A/N: Sorry; a bit of a baseball chapter to start. But I've had this one twirling in my head for weeks. I gotta rid of the demon. But after the baseball stuff, it will be family and team. It's a bit of a follow-up to One Step Back, Two Steps Forward.
All rights to the characters of the fast sinking ship Criminal Minds belong to Mark Gordon Studios, CBS and ABC Studios.
Chapter 1
The Braves had split the first two games of their three game home series in the middle of September against the New York Mets. While some of the rookies and pitchers were coming around to the veteran's way of thinking and learning, there were others that were not. With the September rookie call ups, that was causing a bit of fission in the Braves' locker room between the rookies and the veterans. And everyone from the top brass to Brian Snitker and his coaching staff could see it.
And it wasn't sitting well with the veteran players. Zach and Andy were now considered part of that group.
The series' closing game on Sunday afternoon turned into a battle. Like always, Zach didn't catch a Sunday game after catching two night games. With the Braves trailing 7-9 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Snitker had Zach warming up in the on deck circle. Incarte and Freeman were on third and second base respectfully.
Zach looked at the first pitch he saw was a little outside of the hitting zone. "That's lined into the right field corner," Chip Carey said in the TV announcers' booth. "Ender scores easily with Freddie right behind him as Zach cruises into second with a stand up double. Zach delivers another clutch hit to tie up this game."
"Chip," Joe Simpson, the color commentator said, "that was just another example of what Zach brings to his job; he jumped on the first pitch that he could drive somewhere to score two runs. The Mets were shading him defensively to pull. He took the pitch he got and ran with it."
Snitker looked around the dugout at his team. Matt Kemp, batting next, sent a rocket shot to left field; but it fell short with the Mets' left fielder catching it on the warning track.
The teams just kept trading runs with the game still tied. But Snitker had used a lot of pitchers to keep the Braves in the game to help out his offense. In the top of the fourteenth inning, Luke Jackson, a late season call-up had got the first two outs of the inning. He threw his next pitch to the Mets batter that sailed on him. He asked for time from homeplate umpire Joe West, which West granted. Zach now catching, taking over for Fiddle, ran out to the pitching mound, pushing up his catcher's mask.
"What's up Luke?" He showed Zach his index finger on his pitching hand. It was a warm, muggy day in Atlanta. Zach saw the blood coming from a blister Luke had worked up throwing his two seam fastball. Zach waved at Jeff Porter, the Braves head trainer to come out of the dugout. Porter, along with Snitker bolted out as well as pitching coach Chuck Hernandez. West walked to the mound as well as did the Braves infielders. Potter shook his head at Snitker. "He's done Skip."
Snitker looked at Zach. "Cob, I'm out of pitchers. Can you get an out for me? I know you and Flowerpot have had some sessions in the bullpen together."
Zach looked at him. "Skip, we were just fooling around."
"You looked pretty good to me Cob," Hernandez said. "And you might teach some pitchers a thing or two."
Zach looked at West. "Can I get rid of my cup and get a few warm-up pitches with Flowers?"
"After the way you treated me last season when you got called up? Hell no kid," he smiled. "Let's just get it done guys. MLB will be all over my ass about the length of the delay." He smiled. "Now ask me if I give a shit."
Snitker looked at him. "Thanks Joe," he smiled.
"I won't need much Joe," Zach smiled, sprinting to the dugout. After taking out his cup in the privacy of the tunnel leading to the lockerroom, he came back into the dugout as Tyler was putting on his catching gear. Flowers looked at him. "Teachable lessons Ty: the Maddox theory."
Flowers smiled. "Location, location, location; got it Cob."
Zach looked around the dugout. "I need a glove."
Luke tossed him his as Porter was working on his finger. Zach and Tyler headed to the field. Zach looked at West. "Blue, more Flowerpot than me. My arm is warmed-up." Zach had thrown out three different Mets batters that had tried to steal second base after getting a hit in the course of the five innings he played catcher. West nodded with a smile.
Jack, watching the game at home with his dad, looked at Aaron. "Zach is going to pitch?" he excitedly asked, as the Braves' TV announcers were filling in the viewing audience of Zach's prior experience being a relief pitcher in high school and his first years in college.
"Sorta looks that way Jack," Aaron said. His cellphone rang.
"Zach is going to pitch?"
"Sorta looks that way Dave." Jack shook his head at his dad.
"Beth!" Jack shouted. "You gotta see this! Zach is pitching!"
Beth, doing a bit of dinner prep, came into the living room. Aaron smiled at her. Every warm-up pitch Zach threw, Tyler threw down to second base to Ozzie Albies to get his arm warmed up.
After seven pitches, Zach looked at Tyler. He nodded at Zach with a smile. "We're good Blue," Flowers said to West.
"Let's go guys," West said looking a Jose Reyes in the Mets' on deck circle keeping warm himself. "Your pitch count is one and ohhh," West said to Flowers. Flowers signaled that to Zach who nodded back at him, drilling him the Hotchner glare. Ty put down a sign for the pitch he wanted; Zach shook him off. Tyler smiled. You are really going to make this a teachable moment dude. He flashed another sign. Zach nodded.
Zach threw his signature first pitch curve ball that perfectly hit the strike zone. It completely froze Reyes crossing over from left to right. West called it a strike. Tyler signaled Zach for his cut pitch that he once threw to Uncle Harry; the one that looked like it was in the strike zone and then dropped down and away from the right hand hitter. Zach perfectly nailed it. Reyes flared at it and missed. "Way to go Zach!" Jack shouted. Beth rubbed Aaron's shoulder with a smile.
"That's nasty and just not fair," Simpson said. "But that's how talented this kid is."
