1147 V3 ch381 Banquet (4)

A lot of the guys looked to me.

"Jake would be fine as long as he got to hit." Noah said confidently. He nudged me. "Tell them, Jake."

I hesitated. "Well. Maybe now I can enjoy baseball as long as I get to hit. But before, like last year, I really only played because Noah played. The pressure of not doing well didn't make me feel good." Seeing some of the guys look sympathetic, I waved both my hands. "But I'm different now. I liked playing with you guys and all. Even without Noah, I would play with everyone again."

"But what if you couldn't hit? Like at all." Garret grinned. "Just endless intentional walks."

I stayed quiet. The guys started to laugh at the long pause.

After the JV team got settled back in their seats and the other coaches sat down, Coach made his move. He stood up and walked to the podium. He had everyone's attention.