Big Dongs and Long Thongs (A Journey to the Major Leagues Baseball Quest)

San Jose, California
September 4th, 2012

"Are you looking for someone to play catch with?" You asked as you approached the nervous-looking kid. You casually ignored the loose ball, which rolled into the dugout nearby, earning a look of annoyance from the pair playing catch.

The 'kid' wasn't actually a kid at all. He looked like he was the same age as you but was shorter by a few inches. He looked up hopefully when you asked the question and smiled, "Are you new?"

You nodded as you picked a ball out of a nearby bucket and tossed it to him, "Lucian Sparks. Freshman. I'm aiming to be on the..." (Warning: This will affect the expectations of coaches and managers. Meeting expectations can result in a Trait, boosts in Ratings, and increased opinion with the general staff. Failing to meet expectations will result in big penalties due to your low Handling Failure stat. FreshSoph is the only choice to give no rewards or penalties. Choose wisely)

[] FreshSoph Team
[] Junior Varsity
[X] Varsity

"Isaac Palmer," Your partner replied as he slung the ball back at you. Despite his small frame, he threw the ball hard and accurately, "I'm also a Freshman, and I'm aiming for the FreshSoph team. It won't be easy, but I think I have a small shot of making it."

"What position do you play?"

"Centerfield."

You grinned as you whipped your shoulders around and tossed the ball towards Issac. Thankfully, Issac was close enough for your throws to look accurate and powerful, despite your awareness of your weak Fielding Arm, "I play Leftfield. It looks like we might be patrolling the outfield together in the future."

Isaac answered with an anxious smile, "Seems so. Then I'll be in your care since I'm not that good of a player."

The small boy looked down at his feet again, but he instinctively threw the ball at your glove. You managed to catch the throw without moving an inch, and you looked down at the pockets of your glove in shock. Issac wasn't even looking when he made that throw! And when you threw the toss back at him, Issac moved the bare minimum to make the catch and made a slick spinning move to fling the ball back at you.

[X] "You make a lot of good plays for being a 'not that good of a player.' I think you're underestimating yourself." (Everything you have seen so far has pointed towards the fact that Issac was a good or even great player. Sure, warmup tosses didn't determine the worth or skill of a baseball player. But something tells you that there's more to Issac than what he claims.)

[] "Are you not good at batting?" (Maybe Isaac was good at fielding but bad at batting? It's not uncommon for extremely skilled fielders to be terrible batters.)

[] "You're in good hands," You reply as you puff out your chest a bit. (You're confident in your own abilities, and if Isaac needs help, you think you're more than capable to assist him.)

[] You barehand the ball and throw it back to Isaac without missing a step. If he's making flashy plays, you can't be left out in the dust! (You think Isaac might be trying to attract the coaches' attention on the field, so you reply in kind. After all, good first impressions are important!)

After your warmup with Isaac finishes up, you promise Isaac that you will trade contact information with him after the practice ends. Perhaps you can work with him to earn a spot on one of Mitty's three baseball teams?

+++++


"I throw it to the Third Baseman so he can relay the throw home or force the runner into a rundown if he tries to return to third base," You replied confidently.

"And why's that?" Coach Harris asked inquisitively.

"I know my own limits," You calmly answered without changing your facial expressions. However, you felt your fingernails digging into your right hand's palm as you admitted one of your faults out loud, "My arm strength is sub-par at best, and a wild throw home can result in the opposing team scoring a run and the batter taking second. A throw to third base is the safest option considering my circumstances. Additionally, you never mentioned the score or the inning, which can affect my decisions as well."

The bespectacled coach looked nonchalant as he wrote two sets of numbers above the field drawn on the whiteboard. The score was '8-7' at the top of the 8th inning, with Mitty's team in the lead. "If this is the current score and inning, then does your answer remain the same?"

"Yes, coach. It's better to play it safe and prevent the batter from advancing to second, rather than risking it and failing. And there's still a chance that the Third Baseman can relay the throw to home in time or hold the runner as you stated the runner was 'about to round third.' Which means that the runner hasn't touched third yet. Throwing the Cutoff Man in that situation, which would be the Shortstop, gives more time for the runner to round third since the Shortstop would be in shallow left field. Unlike the Third Baseman, who would be on third base and closer to home plate. Throwing to the Second Baseman does the same thing, but it will probably guarantee that the runner will score since he's much further away compared to the Shortstop and the Third Baseman, and he probably has a weaker arm to boot."

