Lisa's MySpace
Contains my daily blog and more
Blogger Blog
Contains my trials and tribulations with publication and other creative things
Lisa's Photography
I love to take photographs. Please visit me on DeviantArt
The Woo Woo Kid
by Moon Mistress
a/k/a Lisa Beth Darling
Of all the things in the world young Roberto Miguel loved baseball the most. Being a good New Londoner his favorite team was the Boston Red Sox, his favorite players; Carl “Yaz” Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk, Jimmy Rice and Dwight “Dewy” Evans. On any given warm day you could find Roberto outside with his two best friends Steven and Connie (also big Red Sox fans) playing baseball in any one of their backyards. It’s hard to play baseball with only three people but they managed. All they needed was someone to pitch, someone to bat and in case the ball was actually hit someone to be in the outfield, the batter was also the catcher but again this did not present a problem. In this they had all of their bases covered so to speak. Not that there were any bases mind you. Perhaps, first base was a clothesline, second base a post in the cyclone fencing, third was an old tire swing and home plate nothing more than worn out patch of dirt. No, it wasn’t regulation but it certainly worked for them.
“Batter up!” Steven would cry when Roberto came to the plate.
“Awww, he-no-batter-no-batter-no-batter-no-he’s-no-good.” Connie would taunt in the outfield as they’d taught her to do even though she thought it was rude she came to understand this was a ‘psych out’ though it didn’t often work.
Roberto would stand at the plate bat at the ready and Steven would chuck a speedball at him.
Smack!
Oh, how they all thrilled to the crack of the bat!
Over the fence and sometimes down the embankment went the ball when Roberto hit it and Connie would have to go chasing after it while Roberto ran the bases with his right hand held high in the air, his index finger proclaiming that he was ‘Number One’ and screaming out ‘Woo-Woo! Woo-Woo!” at the top of his young lungs, his boyish face beaming a lovely bright red as he held that hand high in the air shaking it for all to see.
In the fall of 1975 the young children gathered around a small black and white television in Roberto’s basement to watch the Red Sox play the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. Red Sox fans, will tell you the Sox won that series 3 games to 4 as they had the better ball club. Alas, the truth is, the Sox lost the series 3 games to 4 and the Curse of the Bambino continued for another 29 disheartening years.
When Roberto got older he joined a little league team for Smith Insurance. Steven and Connie would often wander to Mitchell Field to watch his games. Rob would stand at the plate looking sharp in his blue and red uniform while those gathered cheered for the boy who was quickly becoming known as The Woo Woo Kid due to his ability to hit the ball out of the park and his inability to stop cheering for himself when he did. Through high school and college Roberto’s biggest dream was to play for the Boston Red Sox but his coaches often told him that, while he had the Right Stuff, if he didn’t stop screaming ‘woo woo’ others would never take him seriously and he’d never make a major league ball team. This did not deter Rob who was picked up by the Pawtucket Red Sox in the spring of 1998 and was a real crowd pleaser not only for his ability to knock ‘em outta the park but for his enthusiasm for America’s Favorite Pass Time. The players on his team and the others made fun of him for all of his woo-wooing but they couldn’t deny he was one of the best damn ballplayers they’d ever seen. After two years playing Triple A ball, Rob finally went to The Show. He was picked up by the Boston Red Sox and in his very first year had a batting average of .375 shattering the record for a rookie which had stood at .373 since 1930. Despite the advice of earlier coaches, during home games when Rob got up to bat the whole of the hometown crowd would stand up and cheer “Woo-woo! Woo-woo!”
Then came the biggest night of Roberto’s life, the one he’d hoped and prayed for the one that haunted his dreams since childhood. It all happened on October 24, 2004 under the darkness of a full lunar eclipse. Roberto “Woo-Woo Kid” Miguel took his place at the plate in the last game of the World Series, this being only the second World Series the Red Sox had made it to since, very regrettably, trading Babe Ruth to the Yankees and consequently suffering through the Curse of the Bambino for 82 years. On that night the lights in Fenway Park were brighter than the sun as he stood there holding the Louisville Slugger in his hand and staring down the pitcher with his heart in his throat.
Bases loaded. The count set at 2-3. Two outs. Tie score. Bottom of the 9th, in the biggest game of his life possibly the history of the world! As the pitcher made ready the crowd held its breath and the silence was deafening.
Whoooosh! Went the ball as it sliced through the air at nearly 100 mph.
CRACK! Came the response of the bat.
Ballpark franks, beer, popcorn and sodas all hit the deck as the crowd stood up on its feet cheering like roaring lions they watched the ball sail over the Green Monster. When it eventually came down it shattered a windshield in the parking lot beyond setting off the car alarm which echoed the sentiment of the crowd inside as it screamed out ‘Woo Woo! Woo Woo!’ The lights on the big board flashed fireworks and the words ‘Woo Woo! Woo Woo!’ in massive glowing letters while the speakers blared ‘We Are The Champions’ celebrating the fact that The Woo Woo Kid had shattered the Curse of the Bambino for all eternity with a grand slam home run.
‘The Woo Woo Kid’ rounded the bases in his own style. His hand held high in the air giving out the ‘I’m Number One’ sign, his heart racing and his face bright red as he stomped upon each base until he arrived at home plate to the waiting arms of his teammates and hoping that somewhere out there Steven and Connie were watching.
Return to Original Musings
Email Me
Explore the Adult Fandom Based Stories
Explore the Photography Gallery
Explore the Music On this site
Explore the Pagan Library
Explore the Genealogy Library
Site Home Page