*All Ages
This story is sort of Bobby as Kerry Wood in a funny way. I came up with this goofy idea a few months ago and decided to run off with it.
Bobby had to grow up someday didn’t he?
The call of the last out is dedicated to Jack Brickhouse, who called over 5,000 Cubs games and died last summer. He called many no hitters in his days but Harry Caray never had the chance.
Bobby’s Future
By Steph
Hey Mom, hey Dad I think I’m going to be a ballplayer a ballplayer someday
Thinking about it for a long long time and I’m a ballplayer a ballplayer someday
Here I am in my uniform and I’m running like the wind
The crowd goes wild as I make the play and the cheers go up
As I come running inTipping my cap and signing autographs
Just like a ballplayer, ballplayer someday
Think about the fans I’ll have
And all the good I can do
A Ballplayer isn’t just anyone
God smiled on him, he’s one of the chosen fewFrom "Ballplayer" by Terry Cashman from the CD "Passing it On, From Father to Son"
Bobby Belden walked off the field at Sec Taylor Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa when he was called over by his manager, Terry Kennedy. He was a high ranking prospect pitcher in the Chicago Cubs system and was 2-0 early in the season at Triple-A with a .50 ERA.
When he arrived in the office, Terry gave him the phone.
"Hello?" Bobby said.
"Bobby, this is Jim Riggleman, the manager of the Cubs. You might have heard we had to put another pitcher on the disabled list and this time it was a starter. Well, the scouts say you’re about ready. How about coming to Chicago and starting Saturday for us?"
Bobby was speechless for a moment and finally said, "I think that sounds pretty good to me. Thank you!" He got some more information and then hung up.
He thought to himself, I’m going to the majors! I can’t believe this. I thought I was going to be here another year or at least until the All Star Break.
Terry said, "Congratulations, Bobby, and best wishes. We’re all proud of you. We know you’re going to do great. As I understand, they want you there Friday morning and a packet will come from UPS in a bit with your plane ticket and hotel information. I’m sure you want to call your parents and family back in New York State. I’ll give you some time and then see you again and you can come into the dugout and watch the game from there."
It was late Thursday afternoon and back in Sleepyside Mr. and Mrs. Belden were watching ESPN while getting dinner ready and they weren’t paying too much attention until the announcer broke in. They were stunned to hear him say, "The Chicago Cubs have promoted their top prospect, Bobby Belden, a twenty-one-year-old fire-balling, right-handed pitcher to the majors. He will start Saturday in a game against the Brewers."
They were about to call Bobby in Iowa when the phone rang and it was him, bubbling over with excitement as he gave them the information.
Mr. Belden said, "We’re proud of you, son. We’ll make some calls for you and we’ll get as many people as possible on a plane Friday to be there with you. We can’t wait. We love you."
They hung up after a few more minutes of talking and then they called everyone and everyone agreed that they would come to Chicago for the big game and they called the airlines to make the reservations so they could all be there when Bobby made his big debut.
Bobby spent the evening in a daze watching the Iowa team beat the Nashville team silly and the next morning he was on a plane to Chicago. He couldn’t believe how nervous and excited he was. This was his dream come true, what he had worked for since he was foruteen and a scout for the New York Mets saw him pitch in a high school game.
After the game he came over to Crabapple Farm and talked to him and his parents that night about what he could do to make his best chance at a major league future. He had given them a lot of excellent advice about what to do and how to work on his pitches.
His career had progressed since then to a dominating high school pitcher, only losing one game in his four years there and having a miniscule 1.02 ERA. After his high school graduation three years earlier, he had been selected by the Cubs in the draft in the first round. He had spent two and half seasons working his way through the minor leagues and now it was time. He had just turned 21 a few weeks earlier and was finally ready for the majors.
He landed at O’Hare airport where the pitching coach, Marty DeMerrit, was waiting for him.
He walked over to him and they shook hands and Marty said, "Today you’ll watch the game and chart the pitches. Afterwards we’ll have a meeting with the manager and your catcher tomorrow, Benito Santiago. After that you’ll go to dinner with some of the other pitchers who will help your heart calm down to less than two hundred beats a minute."
Bobby said, "I have a hard time believing that I’m really here. I’ve only even been to Chicago once and that was when they honored the top prospects last September in a special pre-game ceremony. Being named Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America last season was a huge honor."
Bobby was excited as the limo that the Cubs had provided made its way through Chicago. They pulled up to Wrigley Field and it was suddenly very real.
They got out of the limo and walked to the clubhouse and he was a big leaguer.
