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THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBRAWL!
(A few things before we start our journey… Everyone who knows anything about baseball history or who has seen the film A League Of Their Own is aware that there actually was an All American Girls Professional Baseball League that existed from 1943 to 1954. Girls came from all over the U.S. and Canada to play professional ball while the young men were overseas fighting the war. In 1943, the year my story takes place, there were only four teams in the league: two in Wisconsin, one in Illinois, one in Indiana. There never was a team from South Dakota and, while there was a team in Minnesota the next year, it wasn’t from Parker Prairie. The teams in my story are fictional. The players, coaches and chaperones are not based on actual persons from that time. Members of FCF will recognize most of the names in the story. Like always, I use my friends and myself to make the stories come alive, to make them more fun to write and (I hope) to read. I hope everyone enjoys this little trip back in time! Thanks for reading!
xoxo
~Laurie~)
Sisseton, South Dakota. July 4, 1943.
The two girls roll around in the dirt by second base. Uniform skirts flying, their arms and legs flail as they snarl curses at each other. Their fists fly and dust kicks up in a cloud above them as they grapple in a rolling writhing ball of fury. The fans in the stands watch open-mouthed as both benches empty and twenty other girls swarm onto the field to join the donnybrook. The two managers and two chaperones try in vain to break up the brawl that escalates even more when one of the female chaperones hauls off and punches the other chaperone in the mouth.
The girls who started the fight are soon buried under a growing pile of squirming bodies. Even more scuffles start up in the outfield grass and by the pitcher’s mound as players from each team square off against each other to settle grudges. And in the midst of all this chaos comes the loud excited voice of the radio announcer filling the air and the airwaves with the news that “the fireworks sure started a lot earlier than expected here today! Oh, doctor! We have got ourselves a real Pier Six brawl on the ball field!”
“Looking back on it, I just knew something was gonna happen that day. I think everybody did. Call it sixth sense, call it intuition, call it a hunch, call it any damn thing you please. It was, I don’t know, like some kind of electric charge in the air that jolted a body right down to the marrow. Oh yeah, something was definitely gonna happen out there on that ball field. And it wasn’t gonna be pretty. No sirree bob.”
“Hey, fans, Stormy Storm from KABR here at historic Bossy Field, the Park that Milk Built, in downtown Sisseton on this Fourth of July Sunday as our Sisseton Sweethearts take on their rivals from Minnesota, the Parker Prairie Princesses. It’s a dan-dan-dandy day for a ballgame. The sun is shining, the grass is a perfect emerald green, and the nine hundred and thirty seven fans in attendance are all in the holiday spirit. It is the Fourth of July, after all. America’s birthday. What better way to celebrate it than here at the ballpark, with a hot dog, a sack of peanuts or box of Cracker Jacks, and a cold bottle of pop, watching these All-American girls playing baseball, America’s pastime?”
(singing)
Batter up! Hear that call!
The time has come for …
“Okay. Hold it. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute here. There’s something wrong with this picture. Did that announcer just say “girls”? Girls playing baseball? On the Fourth of July? In public? That’s – That’s un-American, that’s what that is!”
“Just shut up for a minute, okay? He’ll explain everything.”
Storm continues, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the brave boys risking their lives fighting tyranny over in Europe and in the Pacific. I know we all wish they could be here with us right now, playing baseball on this Independence Day, 1943, but they have a very important job to do. And so do these All-American girls out on the field. So let’s get to it!”
(singing)
Batter up! Hear that call!
The time has come for one and all
To play ball!
“But first, here’s a message from our sponsor, Stoltzfutz Dairy, home of the one and only Bossy the Cow!”
“Okay, while the commercial featuring a man in a cow suit hawking milk plays over the radio … where nobody can see that it’s a man in a cow suit … I think a little background is needed here. Don’t worry. I’ll keep it short.
When the young men all answered the call and traded in their baseball uniforms for military ones, the team owners were scared that baseball was gonna die. So to keep the game alive and breathing, they hatched up a plot – a novelty act, a publicity stunt – and formed the AAGPBL, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Hundreds of young women all over the country – from the farms, from the cotton fields, from the swamps, from the big cities, even from Canada – all answered the call to try out for the league. The lucky ones who made the cut were assigned to the different teams here in the Midwest. The others were sent back home.
We return you now to your regularly scheduled program. Told you I’d be quick.”
“Now here they are! Taking the field, your hometown Sisseton Sweethearts!”
(singing)
We are the members of the All-American League
We come from cities near and far
We’ve got Canadians, Irish ones and Swedes,
We’re all for one, we’re one for all
We’re all Americans!
Nine girls run out of the home team dugout and take their positions as the crowd cheers. The Sisseton fans love their Sweethearts. These girls have come from all over North America to play ball in this small northeastern South Dakota city and, in the span of a few short months, the people of Sisseton have adopted and accepted them as their own.
“Out in center field, they call her the Bayou Bird Dog, because she tracks down every ball that’s hit out there … Wearing Number 7 and hailing from the Louisiana swampland, let’s hear it for Jonica!”
The irrepressible Jonica, a petite pretty Cajun, paces impatiently back and forth in the outfield grass, anxious for the game to start. She quickly doffs her cap and then jams it back on her head, spitting into the grass.
“The left fielder, the Sweetheart of the Sweethearts, may have been born in the ‘big city’ back East, but she’s a small-town girl through and through. Number 4 in your scorecard but Number 1 in your hearts … it’s Little Sara!”
Pretty, blonde-haired Sara laughs and waves at the fans who respond with louder applause and whistles. Sara is a friend to just about everyone she knows (a big problem in the AAGPBL because of its strict ‘no fraternizing with the enemy’ policy) but, when she puts on her Sweetheart uniform, she is all business. Sara plays hard and she plays mean from the first out to the last.
“Moving to the infield, patrolling third base, the ‘hot corner’, all the way from Alabama, this Dixie darlin’ is so good with the glove, I don’t think the other team is gonna get too many line drives past the girl with Number 3 on her back … Sweet Sadie!”
Sadie waves her well-worn glove at the fans, flashing a dazzling smile and a wink aimed at the two young men who seem to always be sitting in the same two seats in the stands by third base at every home game. She coyly stretches out her leg, places her foot on the third base sack and makes a show out of adjusting her short uniform skirt.
“Did you say uniform ‘skirt’?!”
“Yep, you heard me right. See, not only were the girls supposed to play baseball, they were also supposed to put fannies in the seats. And can you think of a better way to do that than by putting short skirts on pretty girls and telling them to flaunt what they got?”
And flaunt it they do. The girls are forced to go to charm school and learn all about proper etiquette. There are endless ‘cheesecake’ photo sessions of them putting on makeup, wearing party dresses, showing just enough skin to drive a red-blooded American boy to distraction straight to the ticket counter for the next game. And the next.
“You’ve all heard the expression that dynamite comes in small packages. Well, this little lady is four-foot eleven-inches of pure TNT!”
The Sisseton second baseman lets out a sarcastic laugh and mutters, “More like pure cow shit!”
Storm continued, “Playing shortstop, Number 1, and coming to us from Canada, give a big hand for the little lady from up North … Marie!”
The petite blonde shortstop stands rooted to the spot, her blue eyes firing daggers at her teammate who is perched on second base, studiously doing her best to ignore her.
“You’ve all watched our second baseman grow up from a little girl on the playground … ”
Marie calls out, “ … to a little bitch on the ballfield!”
“They call her Nightbreeze … ”
“I call her Asshole.”
“Fuck you, Marie,” the girl at second base hisses.
“Damn it, you two,” Sisseton manager Tony Walters hollers from the dugout steps. “Knock that bullshit off or I’m turning the hose on the both of you!”
“Number 9 … Sisseton’s own … Laurie!”
Laurie stands by second base and waves to the crowd. Marie hawks a gob and spits it at Laurie’s legs, making her jump. Laurie sticks out her tongue at the blonde and kicks dirt at her.
Even though they play side by side, Marie and Laurie barely tolerate each other. No one knows why, least of all Marie and Laurie. It isn’t anything specific; right from the get-go they just rubbed each other the wrong way. But that sure didn’t stop them from becoming one of the best double-play combos in the league. It also didn’t stop them from hurling nasty little comments back and forth between games, on long bus rides or late at night in some rooming house on the road.
“The shortest girl in the league playin’ shortstop. It fits. We got ourselves a munchkin on the team!” This comes from Laurie, who isn’t very much bigger than Marie herself.
“Makes sense Laurie is playin’ second base. She never let a guy get there in her whole life!” This comes from Marie and results in a furious Laurie throwing a bottle of Peach Nehi at the little Canadian blonde. It misses and splashes pop all over the sports page that team manager Walters is reading. After a good long display of old-fashioned country cussing from Tony and muttered apologies from the two girls, the matter is dropped. But not forgotten.
“Over at first base, the anchor of the infield, this girl’s skill with the glove makes the other infielders look good and has saved them a bunch of throwing errors. From Detroit, Michigan, by way of South Africa … Number 14 … Kayla!”
Kayla, the tall first baseman, stretches her long legs to take a practice throw from Sadie over at third, scooping the ball up out of the dirt like a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Then she kicks up her leg, tosses the ball high in the air and catches it in her cap as the fans in the stands cheer.
“Behind the plate, this girl is the on-field general of the team. It’s her job to work hand-in-hand with the pitcher, and to always let her teammates know the correct number of outs in every inning. Another South African who came to America to play ball, the catcher … Number 11 … Jessika!”
Crouching behind the plate, Jessika takes the final warm-up throw from the pitcher, straightens up and fires a bullet out to second base that lands in Laurie’s glove with such force, it sounds like a gunshot and causes the second baseman to wince, pull her glove off and wring her hand in pain.
“All the way out in right field is … Number 13 … the right fielder.”
The right fielder tips her cap.
“And on the mound, the ace of the Sweetheart pitching staff, this young lady means business. Do not mess with her because if you do, you just might end up eating dirt right before she strikes you out and sends you back to the bench. Here she is … Number 18 … Justine!”
He isn’t joking, either. Off the field, Justine can be as nice as nice can be. But, on the mound, she is meaner than cat shit and a damn sight nastier. It is whispered around the league that she would probably throw at her grandmother’s head to win a ballgame. But her teammates know better. She wouldn’t throw at her grandma’s head. But she sure would throw at her grandma’s knees.
Right now, Justine is pawing the dirt on the mound as Jessika crouches down behind home plate, the umpire settles in behind her and the leadoff batter for the Princesses, a long-legged blonde named Kasia, walks up to hit.
The Parker Prairie chaperone, Stevie Foster, stands on the top step of the dugout clapping her hands and calling out words of encouragement to her hitter. The manager of the team, an ancient pot-bellied man who had played a total of two games in the major leagues around the turn of the century, is fast asleep on the bench in the corner of the dugout. It is no secret around the league that he is a manager in name only and that Stevie runs the team her way. She is doing a pretty good job at it too. In the first couple of months of the season, her girls have won more than their fair share of ballgames, by hook or by crook.
But the gossip quickly spread that Stevie was much more concerned with how well her girls looked out on the field as opposed to how well they played. She once made a request to league officials that nylon stockings be made a mandatory part of the girls’ uniforms. This request was met with wide-eyed astonishment followed by loud raucous laughter.
“Don’t you know there’s a war on?!” sputtered one of the owners, who privately wouldn’t have minded seeing a bunch of pretty girls running around the field in nylons but there was no way in hell he was going to pay for them.
Another was more practical. “It’s out of the question. We couldn’t afford to replace them if they get torn. One slide and they would be ruined.”