"Excellent analysis and reasoning," Coach Harris smiled widely as he looked at the other players, "The best players are those that are aware of their own faults and rely on the team to cover for their faults. Personal glory will not lead our team to the National Championship. Hitting five home runs in a game means nothing if you make a costly, overconfident error that makes us lose the game. If you are certain that you are incapable of making a difficult play, rely on your teammates. Good answer, Mr. Sparks."

(+5 Relations with Third Base Coach Harris of the Varsity Team, +1 to Game Sense, Intelligence, and Handling Failures)

+++++



You watched as the batter managed to hit two, weak grounders that barely left the infield in his ten at-bats. At that point, you felt sorry for him as he looked completely lost at the plate. As he walked back towards the dugout, you saw him shaking his head and looking at his bat with confusion. It seemed like he was unable to figure out the fact that Aidan Taylor, the big right-handed Senior from the Varsity team, was throwing Two-Seam fastballs. Or even if he figured it out, he was unable to time his swings. You adjusted your Bruce+Bolt batting gloves and balanced the Louisville Slugger bat in your hands. It looked like your investment in your batting equipment would help a bit in this situation.

(Bruce+Bolt Batting Gloves: +3 to Contact, Balanced Louisville Slugger Bat: +1 to Power and +3 to Gap Power)

Coach Burke yelled for you to step up to the plate, and you took up your stance reluctantly. You knew that a Two-Seam fastball broke towards right-handed batters, which meant that it would break towards the outer part of the plate for a lefty like yourself. As a result, you decided to grip the bat near the handle and took a few practice swings to calm your nerves. The coach mentioned that Taylor was only throwing fastballs in the low 70s, but you hardly faced anyone that threw with that much speed in the Little Leagues. It was going to take you some time to adjust to the pitcher's speed, but you weren't going to back down so easily.

The first pitch zipped by you fast, and Coach Burke pumped his fists to signal that it was a strike. You recalled that the fastest pitcher on your most recent Little League team threw somewhere in the high 60s, which was already fast enough. But an extra 5 MPH on a fastball made a world's difference to you. And what scared you the most was that Taylor was going easy on him. And only throwing fastballs! You imagined him throwing a curveball and a slider... No wonder this pitcher helped lead Mitty to the National Championship; he felt dominating. You felt the pressure he emitted from the mound despite him only throwing 'easy' pitches. His blond hair gleamed in the sunlight, and he had a menacing glare on his face as he pitched.

However, that first pitch also confirmed your suspicions: Taylor was throwing Two-Seam fastballs. And not just a regular Two-Seamer either. Taylor's Two-Seam fastball broke just a millisecond before it reached the plate, breaking sharply into the outside corner to stay in the zone for a strike. The pitch's movement was absurd, as if Taylor was throwing a whiffle ball instead of a league-mandated baseball.

You took a deep breath and waited for Taylor to throw his next pitch. This time, you swung. However, you only swung air as the ball broke away from your bat and out of the strike zone.

The pitcher grinned cockily as he received the ball from the unnamed Catcher and took his time with his beanbag. Meanwhile, you adjusted your batting helmet and readjusted your batting gloves. You weren't going down this easily, not by a long shot.

Despite your confidence, you whiffed at the next pitch too. This time, the pitch didn't break away towards the outside part of the plate. Instead, it shot inwards into the top left corner of the strike zone. A pitch that was impossible to hit with your current grip on the bat and expectations. (Warning: This is due to your low Adaptability, making it more difficult for you to adjust to the sudden shifts in the situation).

So not only did he know how to throw a Two-Seam fastball, but a Four-Seam fastball as well? It wasn't surprising, since the Four-Seam fastball was the staple pitch for most pitchers. And technically, Taylor was still within the coach's requirements, but this was ridiculous! Did the coach even care?