He had met his teammates in spring training in Arizona and was greeted with "Nice to see you. Welcome aboard." He shook everyone’s hand and was given his uniform, number 31, a legendary number in Cubs history, which carried an awesome responsibility, and wonderful history.
The number had been worn primarily by Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins who had won twenty games six years straight for the Cubs and then by Greg Maddux, who had developed as a Cub before leaving for the Braves and winning Cy Young Awards.
He joined his teammates in workouts and saw the beautiful ballpark from the field. He noticed early arriving fans pointing at him and talking and a few young girls even swooning which made him grin. He had grown into a very handsome, 6’5, well-built young man. He was already known on the Cubs website as a huge heartthrob by the girls who were there who had seen him before.
After the warm-ups they went back to the clubhouse where they changed from their warm-up tops to their regular uniforms and then they went through the rest of the pre-game rituals and then Bobby settled back to watch the game. The starting pitcher was Kevin Tapani, a veteran major league pitcher who was the mainstay of the Cubs pitching staff.
The game was an easy Cubs win, 5-0 behind a two hit shutout by Tapani. Bobby joined his teammates at the end of the game on the field congratulating each other. Then he went to the clubhouse where he met with DeMeritt, Riggleman, and Houston about the next game and what he would do to get the Brewers out. He found out that the wind would be blowing out which made it harder to pitch but it also probably meant that the Cubs would score a lot of runs for him.
When that was over, Bobby went to dinner at Harry Caray’s restaurant with Tapani and Steve Trachsel, the veteran one-two punch of the Cubs rotation where they gave him encouragement and advice and reminisced about their own major league debuts.
Afterwards he went to his hotel, the Chicago Hilton and Towers and went to his room on the 24th floor. They had given him a nice suite and a little bit later he got a call and it was his father saying the family had just arrived from Sleepyside.
He hurried to the elevators and headed down to the elevator lobby where a beautiful red-headed little girl running into his arms greeted him. "Uncle Bobby! Uncle Bobby!"
He picked her up and said, "Hi, Katie. I’m so happy you could come." His niece had him firmly wrapped around her little finger at age three with her father’s red hair, her mother’s blue eyes and both parent’s stubborn but sweet tendencies.
His sister walked up and said, "Hi, Bobby." They hugged and the others came forward as Trixie took her daughter from him so he could hug everyone and they were all talking at once.
Trixie said, "We wanted to bring little Winthrop but at a month old he’s a little young. He’s staying with some of the staff at the school. Of course, they all wish they could come but somebody has to oversee the fort while we were all gone. How are you doing?"
Trixie and Jim had been married for five and a half years and had Katie and Winthrop. He also saw his older brother, Brian, with his wife, Honey, and their two-year-old son, Matthew Peter; and his other brother, Mart, with his wife, Di, and their year-old daughter, Susan Helen.
Bobby said, "I’m as nervous as could be but also very glad that you could all make it. It will make it much easier tomorrow!"
His parents still looked very young even though they were both over fifty. Mr. Belden had retired a few years earlier and they were financially comfortable and Bobby had sent them on a world tour with part of his signing bonus. They were traveling and enjoying their four grandchildren so far. He also saw that Miss Trask, Regan, and the Wheelers and Lynches had all made the trip. They had all known him most or all of his life and were almost as excited as he was.
Jim had opened his school two years earlier and it was a huge success. As had always been planned, Brian was the resident doctor and also taught science. Mart was in charge of the farmland and also taught. Honey and Trixie also taught but in addition had their own detective agency which they had always dreamed of. Di was curator of the Art Museum.
Mr. Belden said, "Dan and Hallie will be here tomorrow. Dan couldn’t get away until tomorrow from the police department." Dan and Hallie had been married a few months earlier and Dan was chief of the Sleepyside Police already. Hallie was a nurse at Sleepyside Hospital.
Mrs. Belden said, "Your aunt and uncle, along with Cap and Knut from Idaho, will be here tomorrow as well as Uncle Andrew from Iowa. Aunt Alicia and Uncle Mart couldn’t make it but they sent their best wishes."
Bobby had spent a lot of time with Uncle Andrew after he had been promoted to the Iowa club in June the year before. He had been pretty lonely when he first arrived before he got to know some of his teammates and had enjoyed going out to Happy Valley Farm.
They headed up to Bobby’s suite where they all talked and planned the next day. Bobby would go to the park after they all had breakfast and the others would take a little tour of Chicago before heading up north to the park.