Stevie had an answer ready. “My girls won’t slide.”
“And they won’t win either,” mumbled the first owner and the nylon debate ended on that note.
Kasia takes a couple practice swings and then steps into the batter’s box. Jessika flashes the sign, Justine goes into her windup and throws a smoking fastball right down the middle of the plate that Kasia watches smack loudly into Jessika’s mitt.
The umpire bellows, “Stee-rike one!”
The hometown fans let out a roar of approval and the game is underway.
On the next pitch, Kasia squares away at the last minute and drops a bunt toward first base. Both Kayla and Justine charge toward the slowly rolling ball. Kayla gets there first. She scoops it up with her bare hand, whirls around and throws it to Laurie who had hurried over to cover first base. The throw beats the speedy Kasia by a half step but she veers toward Laurie and slams into her hard to try to knock the ball loose. Laurie ends up on her ass but the ball stays in her glove. The crowd starts to boo but they quickly turn to cheers when the on-field umpire hollers, “You’re out!”
Laurie picks herself up and brushes the dirt from her uniform. She calls out, “Better luck next time, bitch!”
Kasia, who is trotting back to the Parker Prairie dugout, turns her head and snaps back, “Next time I’m gonna knock your ass clear into the outfield, bitch!”
As Kasia leaves the field and the next batter is walking to the plate, Marie hollers over to Laurie, “Next time you better ram that ball right into her stinking teeth!”
“I know what I gotta do, Marie,” Laurie spat. “You don’t have to tell me nothin’!”
Manager Walters and chaperone Jenn Peccavi are standing in front of the Sisseton bench. Tony shakes his fist at the Princesses as he yells, “That was a damn bush league stunt!”
Stevie Foster gives him a smug condescending grin. “That’s called aggressive baseball, Mr. Walters. If your girls can’t handle it, they can just go home.” The Parker Prairie manager snores and drools in his sleep.
Jenn Peccavi turns to Tony and mutters, “There’s going to be trouble.”
“That should have been our first warning.”
The first inning and the top of the second end with no more disturbances.
PRINCESSES 00
SWEETHEARTS 0
With one out in the Sisseton half of the second, Jessika hits a screaming line drive between Parker Prairie left fielder Steph and center fielder Kasia. By the time they retrieve the ball and throw it back in to the infield, Jessika is standing on second base with a double.
Sadie, the next batter, hits a ground ball right at the shortstop; a young girl named Candy, who is the newest Princess playing her first game with the team. Jessika, running with the pitch, distracts the rookie as she rushes past her and the ball bounces off the side of Candy’s glove. To make it worse, Candy kicks the ball into short left field with her trailing foot. Jessika never breaks stride, rounding third and heading for home as manager Walters waves his arms wildly from the top dugout step and Candy hurries after the rolling ball.
Meanwhile, Sadie is standing on first base and she sees the shortstop chasing down the ball. She also knows the play is going to be at the plate so she takes off for second. With attention focused on Candy picking up the ball and Jessika galloping toward home, no one sees Ami, the Princess second baseman, stick her foot out and trip Sadie as she runs by her. Sadie pitches forward and crashes into the dirt. Ami, a look of supreme innocence on her face, moves back a couple of steps as Jessika crosses the plate with the game’s first run, just beating the desperate throw from the rookie shortstop. Ami calls for the ball and the Parker Prairie catcher pegs it to her just as Sadie is slowly getting to her feet. With a satisfied smirk, Ami pushes her glove with the ball in it against Sadie’s ribs and whispers, “Next time be more careful, sweetie!”
Sadie flushes angrily as the umpire calls her out. Her two biggest fans, who are in their usual seats next to the visitor’s dugout and who follow her every move, are probably the only people in the stands who saw Ami trip their favorite player. They both immediately pop up and start screaming at the umpire with their shrill reedy voices. Their faces grow red and their flapping waving arms make them look like a pair of spastic flamingos but the rest of the crowd drowns out their cries of protest. They eventually give up and slump back down in their seats as Sadie jogs back to the bench, flings her cap down in frustration and sits down, fuming, her arms crossed. Having missed the incident, Tony walks over to her with the intent of chewing her out for a bonehead play. But one look at her angry face and dirty uniform make him realize that something out of the ordinary must have happened.
“Anything you wanna tell me?” he asks her in a quieter voice.
“No, Skip,” Sadie answers, her eyes on the still smirking Parker Prairie second baseman. “I’ll take care of it myself.”
Tony follows her gaze, then turns his attention to the Princess bench where Stevie Foster is adjusting the skirt of one of her reserve players.
“This shit ends right now!” Tony mutters as he stomps up the steps out onto the grass. Calling time out, he quickly limps over to the visitor’s dugout, favoring his gimpy left knee that had cut his promising major league career short. He is followed by chaperone Jenn Peccavi. Stevie gives a very quick glance in their direction, then turns her attention back to her player’s uniform.
“You want to make sure your socks are pulled all the way up, as high as they go, right below your knees. It’s more sophisticated and elegant and it also makes your legs look longer and sexier. You’re a Princess, girl. Dress like one! … Yes, what is it, Mr. Walters?”
“I don’t know what happened out there at second base, ‘Your Majesty’, but I’m warning you it better stop!”
“You’re warning me?” Stevie laughs. “Is it my fault your girls are so clumsy and uncouth that they keep falling all over themselves out there? Accidents happen, Mr. Walters, and you’d better make sure one doesn’t happen to you, with your bad leg and all.”
Tony’s face get beet red and you can see the veins bulging in his neck. Odds are, he would have gone after Stevie right then and there if the strong calming hand of Jenn Peccavi on his arm hadn’t stopped him. She maneuvers him away from the Parker Prairie dugout as the home-plate umpire joins them.
“Is there a problem, Tony?” he asks.
Still seething, Tony whirls at him. “Yeah, there’s a problem. Why don’t you get your head outta your ass and keep an eye on all the shit goin’ on and there wouldn’t be a problem!”
Jenn pulls him away quickly before things get even worse and they go back to their dugout, leaving Stevie smiling triumphantly and the umpire scratching his head.
The Sisseton right fielder pops out to Jess, the Parker Prairie third baseman, to end the inning.
“There was warning number two.”
PRINCESSES 000
SWEETHEARTS 010
Stevie’s daughter Heidi leads off the top of the fourth. The Sisseton players start in immediately with the usual insulting chatter.
“No batter no batter no batter no batter!”
“Easy out! Everybody move in, she couldn’t hit the ball with a shovel!”
“She’s a-scared of ya, Justine! She don’t wanna get in there an’ hit!”
“Look at her! She’s more worried about breakin’ a nail!”
Justine stands on the mound and glares at the blonde in the batter’s box who has just asked the umpire for a time out AGAIN, the second one in this at bat. The catcalls from the fans grow loud as the blonde fusses with her skirt, pulling it up, tugging it down. A few wolf whistles and loud “Yowzas” can be heard mixed in with the boos. The primping blonde pulls off her cap and makes a big show of fluffing her pigtails as she winks and blows kisses at the leering grinning farm boys and uniformed soldiers and sailors.
Finally, Jonica has had enough. And she lets everyone in the park know it.
“Oh, for crying out loud, Foster! If you don’t haul your prissy ass in the damn batter’s box in two seconds, I’m coming in there and kicking it all over the park!”
The Sweethearts all try to hide their smiles behind their mitts. Some fail. One or two even laugh out loud, along with the fans in the stands. In the Sweetheart dugout, manager Walters forgets how pissed off he is for a minute. He leans back on the bench, lowers his cap over his eyes and let outs a laugh that he tries to mask with a not very realistic sounding cough. Jenn Peccavi rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Even though she is just as exasperated as her players and the hometown fans by the antics of the pig-tailed blonde, she knows the strict rules set down by the league officials: The girls must try to be ladylike at all times. She knows there is an official at the game today. And that both teams are probably on thin ice because of all the crap that already happened. She prays that he didn’t heard Jonica’s outburst. She leans forward, cranes her neck to peer into the stands and heaves a relieved sigh. The league official, a jovial man with a bulbous spidery veined nose and perfectly round belly, is laughing uproariously at something his neighbor just said.
Over in the visiting team’s dugout, the Princesses hurl angry catcalls back at the brash center fielder. Jonica smiles sweetly, blows them a kiss and then quickly gives the entire Parker Prairie team the finger. Her teammates laugh, the fans cheer, Jenn Peccavi groans and mutters, “Well, that’s just dandy!”
Her primping finally finished, Heidi steps in to hit. Jessika flashes the signal, Justine nods, goes into her windup and throws a high and tight fastball at the blonde’s head (commonly known as ‘chin music’). Heidi’s cap goes one way, her bat goes another way and she hits the dirt in a very unladylike manner as she bails out of the batter’s box.
“Aw, did you get your precious uniform all dirty, princess?” Jessika laughs as she throws the ball back to Justine. Heidi bites her lip and pouts as she gets back to her feet, picks up her bat and jams her cap back on her head haphazardly. Forgetting to primp for once or even dust herself off, the determined blonde steps back into the batter’s box, taps her bat on home plate and gets ready to hit.
Jessika winks at Justine. Justine nods, winds up, rears back and gives Heidi a second chorus of ‘chin music’, sending her right back into the dirt. This is too much for her mom to take. Stevie storms out of the dugout, her skirt swishing as she strides over to the home-plate umpire, screeching every step of the way. She and Heidi doubleteam the poor fellow, giving him a double earful of bitching.
“Didn’t you see that? She threw at my daughter’s head!”
“She – She coulda hit me in my face! Omigod! My face! I don’t even wanna think about what coulda happened if she did!”
“She did it on purpose too!”
From the mound, Justine calls out, “I did not! My grip slipped!”
Heidi stamps her foot. “Twice?!”
Stevie folds her arms as she glares at the still silent umpire. “I demand you do something. Right this instant! Throw that animal out of the game!”
“Oh, shut the hell up, Stevie,” Jenn Peccavi snaps as she joins the group with Tony Walters. “Stop your whining! There’s no whining in baseball!”
Tony adds, “Accidents happen, don’t you remember? If your girl can’t handle it, she can just go home.”
The umpire cuts in before Stevie can answer. “Accident or not, let’s try real hard to make sure that was the last one. And I’m sending the band home, I don’t want any more chin music. From either team. Got it? Good! Now let’s play ball.”
Heidi sticks out her lower lip as she stomps back to home plate. Justine was keeping her arm loose throwing warm-up pitches. Having restored order, the umpire pulls his mask down and takes his position behind the catcher. Heidi is so furious; the only thought in her mind is to knock the ball down Justine’s throat. She takes two mighty swings at the next two pitches and catches nothing but air. The next pitch is high and about a foot outside. Heidi lunges at it and swings with such force that the bat flies out of her hands and sails directly at Justine’s knees like a whirling wooden propeller. The pitcher has to leap in the air as the bat whizzes past her and lands in the grass in front of second base. Marie walks over from her shortstop position and picks up the bat.
Even though she just struck out, Heidi has a smirk on her face as she skips back to the dugout. Just before she goes down the steps, she turns to Justine and mouths the word “Oops”. Justine rushes over to Marie, snatches the bat from her hand and would have charged the Parker Prairie dugout if Kayla hadn’t been there to restrain her.
“Cool down, Justine,” the first baseman urges. “You don’t want to get thrown out of the game, do you?” She leads the pitcher back to the mound and stays there with her just in case Justine tried another mad dash.
“And that was the third warning. There was no doubt about it anymore. All hell was about to break loose and all the angels in heaven couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.”
