Anthony Giangregorio

The Bottom of the 9th Anthony Giangregorio

On a beautiful day in the summer, with a baseball game in full swing, an old man arrives and joins the spectators in the bleachers. Confused and wearing no shoes, he quickly becomes enmeshed with the other fans, who welcome him with open arms as they discuss the game. But things are not as they appear, and unknown to the old man, he is about to go on an emotional journey that upon reaching the end, might not leave him whole on the other side. The old man is about to do battle with his very memories for dominance within his mind, and if he fails, all that he is, everything that makes him the individual he has become over the years, could be washed away, lost forever in time. It's the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded and two outs. Everything hinges on what happens next. There's the pitch, the batter swings, it's a hit, the ball goes up into the air, but is it high enough to clear the back wall? It's going! It's going! It's . . .