# Oil of Olé!



## aj47 (Aug 27, 2011)

The ball came off the bat and bounced toward the right side and to the left of Manny Rios at second. He tried to stop it, but knew it wasn't going to happen. The top of the second inning, and the first time a ball had been hit anywhere near his position. The runner on first base was able to make it to third easily as the right fielder's throw came in late.

_It isn't working_, Manny thought. 

The second-baseman was using a brand new glove that he had carefully broken in. He had been oiling it and tying it for over two months--since he'd gotten it for his birthday. 

Manny didn't believe in magic, not really.  But like all ballplayers, he tended to be superstitious.  He kept a lucky pebble in his pocket, for example, and he always was careful to step over the foul line when going on or of the field.  He also thought that he could give his glove special properties by oiling it with special oil.

Now, breaking in a glove is a lot of work.  You apply the oil and rub it in all over--the back, the pocket, the fingers.  Then you shape it around a baseball and tie it with string or use a rubber band to hold it in that position, repeating the process until the glove feels ready, and possibly playing some catch with it to help break it in more.   

Manny didn't play catch with _this_ glove.  He wanted to surprise his coach and his teammates with how well it was broken in.  Every night before bed, he would untie the glove, oil it well, and retie it.

He wasn't sure it would be ready, but today was a big game against a team that had beaten them before, in part, because Manny had made two fielding errors. He did not want a repeat of that game.

In order to give his glove better power,  Manny stored the oil on his nightstand, surrounded by the magnets he had used for his 6th grade science fair project.

Magnetic oil; magnetic glove.  To make sure, he would talk to his glove as he oiled it.  About baseballs and holding them--feeling their solid thunk in the pocket and hanging on to them.  Not deflecting them or dropping them.

And Manny still didn't know if it worked.  That ball had been out of his reach. Now there were runners on the corners with only one out--a double play could end the inning.

Two balls and one strike later, the ball bounced neatly to the shortstop. Manny was quick to get to second, catching the ball on the run.  He stepped on the bag, jumped over the sliding runner and threw the ball to first, completing the double play.

...Or he tried to.  The ball was stuck in his glove.  After what seemed like forever, he managed to pull it loose, but it was too late to get the runner, who stood safely on first base.  Meanwhile the runner on third had scored.



 Manny called time out and went to get his old glove.


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## feralpen (Aug 31, 2011)

Hi Annie;

  Sometimes we try too hard. We put every ounce of loyalty, dedication and effort into something so important to us, and ... it just doesn't happen. You write these vignettes so well. In reading I can see much of what you see in writing. It's a very good experience.

fp


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## aj47 (Aug 31, 2011)

Thank you!  I wrote this from a prompt on another writing site 2 years ago.  Something about magic.  And I had this idea just cohere.   Because they didn't say the magic had to _work_--only that it had to be in the story somewhere.  Recently I re-evaluated where I am I as a writer vs. where I want to be.  And fixing and polishing old stories is a move in the right direction.  So I spent some time on this over the weekend and posted it.   Every time I read it I spot another tweak that needs to happen.  When I get a handful, I'll revise and post the revision.


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## patskywriter (Aug 31, 2011)

I really enjoyed your story! However, there's something that doesn't seem to ring right. Double plays are bang-bang quick. Wouldn't a 2nd-baseman who's aware that a ground ball could result in a double play make a barehand catch so that he could quickly relay the ball to first base? Of course, that would mess up your story.

Not being able to complete a double play is very forgivable when the kids are only 11 years old. I'd think that the disappointment (and drama) would be greater if the ball were hit directly to him (as a "routine" ground ball or short fly ball). Instead of dealing with a split-second double play, the boy would experience time slowing as he readies himself to catch or field the ball while all eyes are on him. And you'd be able to tell us what he's thinking while he pounds his glove in anticipation. …


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## aj47 (Aug 31, 2011)

Thank you for your input.  Originally he was older but someone on another forum said a 14yo wouldn't do the whole magic oil thing.  I didn't think through the consequences of making him younger, but you are absolutely right.


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## empresstheresa (Oct 27, 2012)

I see a problem here.  The event is the ball sticking in Manny's glove.  But he caused this to happen himself.  So it sounds like he's not somebody the reader would want to hang around with.

How about this?
Manny has not been very respected as a baseball player. He hasn't been that good, to be frank, and he's thinking of giving the game up.  He's looking for that big play that will change people's opinion of himself.
He's a shortstop.
One day, a batter pops up a ball and tries to get to first base.  Manny catches the ball, putting the batter out.  The runner on third has just taken off for home but tries to make it back to third.  Manny steps on the third base bag putting that runner out.  The runner on second base tries to make it to third.  Manny tags him out.

Manny has scored an *"unassisted triple play" !!!!* :applouse:  :smiley_simmons:  :triumphant:

This actually happened in a Little League game earlier this year.  It's on tape.

Since this actually happened,  you're free to use it in your story.  It's not somebody's "idea". 

Now Manny is a hero.  The storyline becomes can Manny continue to be a good player?


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## Foxee (Oct 27, 2012)

Hi, Annie, I loved the gentle superstitious magic you brought to play here, very childlike and hopeful. It's easy to groan with sympathy for Manny when he's gotten a little too much of what he's tried so hard for. I don't know baseball very well but I had an easy enough time following the idea of things. When Manny went back for his old glove I simultaneously smiled a little at the pragmatic return to doing this himself without magic and at the same time felt the same kind of letdown he probably felt.

Nice short piece, you've done a good job of evoking sympathy and emotion in an economy of words.


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