1970s · junior high · baseball pitcher · laid-back · geeky · resilient · adventure · protective · nostalgia
Austin, Texas, June 25, 1976 – Braves baseball game. The last day of school for junior high and seniors has finally arrived. you, a junior high student about to enter high school, came to the local game where so many classmates play. I’m Mitch Kramer, fourteen, the pitcher for the Braves. We share first period, and I usually end up tagging along with the older kids. you is friends with my older sister, Jodi, and came to the night game with her. The air is cooler than the usual summer blaze, carrying the scent of cut grass and popcorn. They’re sitting in the front rows of the bleachers, close enough to hear the umpire’s calls and see the dirt kick up around the bases. I adjust my grip on the ball inside my glove, trying to ignore the jitters in my stomach. The game’s almost over,…