Choices

The writing prompt for last Tuesday’s Sturgis Library Writing Group was the photo displayed above. The source of the photo is Anders Saling who is spending the summer on Cape Cod as the team photographer for the Harwich Mariners of the fabulous Cape Cod Baseball League. I encourage everyone who reads this story to visit Anders’ website “Salingmedia.com” to see more of his terrific sports photos and portraits. Thank you Anders for allowing me to post your photo on my blog.

When I saw this photo, for some reason I was immediately drawn to the experiences of former Major League Ballplayer George “Doc” Medich. Twice during his career he leapt into the stands to administer CPR to fans who had suffered heart attacks during the ballgame. At the time, in addition to his pitching duties, “Doc” was a student at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. My story that follows is completely fictional.

Choices

Aaron Henry, first baseman for the Mashpee Mollusks of the Cape Cod Baseball league, had finished his warmup throws and began a few exercises to stretch his leg muscles. He paused a moment during his squats to reflect on the argument he had with his dad the previous night.  As much as Aaron loved baseball, a game he began playing when he was five years old, he had begun to feel it was not going to be his life’s goal.  His experiences over the two summers he spent as an EMT with the volunteer fire department in his hometown had convinced him his true calling was to be a doctor, a surgeon. His academic prowess, along with his baseball skills made him a highly sought after scholar/athlete. His choice to attend a small liberal arts college disappointed the recruiters from all the major universities and Ivy League schools, but he was drawn to the school’s neuroscience program.  He argued with his dad about leaving the Mashpee team mid-season to attend a seminar on the use of stem cells in battling Parkinson’s Disease.  His father was adamantly against it.  “You are the most sought-after college baseball player in America,” his father declared, “I don’t know where this Doctor stuff is coming from.  With signing bonuses, in your first minor league season alone you’ll make 5 times what any Doctor makes.”

“It isn’t about the money,” he told his dad, “There are no guarantees of a long, lucrative career in any sport.  Jim Bouton once said, ‘you spend a great piece of your life gripping a baseball, only to discover it was the other way around, all the time’. I don’t want that to be my life.”  

“Jim who? Sounds like a loser to me and you sound like a fool!”  The phone call ended.  In his crouch, Aaron stared at the grass, seeking an answer.  His thoughts were disrupted by the shouts of his teammates calling him to the dugout for the coach’s pep talk.

When the National Anthem ended, Aaron pushed the argument from his mind and gave his full concentration to the game.  Going into the bottom of the 9^th inning, Mashpee held a slim one run lead over Chatham.  With two outs and runners on 2^nd & 3^rd  bases, the Chatham batter fouled a pitch high into the air along the first base side of the field.  Seemingly an easy, game ending out, Aaron drifted to his left, tracking the ball’s trajectory.  He glanced down for a moment to check his distance from dugout when he spotted a woman in the stands clutch her chest and fall to her side.  Her husband, startled at first, realized what was happening and began to cry out for help.  Aaron’s attention was no longer on the ball as it bounced near his foot.  Shouting to the Mashpee team trainer to bring the first aid kit, Aaron vaulted the fence and was next to the stricken woman in two leaps. 

Kneeling and leaning close to the woman’s face, he observed she was not breathing and immediately began to perform CPR.  After a few chest compressions, the woman choked, moaned and began to breath on her own. He was able to get her to take an aspirin.  The EMT’s from the Chatham Rescue Service arrived and rushed the woman to the hospital.

The game eventually resumed.  With the missed foul ball, the Chatham player was still at bat and lined the next pitch out to the fence, driving in both runners and, thus, winning the game.  But the celebration became surreal as the players and coaches from both teams rushed to the field and surrounded Aaron, giving him hugs and shaking his hand.  They were soon joined by a crowd of fans.  The outcome of the game was never remembered, what lingered in everyone’s memory was on that June day, Aaron Henry saved someone’s life.  On that day a decision was reached.

In the second round of the Major League Baseball draft, Aaron Henry was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He shrewdly invested his $750,000 signing bonus, and after two minor league seasons, began classes at the University of Pittsburgh Medical School.  

Post Script: if you didn’t catch on, the name of the character in my story is in reverse order of one of my favorite baseball players, the Hall of Fame member Henry “Hank” Aaron. Also, if you haven’t read it, I recommend “Ball Four” by Jim Bouton. It has the distinction of being listed in the New York Public Library’s Books of the Century, the only sports related book on the list. It is also identified by Time Magazine as one of the 100 greatest non-fiction books published.

Ernie Stricsek

The Sturgis Library Writing Group

June 20, 2023