You stepped out of the batter's box to pretend to readjust your swings when in reality, you looked at Coach Burke in his umpire gear. Instead of looking angry or confused, the coach looked amused as he spat on the ground and grinned at Taylor. It was obvious that he knew what was going on, but was choosing not to say anything.

It was a test: a test to see if any of the newcomers like yourself could hope to match Taylor throwing on 'easy' mode.

If it was a test, then you were going to oblige and prove that you belonged here.

You choked up your bat so you could handle the bat more efficiently and hit inside pitches. The pitches still felt fast to you, but you knew what to expect. A Four-Seamer to the inside, or a Two-Seamer to the outside.

As Taylor turned his 6'5 frame and threw the ball, you reacted instantly.


You cursed as you misjudged the location of the next pitch. You hoped it would be towards the inside of the plate, but instead, Taylor threw a low Two-Seam fastball that just caught the bottom of the strike zone. Instead of making solid contact, you swung through the air once again, for the third time in a row. Four opportunities were gone and wasted. You kicked the dirt in frustration and glared at Taylor as you dug in your heels. You were not going to go down like this.

(+1 Controversy)


You just missed the next pitch, managing to tip a Two-Seamer that broke towards the outer part of the plate with the far end of your bat. The foul tip thumped into the Catcher's glove, but you definitely managed to get a small piece of that ball. You took a deep breath and calmed yourself. This was technically a success since you completely missed the last four pitches (discounting the first one you watched without swinging). Now you just needed solid contact.




It seemed like Taylor was confident he could zip another outside Two-Seamer past you, but you were expecting it. In fact, you were waiting for him to throw another one so you could slam it into his cocky face. The moment the pitch left the pitcher's hand, you knew that it was heading to your 'sweet zone': high and towards the center of the zone. Taylor was likely overconfident in his own abilities and was planning on throwing such an easy pitch right past you. However, you swung with everything you had and hit the ball dead on with the sweet spot of your bat.

You watched in admiration as the pitch sailed out of the infield like a golf ball and streaked towards the right-field wall. The ball flew very high and it looked as though it would leave the stadium entirely. However, the ball fell a bit early and hit the sign on the right-field wall that stated, '320 Feet.' It dropped onto the warning track and rapidly rolled onto the outfield grass. In an actual game, that was definitely a Double off the wall, and it was a near-Homerun at that.

That felt good, really good. Even though you couldn't replicate that hit in your next four opportunities (only hitting two weak hits that stayed in the infield, as Taylor stopped messing around and pitched much more seriously), that hit alone made you extremely satisfied. Maybe you did have a chance at Mitty after all.

(+2 Adaptability for your success against Taylor!, +1 Contact and Gap Power)

+++++

Finally, you finished your final few exercises with the other players before you were dismissed. Before you left, you decided to (Pick 1)...

[] Speak with Coach Burke (If you pick this choice, what do you want to talk to him about?)
[X] Speak with Coach Harris (If you pick this choice, what do you want to talk to him about?)
[] Speak with Isaac (If you pick this choice, what do you want to talk to him about?)
[] Speak with Taylor (If you pick this choice, what do you want to talk to him about?)
[] Go to the Batting Cages. Maybe we can get a few more swings in and even meet someone.
[] Run around the outer length of the field. Nothing like a few cooldown laps to help strengthen our legs!
[] Lift a few weights at the private gym. We can't use the sport's team exclusive gyms outside of practice, might as well use them now.

Relationships are simple in this Quest. I know that the Batting system is fairly complicated, so I kept the Relationship system simple.

Every person you make a relationship with will have an opinion of you. 0 is neutral, meaning that they have no ill or good opinions of you. The minimum opinion a person can have about you is -100 (which means they're your enemy or nemesis). The maximum opinion a person can have about you is 100.

The higher your relationship with a person is, the more likely you will be able to convince them to do something (ie, Ask for one on one training, or ask to hang out). Of course, there is a bit of QM discretion, since it would be odd if Lucian asked one of his coaches to go to the movies and eat dinner with him. Other than those odd scenarios, the Opinion modifier will affect your interactions with other characters. Which means it's probably a good idea to maintain a good relationship with the coaches and managers, along with other players on your team.

Each person you have a relationship with will also have a personality trait that may affect your interactions with them.