Finally Mr. Belden said, "Bobby, you probably need to get some sleep, although I’m sure you’ll have trouble sleeping tonight. We’ll go to our rooms and see you at seven-thirty tomorrow morning down at the hotel restaurant."
They all hugged him and headed off to their rooms where they were all talking excitedly about Bobby’s debut the next day.
Bobby was naturally very excited and nervous and had trouble sleeping but did have some sleep before joining his family downstairs where everyone had arrived so they were all together. They had a delicious breakfast and then Bobby said, "It’s time. I better go get a cab to the ballpark. I’ll see you all after the game!"
They all wished him luck, he got many hugs and was off. After he was gone, Mr. and Mrs. Belden admitted that they were almost as nervous as he was and so did the others. They just wanted everything to go perfectly for him.
Mr. Belden said, "I just wish the wind was blowing in. Its blowing out makes it harder for him. The winds at Wrigley are infamous for messing up pitchers. The park is so small that if the wind is blowing out, any ball hit hard and high will go straight to the bleachers."
Brian said, "I heard the weather forecast this morning and they said that it won’t be blowing too hard today which is good."
Trixie said, "Whichever way it’s blowing, he’s going to win. I have a good feeling."
Everyone agreed that he was going to do well that day and they headed out into downtown Chicago where they took a long walk around the main part. They walked past the Tribune Tower and Wrigley Buildings, two of Chicago’s most beautiful and famous landmarks.
Trixie said, "I wonder if Wrigley owns the Cubs since it’s Wrigley Field."
Mart said, "Actually the Wrigley family sold the Cubs to the Tribune Corporation in 1981. They had owned them since early in the century. They also own the WGN-TV and radio stations. I think it would be interesting to go over to the tower and see the showcase studio where WGN broadcasts live. They carry all the Cubs games too. I sometimes listen to WGN on the Internet and think it’s a real good station and like to listen to baseball reports."
They walked over to the Tribune Tower and saw the showcase studio where host John Williams was holding forth on his rather goofy show.
They couldn’t help but notice that John had a bunch of boxes of Cheezits around him and Mart explained to them the Cheezits controversy Williams had generated a few years back.
They waved at him and he waved back. Then they heard the broadcast and it was the sports update and sports reporter Dave Kaplan was talking about Bobby.
Mr. Belden waved at them again and when his sports report was over, Dave Kaplan came out of the building and asked what was going on.
Mrs. Belden said, "Oh, we just wanted to tell you that we’re Bobby Belden’s family here from New York and we’re going to the game in a bit."
Dave said, "Everyone is really excited about him. He’s been the top prospect for the Cubs since he was drafted. This game wasn’t nearly a sellout until the announcement he would be starting but now it is. I would love to have you all on Sports Central after the game. Why don’t you come down here with Bobby afterwards?"
They agreed that it sounded like fun and then they were off to catch cabs to the park. As they pulled up in front of Wrigley Field, they saw how beautiful it was. Only Mr. and Mrs. Belden had ever been before when they had flown out to be with Bobby the year before when the Cubs had honored him.
They went to the administrative offices where the Cubs management gave them their tickets. Mr. and Mrs. Belden were officially presented with official Cubs jerseys with Belden and 31 on the back and they went into the private bathrooms to put them on.
They walked through the area under the stands and saw the atmosphere of a Cubs game at Wrigley Field with the fans milling about, going into the souvenir shops, buying food from the concession stands and heard excited talk about Bobby and smiled to themselves. People noticed Mr. and Mrs. Belden’s jerseys and wondered to themselves if they were his family.
They went finally to their seats after getting hot dogs, Pepsis (Trixie was very upset to find that they didn’t serve Coke but Pepsi was a major sponsor of the Cubs), nachos and fries, and settled in to watch the pre-game warm-ups.
They wondered where Bobby was, of course, since he hadn’t joined his teammates. Mrs. Belden voiced the question out loud.
A nice looking dark-haired woman bent forward and said, "Since he’s the starting pitcher he usually comes out about one o'clock to go to the bullpen mound to warm up. I’m Donna Gaetti, by the way, Gary’s wife. This is the family section. You must be Bobby’s family. If you have any questions, please ask me." She introduced them to the other families and Mr. and Mrs. Belden introduced themselves and everyone else and they immediately felt more relaxed. The wives and other family of the players all were very nice people.
Finally, about one, they saw Bobby emerge with Riggleman, DeMerritt and Santiago. They watched as he took some runs and did some arm exercises, under the watchful eye of almost forty thousand spectators. The game had been sold out and the crowd was excited.