PRINCESSES 000 00
SWEETHEARTS 010 02
It happened in the sixth inning. Sisseton had scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Marie led off with a walk and advanced to second base when Jonica followed with a sharp single right at Princess left fielder Steph. Justine moved the runners up with a perfect sacrifice bunt and Kayla drove them both home with a double.
But she was left stranded on second when Parker Prairie pitcher Jenna settled down and retired the next two batters.
Leading off the sixth, Candy the rookie is determined to make up for her fielding miscue. And she does, by hitting a line drive single over the head of tiny Marie at shortstop.
“That’s what happens when you have a midget on your team,” cackles a Princess from their bench.
“A normal sized girl woulda caught that easy,” adds a second one.
Marie kicks at the dirt and mutters under her breath as she forces herself to focus on the game and not the taunts from the other team. Candy is being careful, not taking a big lead off first base as Kasia steps in to hit. It becomes a duel as the pesky blonde fouls off four pitches and finally bloops a single down the right field line, with Candy stopping at second. Heidi sacrifices the runners to second and third with a perfect bunt to Kayla at first base.
The next batter is Jenna, the pitcher, who is also a dangerous hitter. With one out, the outfielders move back a step. Sara in left field and the right fielder protect the foul lines as Justine throws the first pitch, a fastball on the outside part of the plate. Jenna watches it go back and the umpire calls out, “Strike one!”
Justine tries to throw the next pitch in the same spot but she’s more than a little bit off. Jenna’s eyes light up as the pitch comes in, like a meatball, right across the heart of the plate. She swings and connects, hitting a high drive to deep left center, between Sara and Jonica. The “Bayou Bird Dog” takes off like a shot, running at full speed and just barely manages to get her glove on the ball as it starts to come down for a sensational catch, robbing Jenna of at least a double. Without breaking stride, she flips the ball to Sara who is in perfect position to throw the ball back to the infield. Candy and Kasia, who both started running when Jenna made contact, now slam on the brakes and scramble back to second and third so they don’t get doubled off. Sara throws the ball to second base where Laurie stands waiting for it.
And that’s when it happens. The straw that breaks the camel’s back. The flame that lights the fuse on the keg of dynamite. The move that triggers the great Fourth of July Basebrawl of 1943.
Running at full speed back to second, Kasia sees Laurie waiting for Sara’s throw. She launches herself like a rocket at the second baseman, spearing her as ball and blonde arrive at the exact same second. The ball bounces off Laurie’s glove as Kasia’s shoulder drives into her ribs sending them both crashing in a writhing ball in the dirt. Candy sees the ball rolling away and dashes for home plate, scoring the first run of the game for the Princesses. But Kasia isn’t getting up. She can’t. Laurie may have gotten the wind knocked out of her but she still manages to grab hold of the blonde’s uniform blouse and hangs on for dear life as she starts flailing wild punches at Kasia’s face. Kasia retaliates with some punches of her own and the two girls continue to roll around, kicking up clouds of dirt as the Sisseton players hurry in from their positions and the Parker Prairie players leave their bench and rush the field.
Ami never makes it to second base. She never even gets on the playing field. Sadie is watching her like a hawk and she wastes no time paying Ami back for the earlier play. She tackles the Princess on the sidelines right in front of the dugout, to the absolute delight of her two biggest fans.
While some of the girls either pile on or try to stop the melee at second base, other individual skirmishes start up all over the field as players decide this is the perfect time to settle personal grudges.
After scoring the run and seeing the fight break out between Kasia and Laurie, Candy is the first Princess to reach the tussling pair. She tries to pull Laurie off her teammate by grabbing the Sweetheart by her hair and yanking viciously. Laurie lets out a yelp of pain as her head is jerked up and back. Kasia bucks up hard and pushes Laurie off her. From out of nowhere … well, that’s not really true, it was actually from out in left field … Sara comes to the aid of her struggling screaming teammate. She roughly grabs Candy in a headlock and pulls her away from Laurie. Then she thrusts out her hip and flips the rookie over it. Candy lands on her butt in the dirt and, with the meanest wickedest look on her pretty face that anyone has ever seen, Sara kicks the Princess in the back as hard as she can. She hisses “Welcome to the league, bitch!” as Candy arches her back and lets out a howl.
Meanwhile, Kasia has jumped on top of Laurie and the two of them engage in some mutual hairpulling and faceslapping. Marie and Kayla reach them and try to pull them apart, while getting in some hard punches and kicks on Kasia at the same time. But help is on the way for the beleaguered Princess being triple-teamed by the angry Sweethearts.
The shortest Princess, Jess the third baseman from New Jersey, appropriately targets the shortest Sweetheart Marie. The two mighty mites square off on the grass and flail wild punches and kicks at each other before they lock up and start tussling. Marie trips Jess and the Princess lands on her back on the grass with the blonde straddling her. But a hard knee into her back from Jess causes Marie to pitch forward and allows the brunette to wriggle free.
Jonica trots in from the outfield looking for someone to hit when, out of the corner of her eye, she spots Jenna making a beeline right for her. “You’re so tough and bad, giving me the finger from way out in the outfield,” the pitcher snarls through her gritted teeth. “Let’s see you back up your finger with the rest of you!”
The Cajun girl snaps back, “You want it, you got it!” She flings her glove at the pitcher’s face. Jenna reaches a hand up to smack it away, giving Jonica the opportunity to rush her and tackle her but Jenna has the presence of mind to wrap her arm around Jonica’s neck, pressing her head tight against her body as they both hit the grass.
Left fielder Steph jumps on Kayla’s back and wraps her arms around the tall first baseman’s neck. Kayla staggers back a couple of steps and leans forward, reaching both hands up to flip Steph over her head but the Princess wraps her legs around the Sweetheart’s waist and locks her ankles, hanging on for dear life. Kayla lurches around as she tugs at Steph’s arm but her grip is too tight and the first baseman is forced to her knees.
Heidi gets two steps across the foul line but stops short when she sees Justine thundering toward her with murder in her eyes. “Oh, crud!” the pig-tailed blonde squeals and she takes off running toward left field with the Sweetheart pitcher in hot pursuit.
Stevie is jumping up and down by the dugout, shrieking like a crazed banshee. She grabs Maya, the Princess catcher, by the wrist. “Maya, do something! Please! She’s gonna murder my baby girl!” With her shin guard still in her hand, the catcher chases after Justine who is gaining on Heidi out in the outfield.
Jessika, the Sisseton brunette catcher, and Natasha, the Parker Prairie blonde first baseman, haven’t liked each other since the very first game of the season and need very little reason or excuse to go at it. And that’s exactly what they do now. Right in the dirt on the pitcher’s mound.
The air is filled with cries, squeals, moans, curses, gasps, more curses, a high pitched wail of terror from the outfield, and even more curses.
The crowd loves the unexpected sideshow. Most of the crowd, anyway. Some mothers try to shield the eyes of their children who crane their heads to move away from the hands blocking their vision. The soldiers and sailors on military leave jump up and down in excitement, pounding each other on the back. They know they’ll have a hell of a story to tell their buddies when they get back to their units. Farm boys hoot and howl like rabid wolves. The Sisseton Fire Brigade Band plays When The Saints Go Marching In as the fans clap along and stamp their feet. The fat AAGPBL official gapes in wide-eyed and open-mouthed wonder at the war happening on the field. “Girls fighting in public,” he thinks to himself. “There might be some money to be made on this.”
Peanuts, empty Cracker Jack boxes, drinking cups and other assorted garbage flies onto the field from the stands. A half-eaten hot dog land in the grass near Sadie and Ami. Sadie grabs it and evilly smushes it into the face of the shocked and furious Princess.
Laurie manages to get up to her hands and knees but Kasia is sitting on her back. The blonde laughs as she rides the squirming bucking Sweetheart like a pony, with one hand snarled in Laurie’s hair and the other smacking her in the butt.
Marie and Jess are locked in a death struggle, rolling around in the grass. Neither gives an inch as first Jess gets top position, then Marie. Their faces grow red from the exertion and from the force of the hard slaps they’re trading.
Sara drags a kicking screaming Candy around by her hair as the rookie flails her arms wildly, scratching and clawing. The Princess finally pulls free and scrambles to her feet, her eyes filled with tears. In a blind rage, she charges Sara who easily sidesteps her like a matador and kicks her in her butt as she passes by.
Steph has Kayla on the ground now, still riding her back with her arm pressed against the Sweetheart’s neck and her legs wrapped around her waist. As she tugs at Steph’s ankles, Kayla manages to pull her baseball shoe off her foot. She smacks the cleats of the shoe against Steph’s arm while she bends back the toes of the Princess.
Over on the mound, Natasha has Jessika in trouble. The Sisseton catcher is on her back and the blonde yanks her chest protector up over her face. She takes full advantage of her blinded victim as she rains down a flurry of punches.
Jenna has Jonica facedown on the ground as she sits on the Cajun girl’s back and grinds her face into the grass. Jonica kicks her legs wildly and slaps at Jenna blindly but the pitcher just laughs and yells, “Give me the finger now, bitch!” And Jonica does. With both hands.
Heidi is still galloping across the outfield followed by Justine who is followed by Maya. The Sisseton Fire Brigade Band switches songs and starts a rousing rendition of the William Tell Overture. In total bewilderment, the Sweetheart right fielder stands in right field and watches Heidi whizz by, followed by Justine, followed by Maya, who is swatting at Justine with her shin guard.
All the noise finally wakes up the Parker Prairie manager. He yawns, stretches, scratches himself and blinks out at the field. Then he shuffles up the steps and onto the grass to try to break up the fight in front of the dugout. All he gets for his efforts are a couple of nasty kicks in the shin, one by Ami, one by Sadie. This makes him yowl in pain and hop up and down with one leg in the air and his round belly bouncing. Tony Walters and Jenn Peccavi work as a team but they aren’t having very much success. As soon as they pull two fighters apart and move on to the next skirmish, the first two rip into each other all over again.
A totally frenzied Stevie Foster rushes to the two umpires who are huddled behind home plate far away from the chaos. “What are you standing back here for, you useless cretins?!” she shrieks at the top of her lungs. “Go out there and do something! If any of my girls get hurt, you’ll pay, so help me!”
A firm hand clamps down on her shoulder, jerking her around forcefully. She turns and comes face to face with an unsmiling Jenn Peccavi. Face to face? More like face to fist. Stevie’s face and Jenn’s fist. Seconds later, Stevie is sprawled out in the dirt at the feet of the umpires.
Jenn smiles. “I’ve been waiting to do that a long long time.”
It takes the combined efforts of the umpires, the team managers, a few very eager volunteers from the stands and the voice of Stormy Storm blasting from the loudspeakers to finally put an end to the insanity. The umpires and the league official hold a quick conference and decide to call the game before another round of fights break out. Since the Sweethearts were leading 3-1 when the brawl erupted, the game is awarded to them. Stevie is carried off the field. The still seething players file into their clubhouses to shower and change. The fans leave Bossy Field chattering about the game and the fights they just saw. Stormy wishes everyone a Happy Fourth and tells them to drive safe and don’t forget to come back tomorrow for more exciting AAGPBL action.
The Great BaseBrawl of 1943 was finally over.
Or so we all thought.
It wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
END OF PART ONE
TO BE CONTINUED
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Wow, I love it. I have to say I enjoyed "A League of Their Own" and this story does a really good job capturing that atmosphere along with mixing in the fighting we all love. Great job Laurie and thanks for sharing!