Ordinary interactions (such as asking other characters basic questions or just small talk) will not involve a roll. However, activities that go beyond that will result in a roll (out of 100). If someone has a negative opinion of you, you can not go beyond small talk/basic interactions with them. So keep that in mind for future reference.

San Jose, California
September 4th, 2012

"Well, I've always wanted to play with the best. So that's why I'm aiming for Varsity," You said as you caught your partner's throw with a grin. You weren't 100% certain if you had the skills to play on the Varsity team, but you still had five months until the tryouts. And you were definitely going to try your ass off to make sure you at least put on a good show.

Isaac nodded his head shyly as he readied himself to catch your throw. However, you held the ball and looked at him directly, "You make a lot of good plays for being a 'not that good of a player.' I think you're underestimating yourself."

"You can tell from my warm-up tosses?" Isaac teased.

"No, it's just... Call it a feeling."

The brown-haired Centerfielder looked at the ground bashfully, "I started playing baseball last year. Before that, I played tennis, so my reflexes are pretty fast. But I've had some trouble... adjusting to a bat."

You weren't sure whether to laugh or nod your head in agreement, so you went with a neutral option, "I see."

"Rackets are a lot lighter and much easier to swing. Bats? Not so much. My batting stance is pretty weird, too; I wait in the batter's box with only one hand."

"Wait, one hand?" You asked. Surely, Isaac didn't mean...

"Yeah, I hold my bat like I hold a tennis racket," Isaac demonstrated by getting into his stance and swinging an imaginary bat. Sure enough, he held his 'bat' with only his right hand, and a millisecond before he swung, he clamped his left hand onto the bat. "It's a bit off-putting, but it's the most comfortable stance for me."

"That's fine. I mean, Kevin Youkilis gripped the barrel of his bat when he was in the Major Leagues, right? And he was still a pretty good hitter for the Red Sox."

"Yeah, but I don't hit like Kevin Youkilis in his prime," The short boy replied glumly, "I hit and field like Brendan Ryan."

You winced at the mention of the Seattle Mariner's Second Baseman. Brendan Ryan was hitting below the Mendoza Line this year (below the Batting Average of .200), but he was still a Gold Glove level fielder. His glove was literally the only reason why he was still in the Major Leagues, as his bat had been ice-cold for the past several seasons, "You still have a lot of time. And besides, you only started baseball last year. I'm sure you'll be fielding like Brendan Ryan and hitting like... Derek Jeter in the future."

Isaac snorted, "Hitting like a future Hall of Famer? No way."

However, after your reassuring comments, Isaac looked a bit more confident than before and chatted with you like an old friend during the warm-up session.

(Relationship with Isaac +10, +1 to Loyalty, -1 to Controversy. Discovered Isaac's Trait, 'Self-Doubter': +20 Handling Failures, -10 to all Batting Ratings, Lower chance of accepting requests that involve managers and coaches.)

+++++

"Coach Harris!" You waved at the Third Base Coach as you entered the dugout he was sitting in.

The said coach looked up from his clipboard and smiled as he saw you approach him, "Do you need something from me, Mr. Sparks?"

"Sorta," You scratched the back of your head and took a moment to phrase your questions carefully, "I...I have something private that I want to discuss with you if that's ok."

"Sure, I have some time. And since you raced towards me right after practice finished, it must be something important. Right?"

You felt your cheeks heat up at the comment but held down a biting remark and silently nodded. After all, you were doing this to improve as a player and establish good relations with the Varisty team staff.

Coach Harris led you to his small, private office that was next to the Home team clubhouse. As you entered, you looked around and saw a few framed pictures of the coach standing with various players hanging on the wall. Each of the pictures was signed and dated, and a baseball card was attached to most of the pictures. When you looked closer, you realized that the players in the photo were the players from the attached baseball cards.

"I've coached all the players in the pictures," Coach Harris remarked as he watched you look at the pictures. He pointed out a very recent photo without a baseball card attached to it, "That young man? His name is Mitch Haniger. He played for Mitty four years ago and was drafted this year. A First-Round pick for the Milwaukee Brewers, 38th overall. Called Liam, who you know as 'Coach Burke,' and me right after that happened and cried over the phone, saying that we helped him a lot throughout his baseball career. I took that picture with him a month after the Draft."

