"Pitchers and catchers to the bullpen with me" commands Coach Paulino as the whole team takes the field for the first practice with position players. "Two laps for the rest of you pussies."
"There's no running in baseball" grumbles a veteran first baseman just picked up by the Minutemen from the parent club, the Minnesota Twins. "These old knees can barely make it out to the bag."
"Quit your whining" continues the player-coach. "Gay-O here will take care of any sore joints after practice."
"Come on Killer" whispers our lanky centerfielder grabbing the big guy's elbow and walking toward the right field foul line. "We'll flock together."
I nod and give a thumbs up as they take off down the side of the field, all the while remembering my first cross country season at Bound Brook High School.
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"With Stu gone we'll have to flock together to win" plotted a red-headed runner under a big tree before the first meet at Calco field.
After the collision on the baseball field during track season Stewart Woody had transferred to a private school with a top running program. With no star runner BBHS cross country was not expected to win many meets even though undefeated the previous year. The Mountain Valley Conference was pretty darn competitive, with teams that trained by running the Watchung hillsides.
"Let their fastest runners take the lead" he continued as the Fall sun was dropping behind the tree line. "Then we'll stick together and take turns blocking any sprinters in the last mile."
"Are you in?" he shouted, stirring up six big black birds in the tree as he reached his hand into the center of the group of six runners.
"Six-pack on three, one, two, three..."
"...SIX PACK" we shouted, breaking the huddle and jogging over to the starting line as the black birds flapped up from the huge old oak.
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"Get moving chicken shit" shouted Paulino as the veteran and his escort hobbled past the bullpen at the end of the first lap.
"They don't call me Killer for nothing" growled the old first baseman as the rest of the fielders caught up from behind and joined them for the rest of the run.
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