Others may wonder who their favorite player is going to be. Me, I think I'll say "I don't know" rather cryptically and go with that. ;)
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THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBRAWL!
(A few things before we start our journey… Everyone who knows anything about baseball history or who has seen the film A League Of Their Own is aware that there actually was an All American Girls Professional Baseball League that existed from 1943 to 1954. Girls came from all over the U.S. and Canada to play professional ball while the young men were overseas fighting the war. In 1943, the year my story takes place, there were only four teams in the league: two in Wisconsin, one in Illinois, one in Indiana. There never was a team from South Dakota and, while there was a team in Minnesota the next year, it wasn’t from Parker Prairie. The teams in my story are fictional. The players, coaches and chaperones are not based on actual persons from that time. Members of FCF will recognize most of the names in the story. Like always, I use my friends and myself to make the stories come alive, to make them more fun to write and (I hope) to read. I hope everyone enjoys this little trip back in time! Thanks for reading!
xoxo
~Laurie~)
Sisseton, South Dakota. July 4, 1943.
The two girls roll around in the dirt by second base. Uniform skirts flying, their arms and legs flail as they snarl curses at each other. Their fists fly and dust kicks up in a cloud above them as they grapple in a rolling writhing ball of fury. The fans in the stands watch open-mouthed as both benches empty and twenty other girls swarm onto the field to join the donnybrook. The two managers and two chaperones try in vain to break up the brawl that escalates even more when one of the female chaperones hauls off and punches the other chaperone in the mouth.
The girls who started the fight are soon buried under a growing pile of squirming bodies. Even more scuffles start up in the outfield grass and by the pitcher’s mound as players from each team square off against each other to settle grudges. And in the midst of all this chaos comes the loud excited voice of the radio announcer filling the air and the airwaves with the news that “the fireworks sure started a lot earlier than expected here today! Oh, doctor! We have got ourselves a real Pier Six brawl on the ball field!”
“Looking back on it, I just knew something was gonna happen that day. I think everybody did. Call it sixth sense, call it intuition, call it a hunch, call it any damn thing you please. It was, I don’t know, like some kind of electric charge in the air that jolted a body right down to the marrow. Oh yeah, something was definitely gonna happen out there on that ball field. And it wasn’t gonna be pretty. No sirree bob.”
“Hey, fans, Stormy Storm from KABR here at historic Bossy Field, the Park that Milk Built, in downtown Sisseton on this Fourth of July Sunday as our Sisseton Sweethearts take on their rivals from Minnesota, the Parker Prairie Princesses. It’s a dan-dan-dandy day for a ballgame. The sun is shining, the grass is a perfect emerald green, and the nine hundred and thirty seven fans in attendance are all in the holiday spirit. It is the Fourth of July, after all. America’s birthday. What better way to celebrate it than here at the ballpark, with a hot dog, a sack of peanuts or box of Cracker Jacks, and a cold bottle of pop, watching these All-American girls playing baseball, America’s pastime?”
(singing)
Batter up! Hear that call!
The time has come for …
“Okay. Hold it. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait just a cotton-pickin’ minute here. There’s something wrong with this picture. Did that announcer just say “girls”? Girls playing baseball? On the Fourth of July? In public? That’s – That’s un-American, that’s what that is!”
“Just shut up for a minute, okay? He’ll explain everything.”
Storm continues, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the brave boys risking their lives fighting tyranny over in Europe and in the Pacific. I know we all wish they could be here with us right now, playing baseball on this Independence Day, 1943, but they have a very important job to do. And so do these All-American girls out on the field. So let’s get to it!”
(singing)
Batter up! Hear that call!
The time has come for one and all
To play ball!
“But first, here’s a message from our sponsor, Stoltzfutz Dairy, home of the one and only Bossy the Cow!”
“Okay, while the commercial featuring a man in a cow suit hawking milk plays over the radio … where nobody can see that it’s a man in a cow suit … I think a little background is needed here. Don’t worry. I’ll keep it short.
When the young men all answered the call and traded in their baseball uniforms for military ones, the team owners were scared that baseball was gonna die. So to keep the game alive and breathing, they hatched up a plot – a novelty act, a publicity stunt – and formed the AAGPBL, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Hundreds of young women all over the country – from the farms, from the cotton fields, from the swamps, from the big cities, even from Canada – all answered the call to try out for the league. The lucky ones who made the cut were assigned to the different teams here in the Midwest. The others were sent back home.
We return you now to your regularly scheduled program. Told you I’d be quick.”
“Now here they are! Taking the field, your hometown Sisseton Sweethearts!”
(singing)
We are the members of the All-American League
We come from cities near and far
We’ve got Canadians, Irish ones and Swedes,
We’re all for one, we’re one for all
We’re all Americans!
Nine girls run out of the home team dugout and take their positions as the crowd cheers. The Sisseton fans love their Sweethearts. These girls have come from all over North America to play ball in this small northeastern South Dakota city and, in the span of a few short months, the people of Sisseton have adopted and accepted them as their own.
“Out in center field, they call her the Bayou Bird Dog, because she tracks down every ball that’s hit out there … Wearing Number 7 and hailing from the Louisiana swampland, let’s hear it for Jonica!”
The irrepressible Jonica, a petite pretty Cajun, paces impatiently back and forth in the outfield grass, anxious for the game to start. She quickly doffs her cap and then jams it back on her head, spitting into the grass.
“The left fielder, the Sweetheart of the Sweethearts, may have been born in the ‘big city’ back East, but she’s a small-town girl through and through. Number 4 in your scorecard but Number 1 in your hearts … it’s Little Sara!”
Pretty, blonde-haired Sara laughs and waves at the fans who respond with louder applause and whistles. Sara is a friend to just about everyone she knows (a big problem in the AAGPBL because of its strict ‘no fraternizing with the enemy’ policy) but, when she puts on her Sweetheart uniform, she is all business. Sara plays hard and she plays mean from the first out to the last.
“Moving to the infield, patrolling third base, the ‘hot corner’, all the way from Alabama, this Dixie darlin’ is so good with the glove, I don’t think the other team is gonna get too many line drives past the girl with Number 3 on her back … Sweet Sadie!”
Sadie waves her well-worn glove at the fans, flashing a dazzling smile and a wink aimed at the two young men who seem to always be sitting in the same two seats in the stands by third base at every home game. She coyly stretches out her leg, places her foot on the third base sack and makes a show out of adjusting her short uniform skirt.
“Did you say uniform ‘skirt’?!”
“Yep, you heard me right. See, not only were the girls supposed to play baseball, they were also supposed to put fannies in the seats. And can you think of a better way to do that than by putting short skirts on pretty girls and telling them to flaunt what they got?”
And flaunt it they do. The girls are forced to go to charm school and learn all about proper etiquette. There are endless ‘cheesecake’ photo sessions of them putting on makeup, wearing party dresses, showing just enough skin to drive a red-blooded American boy to distraction straight to the ticket counter for the next game. And the next.
“You’ve all heard the expression that dynamite comes in small packages. Well, this little lady is four-foot eleven-inches of pure TNT!”
The Sisseton second baseman lets out a sarcastic laugh and mutters, “More like pure cow shit!”
Storm continued, “Playing shortstop, Number 1, and coming to us from Canada, give a big hand for the little lady from up North … Marie!”
The petite blonde shortstop stands rooted to the spot, her blue eyes firing daggers at her teammate who is perched on second base, studiously doing her best to ignore her.
“You’ve all watched our second baseman grow up from a little girl on the playground … ”
Marie calls out, “ … to a little bitch on the ballfield!”
“They call her Nightbreeze … ”
“I call her Asshole.”
“Fuck you, Marie,” the girl at second base hisses.
“Damn it, you two,” Sisseton manager Tony Walters hollers from the dugout steps. “Knock that bullshit off or I’m turning the hose on the both of you!”
“Number 9 … Sisseton’s own … Laurie!”
Laurie stands by second base and waves to the crowd. Marie hawks a gob and spits it at Laurie’s legs, making her jump. Laurie sticks out her tongue at the blonde and kicks dirt at her.
Even though they play side by side, Marie and Laurie barely tolerate each other. No one knows why, least of all Marie and Laurie. It isn’t anything specific; right from the get-go they just rubbed each other the wrong way. But that sure didn’t stop them from becoming one of the best double-play combos in the league. It also didn’t stop them from hurling nasty little comments back and forth between games, on long bus rides or late at night in some rooming house on the road.
“The shortest girl in the league playin’ shortstop. It fits. We got ourselves a munchkin on the team!” This comes from Laurie, who isn’t very much bigger than Marie herself.
“Makes sense Laurie is playin’ second base. She never let a guy get there in her whole life!” This comes from Marie and results in a furious Laurie throwing a bottle of Peach Nehi at the little Canadian blonde. It misses and splashes pop all over the sports page that team manager Walters is reading. After a good long display of old-fashioned country cussing from Tony and muttered apologies from the two girls, the matter is dropped. But not forgotten.
“Over at first base, the anchor of the infield, this girl’s skill with the glove makes the other infielders look good and has saved them a bunch of throwing errors. From Detroit, Michigan, by way of South Africa … Number 14 … Kayla!”
Kayla, the tall first baseman, stretches her long legs to take a practice throw from Sadie over at third, scooping the ball up out of the dirt like a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Then she kicks up her leg, tosses the ball high in the air and catches it in her cap as the fans in the stands cheer.
“Behind the plate, this girl is the on-field general of the team. It’s her job to work hand-in-hand with the pitcher, and to always let her teammates know the correct number of outs in every inning. Another South African who came to America to play ball, the catcher … Number 11 … Jessika!”
Crouching behind the plate, Jessika takes the final warm-up throw from the pitcher, straightens up and fires a bullet out to second base that lands in Laurie’s glove with such force, it sounds like a gunshot and causes the second baseman to wince, pull her glove off and wring her hand in pain.
“All the way out in right field is … Number 13 … the right fielder.”
The right fielder tips her cap.
“And on the mound, the ace of the Sweetheart pitching staff, this young lady means business. Do not mess with her because if you do, you just might end up eating dirt right before she strikes you out and sends you back to the bench. Here she is … Number 18 … Justine!”
He isn’t joking, either. Off the field, Justine can be as nice as nice can be. But, on the mound, she is meaner than cat shit and a damn sight nastier. It is whispered around the league that she would probably throw at her grandmother’s head to win a ballgame. But her teammates know better. She wouldn’t throw at her grandma’s head. But she sure would throw at her grandma’s knees.
Right now, Justine is pawing the dirt on the mound as Jessika crouches down behind home plate, the umpire settles in behind her and the leadoff batter for the Princesses, a long-legged blonde named Kasia, walks up to hit.
The Parker Prairie chaperone, Stevie Foster, stands on the top step of the dugout clapping her hands and calling out words of encouragement to her hitter. The manager of the team, an ancient pot-bellied man who had played a total of two games in the major leagues around the turn of the century, is fast asleep on the bench in the corner of the dugout. It is no secret around the league that he is a manager in name only and that Stevie runs the team her way. She is doing a pretty good job at it too. In the first couple of months of the season, her girls have won more than their fair share of ballgames, by hook or by crook.
But the gossip quickly spread that Stevie was much more concerned with how well her girls looked out on the field as opposed to how well they played. She once made a request to league officials that nylon stockings be made a mandatory part of the girls’ uniforms. This request was met with wide-eyed astonishment followed by loud raucous laughter.
“Don’t you know there’s a war on?!” sputtered one of the owners, who privately wouldn’t have minded seeing a bunch of pretty girls running around the field in nylons but there was no way in hell he was going to pay for them.