"A First-Round pick?" You stared at the coach in awe.

"Yep, one of the few. Though, even the ones that were picked in later rounds went on to play in the Major Leagues, even if it was only for a short period of time."

Maybe it was the right decision to speak with Coach Harris. After all, if this man had coached several Major Leaguers when they were in high school, then maybe he could help you out as well.

"Now," Coach Harris sank into his chair behind his desk and took off his cap, allowing his gray hair to come into full view. He folded his hands as he looked at focused his full attention towards you, "Not a lot of newcomers approach me directly, so this is a pleasant surprise. What can I help you with?"

You hesitated for a moment before speaking. After all, this coach seemed a lot more important than you first assumed, and you hardly wanted to embarrass yourself in front of him. Especially since you wanted to make the Varsity team in your freshman year. However, his words during the Strategy session rang in your mind, and you steeled your nerves to answer his question, "I have a few problems with... handling failures."

"So I heard."

"You have?"

"Nothing too major, really," Coach Harris assured you with a comforting smile, "Jamie, or 'Coach Green,' told me that there was a blond player that cursed to high heavens and kicked up a storm after falling during a running drill. And Liam told me that a peculiar blond freshman kicked up some dust during his station but nearly took deep Aidan deep immediately after. He remembered your name because of that."

"Because I nearly hit a home run, or because I kicked up some dust?"

"Both. Don't worry too much though, Liam was somewhat impressed by your hit. After all, it's not easy for a first-year student to nearly hit a home run off the Varsity team's Ace, even if he was only throwing fastballs. And kicking dirt is perfectly fine if you're frustrated. However, don't do that consistently, and especially not during a game."

"I hear you loud and clear, coach," You answered with a somber nod, "It's why I'm here, actually. I... have a few problems with managing my temper. Especially when I make a mistake."

"Ah. It's good that you are aware of the problem, Mr. Sparks. Truthfully, even the best players I have managed during my career had temper tantrums and outbursts, though in a more private setting. While I can't help you fix your temper immediately, I can advise you on how to 'temper your temper.' If you're willing to take my advice, of course."

You lean in and patiently wait for him to continue.

"Go through a few breathing exercises every day. Take five minutes out of your schedule and go to a quiet place, such as your room or the bathroom. Calmly breathe in and breathe out for those five minutes, and imagine some of the most frustrating moments of your day. Don't try to restrain your anger, as it can be unhealthy to bottle it up. But try to calm your mind and deal with your issues mentally, instead of physically. If you're really frustrated, just come and speak with me. I'll help you as much as I can."

"Thank you for the advice, coach."

"No problem. Just one, last piece of advance. That breathing exercise will only get you so far. After you get used to it, you'll need to add on a few other exercises and even read some self-help books to truly 'master' your temper. However, that breathing exercise should help you until that day comes."

You shook his hand and left his office, feeling a bit more at ease. Your chat with Coach Harris was definitely insightful.

(Relationship with Coach Harris +10, +3 Loyalty, -1 Controversy. 1+D5 to determine gain for Handling Failures. Roll 3. +4 to Handling Failures)

(Discovered Coach's Harris Trait: 'Veteran Strategist': Boost to actions involving Intelligence, Game Sense, and Handling Failures)

+++++

First Two Weeks of September Turn Phase

You're now a student at Mitty High School and have experienced your first baseball training session at your new school. For the next two weeks, you have four Actions in total that you can take. Each Action can help you improve a certain Rating or Attribute or help you expand other areas. Every Action marked under the 'Training' section can be repeated up to two times. Just mark the choice with two 'X' to signify that you want the Action to be done twice. Some actions are currently blocked, as the minimum requirements for them have not been met. Additionally, for Actions such as Improving L/R Splits, keep in mind that coaches that have no relationships with you will most likely reject you. This will lead to you wasting an Action without any benefits/improvements.

And yes, there may be Romance depending on your actions.

