bill of my hat and give it a nervous tug. “I don’t know. It would have to be the right woman, you know? Someone who’d handle my lifestyle, be understanding, and also despite playing for the Rebels, be able to cheer for me with pride. But I’m not sure if I’m quite ready. This offseason I have a lot to do for my charity, so I’ll be focusing a lot of my time on that and training. I might not have time for a woman.”

“If you find the right one, she’ll help you with your charity,” Milly says. “Which reminds me, if you need anything from Division One Athletics, let me know.”

That’s where Milly works. Did I fail to mention she’s a mechanics marvel when it comes to baseball? I would personally say the best in Illinois. She knows her stuff, helped Carson with his swing back in college, and they still work together. She works at one of the top facilities in the country, perfecting the swings of Chicago’s youth.

“Thank you, that means a lot to me. Still trying to get everything up and running. There’s a lot more to all of this than I thought, but my family has been a huge help.”

When I knew I was ready to start a foundation in honor of my brother, I turned to my family to help me. My sister was more than happy to step up, as well as my parents, especially after I told them it was to honor Joseph, who has cerebral palsy.

My twin, my biggest fan, the guy who gives me drive to do better every day. He’s the best person I know and because of him, I want to make an inclusion foundation that raises money for those with disabilities to be included in The Lineup by providing them with the right equipment to do so.

In high school, I had the most understanding and caring coach of all time. He saw my talent and saw the way Joseph yearned to be on the field with me, so my junior year, after I sat down with Coach and asked him if Joseph could be the bat boy, he said, “Why don’t I do you one better and put him on the team?”

I wasn’t sure how that would work given Joseph uses a walker to get around, which requires both of his hands, but Coach Whittaker had another vision: Joseph became a pinch runner.

After sitting our family down, Coach Whittaker asked Joseph, “Have you ever wondered what it felt like to score a run for your team?” When Joseph emphatically shook his head, yes, Coach told him, he was going to get that chance.

And sure enough, Joseph did.

Between our junior and senior year, he scored fifteen runs as a pinch runner.

Let me tell you, standing at home plate, my brother and his walker at third, begging to be able to cross that plate, nothing ever inspired me more to someway, somehow, get my brother to score a run for the team.

Out of those fifteen runs, I hit him in ten times.

That’s a feeling I’ll never forget, and something I want to be passed on from ballplayer to ballplayer. No matter your limitations, there’s always a spot for you in the lineup.

“Don’t you have that date thing coming up too?” Carson asks. “I’ve seen PSA about it all over the damn place.”

“Yup, I think people have one more week to enter and then the winner will be announced right away.”

“What date thing?” Milly asks while dabbing her mouth with a napkin.

“It’s with that group called Charity Hustle. They contacted me a few months ago asking if I wanted to participate. Basically, they set up an exclusive opportunity for fans to have dinner with a celebrity and the way you enter is by donating to the celebrity’s charity of choice.”

“Oh yeah, I entered a few,” Emory says with a blush to her cheeks. “There was one where you could go on a dinner date with Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. I knew it was a long shot but I donated anyway.”

“Aren’t you cute,” Knox says. “I can score you a dinner date with them if you want. Remember, I used to date Mia Ford. I know people.” Knox tacks on a smile, but it does nothing to help him from the scowl directed at him. Mia Ford is a well-known celebrity and while Emory and Knox were apart, he dated her. Let’s just say, I don’t think Mia is a name used often around their apartment.