The Mobster: The Accident

“Nobody throws a baseball at my kid like that and gets away with it!” a heavy, stern looking, middle-aged man yelled from the bleachers. He got up and headed towards his short, chubby, dark-haired son whose nose had started to bleed.

“Not a good throw, Monty!” yelled Terry, from first base. He ran to the pitcher’s box when he realized the baseball Monty had thrown had hit the batter in the face.“That man was a mobster,” he whispered. “Let’s get out of here, pronto!”

Twelve-year old Monty, the pitcher for the Blazing Blazers and Terry, his best friend, immediately left the baseball park, much to the dismay of their coach.

“Hey, boys, come back! You cannot leave in the middle of a game.” Exasperated, he threw his hands up in the air. “How can we win baseball games if players always leave? Somebody get an ice pack!”

Moments later, Monty explained what had happened. “It was an accident, Mom.”

“It is just a baseball game, son. Did you apologize?” 

Monty realized that he could have and diffused the situation. “Mom, that man is a mobster. I cannot be a pitcher now. I want to quit playing baseball.”

“There would not be baseball games if the players quit when others were injured by baseballs,” Monty’s mother replied, She knew they were frightened. “Where did you get that information?”

Several hours later Monty’s mother answered the front doorbell. The coach, the boy injured by the baseball and his father stood at the door.  

“I want to talk to Monty!” demanded the boy, whose face was bruised and swollen.

“I want to speak to Monty’s father!” demanded his father. “Get him, right now!”

“That is why my baseball players are quitting,” thought the coach. “Bullying!”

“I am so sorry,” Monty’s mother replied. “Monty is not at home and his father is deployed overseas. Can I help you?”  

“We came to apologize to the boys and hope they'll come back,” suggested the coach, kindly. “Please relay that message for us.”