Some Actions, such as 'Studying,' will be useful if you want to get into College. While Colleges will offer you a scholarship if you are an excellent player, it will be easier to get into prestigious ones with higher Grades. Your current projected GPA is 2.5 (a minimum of 2.0 is needed to play on the baseball team). Every Turn Phase without studying will drop your projected GPA by .2, so keep that in mind. If you choose to Study, your GPA boost will be 2+D3 (meaning if you roll a 3, you will get a .5 boost to your GPA) and give you a boost to your Intelligence stat. If your Intelligence reaches higher than 150, your GPA decay will drop to .1 per Turn Phase.

Keep in mind; you always have a chance to get drafted straight out of high school if you are good enough.

Since tryouts start in February, you have 10 Turn Phase (5 months) to improve your Ratings and Attributes.

By the end of this Turn Phase, there will be a practice scrimmage between the newcomers/FreshSoph Team and the JV Team. So keep that in mind.

You have earned $50 for your weekly allowance due to your father being a 'Businessman.' Currently, you have $50. You will receive your Allowance at the beginning of every month (so every two Turn Phases). You can spend your money to improve your equipment, home gym, or even use it for hangouts (when those Choices are listed). You may also work some side jobs for small Rating and Attribute boosts (depending on the job) and money.

Training:
[X] Off to the batting cages we go! Practicing hitting is important regardless of your position.
[] The school's gym is open a few hours before practice. Time to hit the weights!
[] Yeah, hitting Doubles is cool. But what about hitting Triples? Let's work out our legs by running around the track!
[] Ahh... Bunting. A dying art, but definitely handy in certain situations. It shouldn't be too hard to practice Bunting with a pitching machine.
[] Most of the best hitters are disciplined at the plate. Time to work out our Eye and while Avoiding K's! (This requires you to know a player that played on one of the Mitty teams last year)
[] I can't hit Lefties for my life... Maybe one of the coaches can help me with that? (Specify which coach you want help from)
[] You're not the Man of Steal, but it would definitely help if your Base Stealing abilities were a bit better. (This requires you to know a player with the Trait 'Speedster' or a Coach that gives boosts to Base Stealing actions)
[] I'm Gloving it. Even though I'm a Left Fielder, I should improve my Fielding abilities.
[] Practice some throws from the outfield to home plate. There's definitely a chance that I will need to make a difficult throw in Left Field one day, so let's prepare for that day.
[] I should study the playbooks a bit more and work on being aware of my surroundings. One quick step in the right direction makes the difference between a spectacular catch and an opposing batter hitting a Double.
[X] I'm going to do a bit of everything (that is not locked)! That way, I'm rounding out my overall skills as a whole!

Personal:
[X] Let's try out that breathing exercise Coach Harris mentioned. I'll go into my room and close my eyes for a bit.
[] I should study for my classes. Baseball is my top priority, but that's no excuse to slack off from schoolwork!
[] Maybe I should try to make up for some of my tantrums by doing something nice for the other players? (If you pick this choice, specify what you will do for the team).
[] I'm going to surf the web a bit to look for some top-quality equipment (Warning: Most of the equipment will be more than $200).
[] Maybe I can get a part-time job... (Warning: You will lose 1 Action point per Turn Phase if you pick this option)
[] I'm going to make sure that I stay injury-free by doing stretches at home everyday! It doesn't matter if I'm a great player if I'm injured all the time!

Social:

[] Hey... Is that Isaac in my History class? Maybe I should go up and talk to him after class ends.
[] Coach Harris looks like he needs a hand cleaning some of the equipment after practice. Maybe I should go and help him?
[] 'You run into Coach Burke at a nearby supermarket. He hasn't seen you yet, but the two of you are in the same aisle.'
[] I should make a few friends outside of the baseball field. After all, you might meet a few interesting people since Mitty is a private high school...
[] Let's head onto the Varsity baseball field during lunchtime. Maybe someone is practicing on the field?
[X] Ooh, the girl's softball team is practicing! Maybe I should watch to see how different softball is compared to baseball?

Free Action (Due to your previous 'Businessman' pick) (This does not count towards your total 4 Actions):

[X] Lift some weights at home. Sure, your house's gym isn't as good as the school's gym, but it's definitely good enough to help with your training. You have a treadmill, a bench press set, and a few other gizmos to help you out.

Voting will end at 12 AM EST on October 30th.