S ONDA a DON | UNE > IN (ole is hot and atieky 3 It ‘ripples ‘slightly bie game will begin to chip a notch aa centerfield and blow stiffly to attention beas in the record books. This is something you’ve strains of the Star looked forward too since the hoe sjed Banner drifts off into day your dad put a bat in your > summer night . . . then hands before you had graduatddenly its time, and it hits ed out of diapers. like a hammer. drift out to your position| Through the years . . . the erfield and it seems al- midgets, the little leagues, junior high and finally high school most like a dream. Three hun. this was the day you ired feet away, the mob sits): anse and tightly packed in the looked for . . . and now here you are, and it doesn’t seem | old wooden grand stands. somehow. ‘ou couldn’t cut through the real The lights ‘overhead look snseness of the night with a 9 knife, and right now the blured and distant, and home plate looks a million miles tterflies in your stomach are fing full-scale maneuvers and away. A blue haze comes up our head feels as light as a from the stands and the crowd becomes a solid ‘block of huhampaign bubble. manity. FIRST PITCH The first pitch is on its way Suddenly the first batter ap- now... it oe in there for night, ‘you feel as if “you were not walking around on ‘Tollerskates. Now, suddenly — “you know where you are, and what you've got to do. You got to beat out 27 other guys to win the title of “All-American Boy.” You slam your fist into- rae fielders glove and dig. your spikes into the turf. . . you’re ready new . “Come on baby, fire it in there!” a cry jumps out of you, and fights its way against the wind toward the pitchers mound. © Sixteen years of desire” and training strain- inside you, and now you’re ready for the battle. ea) on baby, ° fire .it in there. . . get.’em out of there!”’ the North squad are ‘(left to right) Baus id Jeff Porter of BenL zomond| me will “AllStar Baseball game a patrol the outfield r the North’ ‘Affleck Park Htonday mah.