Another was more practical. “It’s out of the question. We couldn’t afford to replace them if they get torn. One slide and they would be ruined.”
Stevie had an answer ready. “My girls won’t slide.”
“And they won’t win either,” mumbled the first owner and the nylon debate ended on that note.
Kasia takes a couple practice swings and then steps into the batter’s box. Jessika flashes the sign, Justine goes into her windup and throws a smoking fastball right down the middle of the plate that Kasia watches smack loudly into Jessika’s mitt.
The umpire bellows, “Stee-rike one!”
The hometown fans let out a roar of approval and the game is underway.
On the next pitch, Kasia squares away at the last minute and drops a bunt toward first base. Both Kayla and Justine charge toward the slowly rolling ball. Kayla gets there first. She scoops it up with her bare hand, whirls around and throws it to Laurie who had hurried over to cover first base. The throw beats the speedy Kasia by a half step but she veers toward Laurie and slams into her hard to try to knock the ball loose. Laurie ends up on her ass but the ball stays in her glove. The crowd starts to boo but they quickly turn to cheers when the on-field umpire hollers, “You’re out!”
Laurie picks herself up and brushes the dirt from her uniform. She calls out, “Better luck next time, bitch!”
Kasia, who is trotting back to the Parker Prairie dugout, turns her head and snaps back, “Next time I’m gonna knock your ass clear into the outfield, bitch!”
As Kasia leaves the field and the next batter is walking to the plate, Marie hollers over to Laurie, “Next time you better ram that ball right into her stinking teeth!”
“I know what I gotta do, Marie,” Laurie spat. “You don’t have to tell me nothin’!”
Manager Walters and chaperone Jenn Peccavi are standing in front of the Sisseton bench. Tony shakes his fist at the Princesses as he yells, “That was a damn bush league stunt!”
Stevie Foster gives him a smug condescending grin. “That’s called aggressive baseball, Mr. Walters. If your girls can’t handle it, they can just go home.” The Parker Prairie manager snores and drools in his sleep.
Jenn Peccavi turns to Tony and mutters, “There’s going to be trouble.”
“That should have been our first warning.”
The first inning and the top of the second end with no more disturbances.
PRINCESSES 00
SWEETHEARTS 0
With one out in the Sisseton half of the second, Jessika hits a screaming line drive between Parker Prairie left fielder Steph and center fielder Kasia. By the time they retrieve the ball and throw it back in to the infield, Jessika is standing on second base with a double.
Sadie, the next batter, hits a ground ball right at the shortstop; a young girl named Candy, who is the newest Princess playing her first game with the team. Jessika, running with the pitch, distracts the rookie as she rushes past her and the ball kicks off the side of Candy’s glove. To make it worse, Candy kicks the ball into short left field with her trailing foot. Jessika never breaks stride, rounding third and heading for home as manager Walters waves his arms wildly from the top dugout step and Candy hurries after the rolling ball.
Meanwhile, Sadie is standing on first base and she sees the shortstop chasing down the ball. She also knows the play is going to be at the plate so she takes off for second. With attention focused on Candy picking up the ball and Jessika galloping toward home, no one sees Ami, the Princess second baseman, stick her foot out and trip Sadie as she runs by her. Sadie pitches forward and crashes into the dirt. Ami, a look of supreme innocence on her face, moves back a couple of steps as Jessika crosses the plate with the game’s first run just beating the desperate throw from the rookie shortstop. Ami calls for the ball and the Parker Prairie catcher pegs it to her just as Sadie is slowly getting to her feet. With a satisfied smirk, Ami pushes her glove with the ball in it against Sadie’s ribs and whispers, “Next time be more careful, sweetie!”
Sadie flushes angrily as the umpire calls her out. Her two biggest fans, who are in their usual seats next to the visitor’s dugout and who follow her every move, are probably the only people in the stands who saw Ami trip their favorite player. They both immediately pop up and start screaming at the umpire with their shrill reedy voices. Their faces grow red and their flapping waving arms make them look like a pair of spastic flamingos but the rest of the crowd drowns out their cries of protest. They eventually give up and slump back down in their seats as Sadie jogs back to the bench, flings her cap down in frustration and sits down, fuming, her arms crossed. Having missed the incident, Tony walks over to her with the intent of chewing her out for a bonehead play. But one look at her angry face and dirty uniform make him realize that something out of the ordinary must have happened.
“Anything you wanna tell me?” he asks her in a quieter voice.
“No, Skip,” Sadie answers, her eyes on the still smirking Parker Prairie second baseman. “I’ll take care of it myself.”
Tony follows her gaze, then turns his attention to the Princess bench where Stevie Foster is adjusting the skirt of one of her reserve players.
“This shit ends right now!” Tony mutters as he stomps up the steps out onto the grass. Calling time out, he quickly limps over to the visitor’s dugout, favoring his gimpy left knee that had cut his promising major league career short. He is followed by chaperone Jenn Peccavi. Stevie gives a very quick glance in their direction, then turns her attention back to her player’s uniform.
“You want to make sure your socks are pulled all the way up, as high as they go, right below your knees. It’s more sophisticated and elegant and it also makes your legs look longer and sexier. You’re a Princess, girl. Dress like one! … Yes, what is it, Mr. Walters?”
“I don’t know what happened out there at second base, ‘Your Majesty’, but I’m warning you it better stop!”
“You’re warning me?” Stevie laughs. “Is it my fault your girls are so clumsy and uncouth that they keep falling all over themselves out there? Accidents happen, Mr. Walters, and you’d better make sure one doesn’t happen to you, with your bad leg and all.”
Tony’s face get beet red and you can see the veins bulging in his neck. Odds are, he would have gone after Stevie right then and there if the strong calming hand of Jenn Peccavi on his arm hadn’t stopped him. She maneuvers him away from the Parker Prairie dugout as the home-plate umpire joins them.
“Is there a problem, Tony?” he asks.
Still seething, Tony whirls at him. “Yeah, there’s a problem. Why don’t you get your head outta your ass and keep an eye on all the shit goin’ on and there wouldn’t be a problem!”
Jenn pulls him away quickly before things get even worse and they go back to their dugout, leaving Stevie smiling triumphantly and the umpire scratching his head.
The Sisseton right fielder pops out to Jess, the Parker Prairie third baseman, to end the inning.
“There was warning number two.”
PRINCESSES 000
SWEETHEARTS 010
Stevie’s daughter Heidi leads off the top of the fourth. The Sisseton players start in immediately with the usual insulting chatter.
“No batter no batter no batter no batter!”
“Easy out! Everybody move in, she couldn’t hit the ball with a shovel!”
“She’s a-scared of ya, Justine! She don’t wanna get in there an’ hit!”
“Look at her! She’s more worried about breakin’ a nail!”
Justine stands on the mound and glares at the blonde in the batter’s box who has just asked the umpire for a time out AGAIN, the second one in this at bat. The catcalls from the fans grow loud as the blonde fusses with her skirt, pulling it up, tugging it down. A few wolf whistles and loud “Yowzas” can be heard mixed in with the boos. The primping blonde pulls off her cap and makes a big show of fluffing her pigtails as she winks and blows kisses at the leering grinning farm boys and uniformed soldiers and sailors.
Finally, Jonica has had enough. And she lets everyone in the park know it.
“Oh, for crying out loud, Foster! If you don’t haul your prissy ass in the damn batter’s box in two seconds, I’m coming in there and kicking it all over the park!”
The Sweethearts all try to hide their smiles behind their mitts. Some fail. One or two even laugh out loud, along with the fans in the stands. In the Sweetheart dugout, manager Walters forgets how pissed off he is for a minute. He leans back on the bench, lowers his cap over his eyes and let outs a laugh that he tries to mask with a not very realistic sounding cough. Jenn Peccavi rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Even though she is just as exasperated as her players and the hometown fans by the antics of the pig-tailed blonde, she knows the strict rules set down by the league officials: The girls must try to be ladylike at all times. She knows there is an official at the game today. And that both teams are probably on thin ice because of all the crap that already happened. She prays that he didn’t heard Jonica’s outburst. She leans forward, cranes her neck to peer into the stands and heaves a relieved sigh. The league official, a jovial man with a bulbous spidery veined nose and perfectly round belly, is laughing uproariously at something his neighbor just said.
Over in the visiting team’s dugout, the Princesses hurl angry catcalls back at the brash center fielder. Jonica smiles sweetly, blows them a kiss and then quickly gives the entire Parker Prairie team the finger. Her teammates laugh, the fans cheer, Jenn Peccavi groans and mutters, “Well, that’s just dandy!”
Her primping finally finished, Heidi steps in to hit. Jesskia flashes the signal, Justine nods, goes into her windup and throws a high and tight fastball at the blonde’s head (commonly known as ‘chin music’). Heidi’s cap goes one way, her bat goes another way and she hits the dirt in a very unladylike manner as she bails out of the batter’s box.
“Aw, did you get your precious uniform all dirty, princess?” Jessika laughs as she throws the ball back to Justine. Heidi bites her lip and pouts as she gets back to her feet, picks up her bat and jams her cap back on her head haphazardly. Forgetting to primp for once or even dust herself off, the determined blonde steps back into the batter’s box, taps her bat on home plate and gets ready to hit.
Jessika winks at Justine. Justine nods, winds up, rears back and gives Heidi a second chorus of ‘chin music’, sending her right back into the dirt. This is too much for her mom to take. Stevie storms out of the dugout, her skirt swishing as she strides over to the umpire, screeching every step of the way. She and Heidi doubleteam the poor home-plate umpire giving him a double earful of bitching.
“Didn’t you see that? She threw at my daughter’s head!”
“She – She coulda hit me in my face! Omigod! My face! I don’t even wanna think about what coulda happened if she did!”
“She did it on purpose too!”
From the mound, Justine calls out, “I did not! My grip slipped!”
Heidi stamps her foot. “Twice?!”
Stevie folds her arms as she glares at the still silent umpire. “I demand you do something. Right this instant! Throw that animal out of the game!”
“Oh, shut the hell up, Stevie,” Jenn Peccavi snaps as she joins the group with Tony Walters. “Stop your whining! There’s no whining in baseball!”
Tony adds, “Accidents happen, don’t you remember? If your girl can’t handle it, she can just go home.”
The umpire cuts in before Stevie can answer. “Accident or not, let’s try real hard to make sure that was the last one. And I’m sending the band home, I don’t want any more chin music. From either team. Got it? Good! Now let’s play ball.”
Heidi sticks out her lower lip as she stomps back to home plate. Justine was keeping her arm loose throwing warm-up pitches. Having restored order, the umpire pulls his mask down and takes his position behind the catcher. Heidi is so furious; the only thought in her mind is to knock the ball down Justine’s throat. She takes two mighty swings at the next two pitches and catches nothing but air. The next pitch is high and about a foot outside. Heidi lunges at it and swings with such force that the bat flies out of her hands and sails directly at Justine’s knees like a whirling wooden propeller. The pitcher has to leap in the air as the bat whizzes past her and lands in the grass in front of second base. Marie walks over from her shortstop position and picks up the bat.
Even though she just struck out, Heidi has a smirk on her face as she skips back to the dugout. Just before she goes down the steps, she turns to Justine and mouths the word “Oops”. Justine rushes over to Marie, snatches the bat from her hand and would have charged the Parker Prairie dugout if Kayla hadn’t been there to restrain her.
“Cool down, Justine,” the first baseman urges. “You don’t want to get thrown out of the game, do you?” She leads the pitcher back to the mound and stays there with her just in case Justine tried another mad dash.
