Chapter 494
Friday May 17th was the scheduled final day of highschool baseball. Scheduled long ago like the prom on June 1st or graduation May 6th. The final exams ended this week, the final game was largely a reward after finals. After the May 13th terrorist attack principal Wood almost cancelled this game. It did seem almost vulgar to play baseball after something like that. But he realized that people needed this, after tragedy especially. They needed to have a little fun, while they could. Coach Marin almost didn't put Buffy in this game. She was the best player he had, when she showed up. But she did come tonight, she needed this release as much as anyone. Buffy did well, giving up only two runs as the pitcher. She also scored the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth when Larry made the sacrifice bunt. But the most remarkable thing was how everyone, players and fans, enjoyed themselves. The world had experienced tragedy this week, noone knew where or when this would happen again. Yet, this gave them a neccessary reprieve from fear. After Pearl Harbor president Roosevelt advised commissionar Landis to keep baseball going. Americans were about to work longer and harder than ever before, never knowing when the enemy might invade. They needed this entertainment more than ever before. More than seventy years later, on the cusp of a new war, baseball once again proved an important solution.