After he was done warming up, including some rather weird-looking arm exercises, he got on the bullpen mound and threw under his coaches’ watchful eyes. They said a few things to him and finally he was ready and headed back with them to the dugout to wait for it to be time to take the field.
At one-fifteen Chicago’s golden-throated singing couple, Wayne and Kathleen Messmer, sang the anthem. Then suddenly it was time and Bobby lead the team onto the field as Paul Friedman, the public address announcer, said, "And now taking the field, your first place Chicago Cubs!" and the organist played "Glory Days".
After throwing a few last warm-ups to Santiago, the first batter, Fernando Vina stepped to the plate and it was time. Bobby threw a blazing 100 mph fastball right over home plate that left Vina speechless as he didn’t even have time to remove his bat from his shoulder. Strike one!
The rest of the first inning was a success as he struck out two and got the other to bounce to Mark Grace, who fielded it, threw it to Bobby covering first and the inning was over. Mark slapped him a high five and said, "Good job, kid!" and they headed off the field as the crowd cheered.
The Cubs didn’t score in the top half of the first and it was a tense game as neither team was able to score as the Brewers’ starter, Jim Abbott also mowed the Cubs down on a couple of hits but always the runners were stranded at the end of the inning.
The fact that the Cubs weren’t scoring any runs made it harder on Bobby but it just made him work harder to make great pitches to get everyone out and give his team the best chance to win.
Bobby only gave up a couple of walks and struck out twelve and came to bat with a scoreless tie in the bottom of the eighth and nobody on and he smacked Abbott’s 2-0 pitch into the leftfield bleachers for a homerun! It was 1-0 as he was mobbed at the plate by his teammates and the crowd gave him a standing ovation and demanded he make a curtain call. He did which brought another long ovation.
Finally, the Cubs half of the inning ended as they scored another run to make it 2-0 which made Bobby more relaxed as he headed off to the mound with a no hitter going into the final inning.
The first batter came up and hit a sharp grounder to shortstop Jose Hernandez who threw it to Grace for out number 1.
The second batter hit a harmless fly ball to Henry Rodriguez in left and then all forty thousand fans got up on their feet in anticipation of the last out, as always happened at Wrigley Field, but there was something special about a possible no hitter. Steve Stone and Ron Santo, the TV and radio analysts respectively were on the side of the dugout ready to interview him either way as everyone was on edge waiting for the last out. The last two almost no hitters at Wrigley Field had been ended on the last out by hits.
He got two strikes and then the batter hit a screaming line drive to right field and a gasp went up as everyone waited and in came fleet footed Sammy Sosa as he ran in and grabbed it in a diving catch and held the ball aloft as the umpire signaled he caught it.
The crowd went wild as Bobby was mobbed by his teammates as Pat Hughes on WGN Radio was screaming into the microphone. "There’s a line drive to right, come on Sammy, he caught it, it’s a no hitter! It’s a no hitter for the kid and what a catch that Sosa made!"
He was walked off the field with team captain, Mark Grace walking with him and talking to him saying, "Go over to Ron Santo and Steve Stone and then wait because you’re going to be mobbed in the clubhouse. Talk to Bruce Levine and Barry Rozner first. They are the best reporters in town."
As he reached the dugout he tipped his cap and the fans went wild again. He was greeted by Santo and Stone and answered their questions in a sort of happy daze.
When they were done he headed into the clubhouse where he was mobbed by more reporters and answered all their questions and it was a good half hour before he was able to shower and change into his clothes.
He asked the security guard where his family was and he walked out to greet them in the family waiting area with hugs and kisses as everyone snapped pictures, including the reporters who surrounded him.
He picked up Katie. Barry Rozner asked, "Who is this?"
Katie said, "This is my Uncle Bobby. I’m Katie."
Of course, Barry had meant who was Katie, so they all laughed.
Bobby introduced his entire family to the crowd and Dave Kaplan approached them and all went on live on WGN in the post-game coverage. Bobby really impressed the reporters, as he was very down to earth.
He was asked if he had a special nickname and he said, "No, just Bobby which is short for my full name Robert."
They headed finally out into the parking lot where he went over and impressed everyone by signing over 150 autographs for the gathered kids before he headed out to get cabs with his family.
They had been planning to go to Harry Caray’s for dinner but Bobby needed a break from the crowd so they went back to the hotel and ordered in pizzas where they talked and watched the news reports and had a lot of fun.
Trixie and the other Bob-Whites had to, of course, finally realize that little Bobby was all grown up.
The End