“And that was the third warning. There was no doubt about it anymore. All hell was about to break loose and all the angels in heaven couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.”
PRINCESSES 000 00
SWEETHEARTS 010 02
It happened in the sixth inning. Sisseton had scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Marie led off with a walk and advanced to second base when Jonica followed with a sharp single right at Princess left fielder Steph. Justine moved the runners up with a perfect sacrifice bunt and Kayla drove them both home with a double.
But she was left stranded on second when Parker Prairie pitcher Jenna settled down and retired the next two batters.
Leading off the sixth, Candy the rookie is determined to make up for her fielding miscue. And she does, by hitting a line drive single over the head of tiny Marie at shortstop.
“That’s what happens when you have a midget on your team,” cackles a Princess from their bench.
“A normal sized girl woulda caught that easy,” adds a second one.
Marie kicks at the dirt and mutters under her breath as she forces herself to focus on the game and not the taunts from the other team. Candy is being careful, not taking a big lead off first base as Kasia steps in to hit. It becomes a duel as the pesky blonde fouls off four pitches and finally bloops a single down the right field line, with Candy stopping at second. Heidi sacrifices the runners to second and third with a perfect bunt to Kayla at first base.
The next batter is Jenna, the pitcher, who is also a dangerous hitter. With one out, the outfielders move back a step. Sara in left field and the right fielder protect the foul lines as Justine throws the first pitch, a fastball on the outside part of the plate. Jenna watches it go back and the umpire calls out, “Strike one!”
Justine tries to throw the next pitch in the same spot but she’s more than a little bit off. Jenna’s eyes light up as the pitch comes in, like a meatball, right across the heart of the plate. She swings and connects, hitting a high drive to deep left center, between Sara and Jonica. The “Bayou Bird Dog” takes off like a shot, running at full speed and just barely manages to get her glove on the ball as it starts to come down for a sensational catch, robbing Jenna of at least a double. Without breaking stride, she flips the ball to Sara who is in perfect position to throw the ball back to the infield. Candy and Kasia, who both started running when Jenna made contact, now slam on the brakes and scramble back to second and third so thy don’t get doubled off. Sara throws the ball to second base where Laurie stands waiting for it.
And that’s when it happens. The straw that breaks the camel’s back. The flame that lights the fuse on the keg of dynamite. The move that triggers the great Fourth of July Basebrawl of 1943.
Running at full speed back to second, Kasia sees Laurie waiting for Sara’s throw. She launches herself like a rocket at the second baseman, spearing her as ball and blonde arrive at the exact same second. The ball bounces off Laurie’s glove as Kasia’s shoulder drives into her ribs sending them both crashing in a writhing ball in the dirt. Candy sees the ball rolling away and dashes for home plate, scoring the first run of the game for the Princesses. But Kasia isn’t getting up. She can’t. Laurie may have gotten the wind knocked out of her but she still manages to grab hold of the blonde’s uniform blouse and hangs on for dear life as she starts flailing wild punches at Kasia’s face. Kasia retaliates with some punches of her own and the two girls continue to roll around, kicking up clouds of dirt as the Sisseton players hurry in from their positions and the Parker Prairie players leave their bench and rush the field.
Ami never makes it to second base. She never even gets on the playing field. Sadie is watching her like a hawk and she wastes no time paying Ami back for the earlier play. She tackles the Princess on the sidelines right in front of the dugout, to the absolute delight of her two biggest fans.
While some of the girls either pile on or try to stop the melee at second base, other individual skirmishes start up all over the field as players decide this is the perfect time to settle personal grudges.
After scoring the run and seeing the fight break out between Kasia and Laurie, Candy is the first Princess to reach the tussling pair. She tries to pull Laurie off her teammate by grabbing the Sweetheart by her hair and yanking viciously. Laurie lets out a yelp of pain as her head is jerked up and back. Kasia bucks up hard and pushes Laurie off her. From out of nowhere … well, that’s not really true, it was actually from out in left field … Sara comes to the aid of her struggling screaming teammate. She roughly grabs Candy in a headlock and pulls her away from Laurie. Then she thrusts out her hip and flips the rookie over it. Candy lands on her butt in the dirt and, with the meanest wickedest look on her pretty face that anyone has ever seen, Sara kicks the Princess in the back as hard as she can. She hisses “Welcome to the league, bitch!” as Candy arches her back and lets out a howl.
Meanwhile, Kasia has jumped on top of Laurie and the two of them engage in some mutual hairpulling and faceslapping. Marie and Kayla reach them and try to pull them apart, while getting in some hard punches and kicks on Kasia at the same time. But help is on the way for the beleaguered Princess being triple-teamed by the angry Sweethearts.
The shortest Princess, Jess the third baseman from New Jersey, appropriately targets the shortest Sweetheart Marie. The two mighty mites square off on the grass and flail wild punches and kicks at each other before they lock up and start tussling. Marie trips Jess and the Princess lands on her back on the grass with the blonde straddling her. But a hard knee into her back from Jess causes Marie to pitch forward and allows the brunette to wriggle free.
Jonica trots in from the outfield looking for someone to hit when, out of the corner of her eye, she spots Jenna making a beeline right for her. “You’re so tough and bad, giving me the finger from way out in the outfield,” the pitcher snarls through her gritted teeth. “Let’s see you back up your finger with the rest of you!”
The Cajun girl snaps back, “You want it, you got it!” She flings her glove at the pitcher’s face. Jenna reaches a hand up to smack it away, giving Jonica the opportunity to rush her and tackle her but Jenna has the presence of mind to wrap her arm around Jonica’s neck, pressing her head tight against her body as they both hit the grass.
Left fielder Steph jumps on Kayla’s back and wraps her arms around the tall first baseman’s neck. Kayla staggers back a couple of steps and leans forward, reaching both hands up to flip Steph over her head but the Princess wraps her legs around the Sweetheart’s waist and locks her ankles, hanging on for dear life. Kayla lurches around as she tugs at Steph’s arm but her grip is too tight and the first baseman is forced to her knees.
Heidi gets two steps across the foul line but stops short when she sees Justine thundering toward her with murder in her eyes. “Oh, crud!” the pig-tailed blonde squeals and she takes off running toward left field with the Sweetheart pitcher in hot pursuit.
Stevie is jumping up and down by the dugout, shrieking like a crazed banshee. She grabs Maya, the Princess catcher, by the wrist. “Maya, do something! Please! She’s gonna murder my baby girl!” With her shin guard still in her hand, the catcher chases after Justine who is gaining on Heidi out in the outfield.
Jessika, the Sisseton brunette catcher, and Natasha, the Parker Prairie blonde first baseman, haven’t liked each other since the very first game of the season and need very little reason or excuse to go at it. And that’s exactly what they do now. Right in the dirt on the pitcher’s mound.
The air is filled with cries, squeals, moans, curses, gasps, more curses, a high pitched wail of terror from the outfield, and even more curses.
The crowd loves the unexpected sideshow. Most of the crowd, anyway. Some mothers try to shield the eyes of their children who crane their heads to move away from the hands blocking their vision. The soldiers and sailors on military leave jump up and down in excitement, pounding each other on the back. They know they’ll have a hell of a story to tell their buddies when they get back to their units. Farm boys hoot and howl like rabid wolves. The Sisseton Fire Brigade Band plays When The Saints Go Marching In as the fans clap along and stamp their feet. The fat AAGPBL official gapes in wide-eyed and open-mouthed wonder at the war happening on the field. “Girls fighting in public,” he thinks to himself. “There might be some money to be made on this.”
Peanuts, empty Cracker Jack boxes, drinking cups and other assorted garbage flies onto the field from the stands. A half-eaten hot dog land in the grass near Sadie and Ami. Sadie grabs it and evilly smushes it into the face of the shocked and furious Princess.
Laurie manages to get up to her hands and knees but Kasia is sitting on her back. The blonde laughs as she rides the squirming bucking Sweetheart like a pony, with one hand snarled in Laurie’s hair and the other smacking her in the butt.
Marie and Jess are locked in a death struggle, rolling around in the grass. Neither gives an inch as first Jess gets top position, then Marie. Their faces grow red from the exertion and from the force of the hard slaps they’re trading.
Sara drags a kicking screaming Candy around by her hair as the rookie flails her arms wildly, scratching and clawing. The Princess finally pulls free and scrambles to her feet, her eyes filled with tears. In a blind rage, she charges Sara who easily sidesteps her like a matador and kicks her in her butt as she passes by.
Steph has Kayla on the ground now, still riding her back with her arm pressed against the Sweetheart’s neck and her legs wrapped around her waist. As she tugs at Steph’s ankles, Kayla manages to pull her baseball shoe off her foot. She smacks the cleats of the shoe against Steph’s arm while she bends back the toes of the Princess.
Over on the mound, Natasha has Jessika in trouble. The Sisseton catcher is on her back and the blonde yanks her chest protector up over her face. She takes full advantage of her blinded victim as she rains down a flurry of punches.
Jenna has Jonica facedown on the ground as she sits on the Cajun girl’s back and grinds her face into the grass. Jonica kicks her legs wildly and slaps at Jenna blindly but the pitcher just laughs and yells, “Give me the finger now, bitch!” And Jonica does. With both hands.
Heidi is still galloping across the outfield followed by Justine who is followed by Maya. The Sisseton Fire Brigade Band switches songs and starts a rousing rendition of the William Tell Overture. In total bewilderment, the Sweetheart right fielder stands in right field and watches Heidi whizz by, followed by Justine, followed by Maya, who is swatting at Justine with her shin guard.
All the noise finally wakes up the Parker Prairie manager. He yawns, stretches, scratches himself and blinks out at the field. Then he shuffles up the steps and onto the grass to try to break up the fight in front of the dugout. All he gets for his efforts are a couple of nasty kicks in the shin, one by Ami, one by Sadie. This makes him yowl in pain and hop up and down with one leg in the air and his round belly bouncing. Tony Walters and Jenn Peccavi work as a team but they aren’t having very much success. As soon as they pull two fighters apart and move on to the next skirmish, the first two rip into each other all over again.
A totally frenzied Stevie Foster rushes to the two umpires who are huddled behind home plate far away from the chaos. “What are you standing back here for, you useless cretins?!” she shrieks at the top of her lungs. “Go out there and do something! If any of my girls get hurt, you’ll pay, so help me!”
A firm hand clamps down on her shoulder, jerking her around forcefully. She turns and comes face to face with an unsmiling Jenn Peccavi. Face to face? More like face to fist. Stevie’s face and Jenn’s fist. Seconds later, Stevie is sprawled out in the dirt at the feet of the umpires.
Jenn smiles. “I’ve been waiting to do that a long long time.”
It takes the combined efforts of the umpires, the team managers, a few very eager volunteers from the stands and the voice of Stormy Storm blasting from the loudspeakers to finally put an end to the insanity. The umpires and the league official hold a quick conference and decide to call the game before another round of fights break out. Since the Sweethearts were leading 3-1 when the brawl erupted, the game is awarded to them. Stevie is carried off the field. The still seething players file into their clubhouses to shower and change. The fans leave Bossy Field chattering about the game and the fights they just saw. Stormy wishes everyone a Happy Fourth and tells them to drive safe and don’t forget to come back tomorrow for more exciting AAGPBL action.
The Great BaseBrawl of 1943 was finally over.
Or so we all thought.
It wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
END OF PART ONE
TO BE CONTINUED
Cute story Breezy!!
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Laurie, you simply amaze me! You truely do! Perfect story looking forward to your next chpater!