Chuck Hernandez, in the Braves' dugout walked past his pitching staff. "It's not velocity guys. It's being a realtor."
"Coach?" one of the young guys asked.
Folty and RA Dickey shook their heads at the kids. "Location, location, location," they both said together. "Velocity does not matter," Folty added.
Dickey, the knuckle-baller, just smiled. Tyler winked at Zach and gave him the sign for his fastball; inside; and down and away to Reyes. Zach perfectly placed it. West punched him out, calling the third strike. "Zach Hotchner rips off an eighty six mile per hour, perfectly positioned fastball to end the inning," Chip said. "The heart of the Braves batting order is up next on Fox Sports South." Jack jumped around living room sharing high fives with his dad and Beth, who smiled at her husband as the commercials rolled. Dat's my boy, Dave texted Aaron.
Reyes looked at Flowers who tossed the ball towards the pitcher's mound. "What the hell was that?"
Flowers smiled, pulling up his catcher's mask. "Someone that is way smarter than you Jose; and just taught a bunch of young kids a lesson. Sorry man. We're in teachable moments to get back to the top."
Reyes shook his head and walked towards the Mets dugout. He looked at Terry Collins, the Mets' skipper going down the steps into the dugout. "They scare me next year."
With two outs in the bottom of the fourteenth inning, Zach came up to bat. After weeding out three pitches, Zach swung at the fourth. "There's a deep fly ball to left field," Carry excitedly said. "This ball has a chance! Gone! Braves win!"
"Chip," Joe Simpson said, "we gotta get our staff digging. I can't remember when the pitcher of record hit the game winning homerun." Coming around third base, after sharing a high five with third base coach Ron Washington, Zach took off his batting helmet and jubilantly tossed it towards the dugout. The Fox Sports South crew let the video play out as Ozzie and Johann sneaked in behind the celebration at home plate to douse Zach with one of the two huge Gatorade buckets that were in the dugout.
"Ya gotta love that," Carry said.
Jack jubilantly danced around the living room, sharing a large high five with Aaron who rose from his seat on the couch to watch his oldest son's homerun. Jack and Aaron both hugged Beth. They all laughed at the Gatorade bath Zach got after he touched home plate.
"Chip," Joe said, "our crackerjack staff found it. The last time was in 1986. Craig Lefferts of the Padres hit a game winner against the Giants."
"And Kelsey Wingant has the man of the hour down on the field. Take it away Kelsey," Chip said.
Kelsey put her hand on Zach's shoulder. "Where do we start Zach?" she smiled. "Take us through the top half of the inning and Brian giving you the ball?"
Zach smiled. "Skip knew that I and Ty played around in the bullpen with me pitching. And he didn't have any more pitchers. He trusted us. And Flowerpot called a great sequence of pitches. And we sent messages to our young pitchers that I learned from Maddox. It's being a realtor."
"Zach?" Kelsey asked.
Zach smiled. "Location, location, location; velocity is not everything."
Kelsey smiled. "Take us through your walk off," she said, pointing at a monitor.
Zach shook his head. "Game time prep; I watched Mike pitching in Triple A. I just had to weed him out to get his curveball." He looked over Kelsey's shoulder at Kemp and Freeman trying to sneak up behind him with the other large Gatorade bucket. "Get lost guys," he shouted. "I'm wet enough." It didn't matter. The three Hotchner's in Virginia roared with laughter.
After meeting with reporters and getting the drying, sticky Gatorade off body taking a shower, Zach reached for his cell and turned it.
Great game! Please be smart about getting home.
Zach smiled. Yes dear he texted back, adding a big smiley face. Two beers with the guys and I'm on the road. I don't drive like that. What's for dinner?
You're cooking ribeye's on the grill. I'm doing bakers and lettuce salad.
Sounds great babe! See ya in an hour.
Forty-five minutes later, Caleigh's cell phone rang. She smiled, looking at the caller ID. "Hi Uncle Dave."
"Hi sweetheart. How you feeling?"
"My reproductive organs are back to normal."
"TMI for me, but good to know," Dave smiled. "Caleigh, I've been trying to call Zach. But his cell keeps going to voicemail."
Caleigh smiled. "He's driving home Uncle Dave after having two beers in the clubhouse with the guys. He's heads down, being a responsible driver after those beers. His cell is off."
Dave smiled. "That's my boy. Have him give me a call."
"You got it Uncle Dave," Caleigh smiled. "But Dave you do know you're number two on that list."
"Got it Caleigh," Dave smiled. "I have no doubt Jack is still bouncing off the ceiling."
Caleigh laughed. "Love you Uncle Dave."
"Love you too sweetheart. I can't wait for you kids to get home."
"Uncle Dave, you'll never understand how much we want to get there. It's been a long and disappointing season for Zach."
"I get it hun; Zach and I talk. But maybe today's game will spark something in that young club."
"Let's hope it does," Caleigh said. "I'll make sure Zach calls you Uncle Dave. I love you."
"I love you too sweetheart," Dave smiled.
-00CM00-
It was more than a spark. The Braves, playing all of their opponents in their division, went on a blistering 18-2 run to end the season. Including making Jack's Nationals win the East Division pennant at the Mets' home stadium. The Braves swept them in their home ballpark. Beth rubbed Jack's shoulder. "You OK with that."
Jack smiled. "It hurts Beth; but I'm happy for Zach."
While they were already out of playoff contention, they sent major messages.
Every player that met with the reporters the Monday after the regular season ended in Braves' home lockerroom, as they cleaned them out said the same thing. "This team is ready to make a run."
###
A/N: Just go with the baseball terms I use. I know most of you don't get it. You know by now I'm a huge baseball fan. But if you do have questions, I'm a PM away and happy to explain.