;)
Tony
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an excellent story, but I can see I am going to have to learn about baseball. Very confusing to those who don't know anything about your summer sport. Lots of fun.
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Awesome story!!! I did a story about a catfight on a baseball field and never finished it. This far surpasses that and any other story I've ever read that had that element. I love the characterizations. I loved the crowd being involved. I loved the fight and the way you captured the feeling of a baseball experience and a catfight experience. Outstanding work, Laurie.
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“Better luck next time, bitch!”
Well, there ya go....."A League of Their Own" written the way it should have been done! And doesn't it just figure the R-rated version would be penned by our own resident pipsqueak, Ms. Breeze?
This story was the best thing you've done, Laurie. I love the dialogue approach used, with references to life in the 40's. I also enjoyed the conflict among teammates, with all of us taking shots at the person playing the position next to them.
Kayla, the tall first baseman, stretches her long legs to take a practice throw from Sadie over at third, scooping the ball up out of the dirt like a Hoover vacuum cleaner.
Ironic, since the term "Hoover" applies to Kayla in other ways, too. :o
“Playing shortstop, Number 1, and coming to us from Canada, give a big hand for the little lady from up North … Marie!”
You've got me playing shortstop?. Oh Breezie, will your "short" jokes never cease?
You and I are headed for our own private base-brawl. Never mind the Princesses. I want you!
Tremendous story, though. Original, exciting, well-crafted. :) Loved it!
Marie
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“Better luck next time, bitch!”
Well, there ya go....."A League of Their Own" written the way it should have been done! And doesn't it just figure the R-rated version would be penned by our own resident pipsqueak, Ms. Breeze?
This story was the best thing you've done, Laurie. I love the dialogue approach used, with references to life in the 40's. I also enjoyed the conflict among teammates, with all of us taking shots at the person playing the position next to them.
Kayla, the tall first baseman, stretches her long legs to take a practice throw from Sadie over at third, scooping the ball up out of the dirt like a Hoover vacuum cleaner.
Ironic, since the term "Hoover" applies to Kayla in other ways, too. :o
“Playing shortstop, Number 1, and coming to us from Canada, give a big hand for the little lady from up North … Marie!”
You've got me playing shortstop?. Oh Breezie, will your "short" jokes never cease?
You and I are headed for our own private base-brawl. Never mind the Princesses. I want you!
Tremendous story, though. Original, exciting, well-crafted. :) Loved it!
Marie
Mawee....I mas thinking you'd make a better BACKstop.....
;D
*hugs*
J
xoxo
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Laurie,
This is absolutely incredible! I have read it twice and it got better the second time! If you don't find a publisher soon...I am going to get on my tricycle and ride to South Dakota. You thought Little Bighorn was bad....just wait for the mini-Cajun invasion....
>:(
*hugs*
J
xoxo
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Great story & setting! Did a great job with describing it. Can see many more team sport clashes like this: maybe ice hockey, American football or rugby? Of course, there's also stuff like Cage Fighting ... yikes! ::) :o ;D
Kayla, the tall first baseman, stretches her long legs to take a practice throw from Sadie over at third, scooping the ball up out of the dirt like a Hoover vacuum cleaner.
Ironic, since the term "Hoover" applies to Kayla in other ways, too. :o
Hey, shorty, SHUDDUP! ;)
Hugs
Kayla
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Oh... My... God....
This is like... pure... Gold.... Fun.....
No, scratch Gold, this is diamond....
Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write something like that, and to share this hard labor with the rest of us.... :-)
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Laurie you always write the most amazing stories!! Thanks so much for letting me a part of ya awesome story and like Sadie said I'm gonna totally read it a few more times!!! Course I so want some revenge on Sadie lol. LOVES YOU LOTS!!!! Amazing job once again Laurie!!!!
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Wow, I love it. I have to say I enjoyed "A League of Their Own" and this story does a really good job capturing that atmosphere along with mixing in the fighting we all love. Great job Laurie and thanks for sharing!
Others may wonder who their favorite player is going to be. Me, I think I'll say "I don't know" rather cryptically and go with that. ;)
Only ONE favorite??? Red, I love it when you go all cryptic 'n mysterious on us! ;) Maybe one or two appearances of boobies in Part Two might encourage you to come clean! Or change yer opinion on who yer favorite is! Glad you're liking it so far! Hugggzzzz
an excellent story, but I can see I am going to have to learn about baseball. Very confusing to those who don't know anything about your summer sport. Lots of fun.
Thanks, Miss Jenn! I think all you have to do is watch the movie A League Of Their Own. That should tell you everything you need to know about baseball. Don't worry, there's gonna be a whole lot less baseball 'n a whole lot more fighting in Part Two! That's a promise. Huggzzzzz
Laurie, you simply amaze me! You truely do! Perfect story looking forward to your next chpater!
;)
Tony
Thanks, T! So glad you like it! Thanks for being a part of the story, Skip! Hugggzzz
Cute story Breezy!!
Thanks, Ash! You rock! Hugggzzz
Holy cow, Laurie! This is amazing! Absolutely incredible!
Thank you sooo much for letting me be a part of it! It's fun to see a lot of my friends from FCF and Yahoo out on the ball-field being just as feisty as they are on here!
I'm going to grab a hot dog, peanuts and beer and read it again!
No time for that hot dog, peanuts 'n beer, Sadie. You're gonna be too busy in Part Two! I think Ami is looking to pay you back for force feeding her that hot dog. ;) Thank YOU so much for agreeing to be a part of the story! You fit in perfectly on the team! Hugggzzzzz
Awesome story!!! I did a story about a catfight on a baseball field and never finished it. This far surpasses that and any other story I've ever read that had that element. I love the characterizations. I loved the crowd being involved. I loved the fight and the way you captured the feeling of a baseball experience and a catfight experience. Outstanding work, Laurie.
Thank you Howard! I had a blast writing this story, it was a lot of hard work, researching AAGPBL stuff (I love Google!) to make it as accurate as I could. Also trying to juggle 'n keep track of all those individual fights, yeesh! :o I always wanted to try a story like that 'n now that I did, I can say I did it 'n never ever have to do it again! ;) :P Hugggzzzz
WOW!!!! Baseball mayhem deluxe! Had me giggling all the way ... can't wait to read more! ;D ;)
Meaow
Jessie
Thanks, Jessika! We're all going back to Purgatory soon, I wanted to try something different first 'n this was sure different! Glad you're giggling 'n I hope you like what's in store for you in Part Two! Meaow back atcha, babes! Hugggzzzz
“Better luck next time, bitch!”
Well, there ya go....."A League of Their Own" written the way it should have been done! And doesn't it just figure the R-rated version would be penned by our own resident pipsqueak, Ms. Breeze?
This story was the best thing you've done, Laurie. I love the dialogue approach used, with references to life in the 40's. I also enjoyed the conflict among teammates, with all of us taking shots at the person playing the position next to them.
Kayla, the tall first baseman, stretches her long legs to take a practice throw from Sadie over at third, scooping the ball up out of the dirt like a Hoover vacuum cleaner.
Ironic, since the term "Hoover" applies to Kayla in other ways, too. :o
“Playing shortstop, Number 1, and coming to us from Canada, give a big hand for the little lady from up North … Marie!”
You've got me playing shortstop?. Oh Breezie, will your "short" jokes never cease?
You and I are headed for our own private base-brawl. Never mind the Princesses. I want you!
Tremendous story, though. Original, exciting, well-crafted. :) Loved it!
Marie
You want me, Marie? Fine! I'm ready when you are! >:( :P
I wish I could stop making short jokes about you, Marie, but you make it sooo easy for me. :o I really don't see why you're complaining. I let you trash on me in the story too so quit yer bitchin'! I'll let Kayla deal with yer 'Hoover' comment about her, I'm staying outta that one, thank you very much, 'Shorter Than Me'! Hugggzzzz
Laurie,
This is absolutely incredible! I have read it twice and it got better the second time! If you don't find a publisher soon...I am going to get on my tricycle and ride to South Dakota. You thought Little Bighorn was bad....just wait for the mini-Cajun invasion....
>:(
*hugs*
J
xoxo
Joni, I'll meet you halfway on my tricycle for a mini Lakota invasion of my own....somewhere in Iowa or Missouri, to convince you to get a publisher FIRST, dammit! >:( Hugggzzz 'n xoxo
Great story & setting! Did a great job with describing it. Can see many more team sport clashes like this: maybe ice hockey, American football or rugby? Of course, there's also stuff like Cage Fighting ... yikes! ::) :o ;D
Kayla, the tall first baseman, stretches her long legs to take a practice throw from Sadie over at third, scooping the ball up out of the dirt like a Hoover vacuum cleaner.
Ironic, since the term "Hoover" applies to Kayla in other ways, too. :o
Hey, shorty, SHUDDUP! ;)
Hugs
Kayla
Thanks Kayla! Glad you're liking it! I'll leave ice hockey catfights to the Canadians to write :D I love football but there's too much protective gear to yank off to make a good catfight story ... I'll leave rugby to the international writers! You're right though, there is a lot of potential for good stories there. Oh, for the record, the 'Hoover' comment, that was ALL Marie! I'm totally innocent...for once! :) Hugggzzz
Great story Laurie, very creative......look forward to seeing where this leads.....lot of ways it could go to be sure.
Thanks Adam! There are a lot of different roads the story can go down...That's the fun part, I'm not sure right now where I'm going but I'll know when I get there. ;) Hugggzzz
Oh... My... God....
This is like... pure... Gold.... Fun.....
No, scratch Gold, this is diamond....
Thank you so much for taking the time and effort to write something like that, and to share this hard labor with the rest of us.... :-)
Thank you so much, Ewa! So happy you're enjoying it! :-* In a story like this, you never know who might be making an appearance down the line...nudge, wink! ;) Hugggzzz
Laurie you always write the most amazing stories!! Thanks so much for letting me a part of ya awesome story and like Sadie said I'm gonna totally read it a few more times!!! Course I so want some revenge on Sadie lol. LOVES YOU LOTS!!!! Amazing job once again Laurie!!!!
Thanks, my Houjin Sis! You want revenge on Sadie? We'll see....I'm not promising anything. Remember, we don't always get what we want, just sayin'! ;) Love ya lots!!!
Thanks to everyone who read the story or left a comment! Part Two is on the way!
Hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~Laurie~
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The most important phrase in Laurie's comment was Part 2 is on its way. But when, stop chatting idly and distracting yourself and get on with writing.
Oh dear Luke 6 42...
Promise I will try to be better
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Wow, I love it. I have to say I enjoyed "A League of Their Own" and this story does a really good job capturing that atmosphere along with mixing in the fighting we all love. Great job Laurie and thanks for sharing!
Others may wonder who their favorite player is going to be. Me, I think I'll say "I don't know" rather cryptically and go with that. ;)
Only ONE favorite??? Red, I love it when you go all cryptic 'n mysterious on us! ;) Maybe one or two appearances of boobies in Part Two might encourage you to come clean! Or change yer opinion on who yer favorite is! Glad you're liking it so far! Hugggzzzz
~Laurie~
Yeah it's cryptic, but it goes all along with the underlying motif of your story. However, as much as I want to be all cloak and dagger, boobies will loosen my lips. ;)
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The most important phrase in Laurie's comment was Part 2 is on its way. But when, stop chatting idly and distracting yourself and get on with writing.
Oh dear Luke 6 42...
Promise I will try to be better
I know, Miss Jenn, I know....Distraction can be a dangerous thing when you're a nanny, a lifeguard, or a writer. I'm working on it! I'm working on it!
Yeah it's cryptic, but it goes all along with the underlying motif of your story. However, as much as I want to be all cloak and dagger, boobies will loosen my lips. ;)
Gee, Red, what a surprise! ;) 8)
Okay, no more idle chatting from me. Back to writing!!! :-*
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~L~
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The most important phrase in Laurie's comment was Part 2 is on its way. But when, stop chatting idly and distracting yourself and get on with writing.
Oh dear Luke 6 42...
Promise I will try to be better
Ouch! That Ms. Peccavi is one rough dude-ette, huh? :o
Too bad she can't back it up in a real fight.
Marie
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Yeah it's cryptic, but it goes all along with the underlying motif of your story. However, as much as I want to be all cloak and dagger, boobies will loosen my lips. ;)
Gee, Red, what a surprise! ;) 8)
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~L~
At least I am as constant as the northern star. ;)
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OMG....wow... Well.... at least you were accurate enough to say that this is a purely FICTIONAL story. IRL, there is no way that the Parker Prairie Princesses would ever loose a contest to you and you're nerdy friends! :P I have to say, I think the ONLY thing you accurately captured was my baby girl Kasia completely and TOTALLY kicking your booty Laurie! ;D
As for sweetie Heidi, she would never fun from any girl...And sorry, me getting knocked out with one punch from Jenn?!?! That is total fantasy!! >:(
You know we rule over you! Silk Stockings Girls Forever!!
-Stevie
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Stevie
I think you may mean Heidi would never Run from any girl.
As to your comment about me, I leave it to Heidi herself to inform you.
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Stevie, you don't know Miss Jenn very well, do you?
You should consider yerself lucky that she only hit you once. Just sayin'!
xoxo
~Laurie~
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THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBRAWL! (Part Two)
“You girls may not know this but, back when I was younger, I played ball just like you do,” Mrs. Ogilthorpe says, between sips of chamomile tea. “It was a long time ago, of course. I was a Bloomer Girl, don’t you know.”
The Sweethearts all roll their eyes and try to stifle groans with their hands or by coughing quietly. All except for the right fielder, who sits by the old lady’s rocker, with her teacup in her lap and a vacant smile on her face. The owner of the rooming house they stay in is a sweet old lady but they’d heard her tell her ‘I was a Bloomer Girl back in the old barnstorming days forty years ago’ story dozens of times. Mrs. Ogilthorpe sure loves to talk but tonight the Sisseton Sweethearts are in no mood to listen.
A few hours have passed since the big brawl on the ballfield with the Parker Prairie Princesses interrupted the Fourth of July game. The Sweethearts are still pretty pissed; some more than others. Jonica is stamping around the room in a blind fury. “That bitch Jenna made me eat grass,” she sputters. “Nobody does that to me! Nobody!”
Jessika still wears her catcher’s mitt and she repeatedly slams a baseball into it. “Yeah, well, that blonde tramp Tasha is gonna pay for cheap-shotting me after pulling my protector up over my face!” The constant loud thwaps of the ball smacking the mitt are too much for the other girls to take. Justine walks over and grabs the ball from her catcher’s hand.
“Relax,” she says. “It’s over. We’ll get them tomorrow.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Justine,” Marie mutters. Nasty red scratch marks run down her left cheek, courtesy of the fingernails of the Princess third baseman, Jess. “Your bitch ran away from you.”
“Yeah, and she’s probably still running,” Kayla added. “I bet she’s in Wyoming by now.”
“I remember this one time,” Mrs. Ogilthorpe rambles on. “It was back in 1909, I think it was. Or maybe 1910 … ”
Manager Tony Walters walks in, followed by Jenn Peccavi.
“Good news,” he says. “I talked to the league official and nobody is getting suspended for what happened today. From either team. I know, they started it with their damn bush league bullshit … Ah, sorry, Jenn. Sorry, Mrs. Whatever-your-name-is.”
“That’s alright, Mr. Walters,” the old lady chirps, smiling sweetly. “I’ve heard my share of blue language back in my Bloomer Girl days. This one time … ”
“That’s nice, ma’am,” Tony interrupts. “Point is, he really wasn’t all that upset about the fighting and stuff. Said it spiced things up and the crowd didn’t seem to mind either.”
“Figures,” one of the girls mutters.
“It’s been on the air all over here and in Minnesota too. All the radio stations picked it up and I bet it’ll be in all the papers tomorrow.”
Jenn adds, “I heard they already sold a lot of tickets for tomorrow’s game and are expecting a big crowd. Much bigger than today.”
Laurie has been sitting quietly in the corner. No one notices her as she gets up and leaves the room. No one except the right fielder, who notices everything but rarely understands what anything means. She watches the little second baseman sneak out and just sits there by Mrs. Ogilthorpe, sipping her tea happily.
Jonica pipes up, “Well, if they come expecting a fight, let’s give ‘em what they want!” The rest of the girls nod and voice their support of this plan.
“No,” Tony cuts them off. “That’s exactly what’s NOT gonna happen! We aren’t starting shit. We play like we always do. Hard but fair. But … ” He raises his hand, index finger extended. “BUT … if they start shit, they get shit. We give it back to them. Double what they give us. Triple. A shit blizzard, that’s what they’ll get. A shitquake of shit.”
Jenn puts a hand on his arm. “I think they get the picture, Tony.”
“Right. Now, about the game. Since today’s was called early, Justine, you think your arm is up to pitching again tomorrow?”
“You just try to stop me, Skip,” is her reply.
“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. I want you to stay in tonight. Go to bed early. Ice your elbow, rub liniment on it, get it damn good and ready. Jessika, you stay with her. Go over the hitters.” He sees the disappointed looks on their faces and knows they’re about to protest so he adds, “That’s an order. End of discussion.”
“I’ll keep my eye on them,” Jenn adds, with a stern look on her face.
“I feel like I’m fourteen again,” Justine mumbles to Jessika.
“This is what prison must be like,” Jessika whispers.
“One last thing.” Tony points a finger at Sara. “You’re playing second base tomorrow, Sara. I’m putting Laurie in left field. She’s too much of a target for them in the infield. You understand, right, Laurie?”
For the first time, everyone notices the empty chair.
“Laurie? Anybody see where she went?”
The right fielder continues to sip her tea, looking out the picture window dreamily.
***************
Laurie hurries east on Cherry Street, stopping every now and then to look over her shoulder, half expecting to see her teammates rushing after her. She’s almost positive nobody saw her sneak out. She isn’t even sure exactly why she did it. One minute she was in the room listening to Tony with the rest of the girls; the next minute a loud voice blasted in her brain, telling her she had to find that bitch Kasia RIGHT NOW and pay her back for what she did on the field. Almost like a sleepwalker, Laurie found herself tiptoeing out of the room and down the hall, slipping out the door without a sound.
Cherry Street is deserted. Very few lights are on in the houses. She knows that practically everyone is at the high school on the other side of town for the annual fireworks show. It’s not as big as the ones she loved when she was growing up, but there is a war on and the boys fighting overseas need the gunpowder and all that stuff. But most everybody is still out there with picnic baskets and blankets. Pretty soon someone will break out a guitar and another someone will pull a mouth harp from their pocket. Maybe a fiddle will show up out of nowhere and, before you know it, folks will start singing and dancing and forget about all the bad war news. For a little while anyways. Just like they do when they go to the ballgame. Like this afternoon.
“This afternoon. Kasia. That bitch. She started all this,” Laurie thinks to herself. “Well, I’m gonna make her real sorry she did!”
Walking faster now, with purpose, Laurie goes north up 5th Avenue toward Chestnut Street heading to the rooming house where the Parker Prairie Princesses are staying. She knows the house well. One of her grade school friends lived next door. They used to play in the backyard. She knew the owners of the rooming house, an older couple named Gunderson, would remember her.
***************
Back at Mrs. Ogilthorpe’s, the meeting is breaking up. A few of the girls decide to stay in. Maybe read a bit, write letters back home, listen to the radio. It’s still fairly early, hours before curfew, so others ask if they can go out for a little while. Jenn says it’s okay, just don’t get into trouble and be sure to be back by curfew. Tony asks them to keep a lookout for Laurie.
“Remember,” he says. “She grew up here so she could be God knows anywhere.”
***************
Laurie turns onto Chestnut Street and stops at the corner. She looks up the street, the rooming house is about a block away. A few lights are on inside. A red Ford DeLuxe convertible coupe is parked in front. The top is down. Laurie takes a few steps but stops short when she hears voices and laughter coming from the car. She quickly ducks behind a tree before they notice her. Then she pokes her head out to get a better look. A man and a woman are in the convertible. The woman throws her head back and laughs softly. Her blonde hair shines in the glow of the streetlight. Laurie recognizes her.
Stevie Foster.
Stevie slides closer to the man and throws her arms around his neck. Laurie squints but she can’t make out who the man is. All she can tell is that he has gray hair, appears kind of chunky and has a fat nose like that actor W.C. Fields.
Laurie stays in the shadows as she sneaks between houses and darts into the backyard of her friend’s old home. Then, just like she used to do as a young girl with her friend, she slips through the gap in the hedges into the Gunderson’s yard and hurries to the bulkhead door leading down to the cellar. She pulls the creaky wooden door open, moves down the steps and quietly closes it behind her.
***************
Moppin’ up soda pop rickeys
To our heart’s delight
Dancin’ to swingeroo quickies
Jukebox Saturday night
Sara and Sadie are sitting at the counter of Mom Maloney’s Malt Shoppe, listening to the jukebox, tapping their feet on the rail in time with the music. Sara sips a Root Beer Float and giggles when Sadie points at the foam moustache on the blonde’s upper lip. Owney, the moon-eyed soda jerk who has a major crush on all the Sweethearts, practically breaks his neck rushing over with a fresh napkin for Sara. Sadie is drinking a black-and-white ice cream soda. She pulls the straw from the glass and slowly licks the vanilla ice cream off it. Owney swallows hard and suddenly becomes very busy wiping the counter.
The place isn’t very crowded for a Sunday night. A group of teenagers are at the tables by the jukebox and one of the boys is hunched over it, studiously looking over the song selection as he feeds nickels into the machine and hits the buttons. An elderly couple shares a banana split at a table by the wall farthest away from the music machine. A small girl shyly approaches the Sweethearts at the counter and, in a voice barely louder than a breathy whisper, asks for their autographs. Owney gives them a pen and they sign her napkin. The little girl then rushes back happily to her parents.
Glenn Miller’s Jukebox Saturday Night fills the room. The teenage girls squeal and jump up, followed by their more than eager boyfriends and they start dancing to the lively tune. Sadie slide off the counter stool and begins dancing too. She pulls Sara to her feet and the two girls start doing a little jitterbugging by the counter.
***************
“I know Laurie, and I’m betting you she went after Kasia.”
Jonica and Marie stand on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Ogilthorpe’s.
“I know she’s dumb as a post,” Marie answers. “But there’s no way she’s stupid enough to march over there alone. What does she want to do, fight the whole damn team all by herself?”
“You know what she’s like when she gets mad. Remember when she threw that bottle of pop at you?”
Marie thinks about this for a minute. “You’re right,” she finally says. “We’d better get over there and save her from an ass kicking.”
Jonica grins. “And here I thought you can’t stand her.”
“I can’t,” Marie replies. “But if anybody is gonna beat the crap out of Laurie, it’s gonna be me. Not some candy-assed Parker Prairie Princess!”
***************
Even in the semi-darkness of the damp cellar, Laurie is familiar enough with the surroundings that she makes it to the stairs leading up to the main floor of the house with no problem. She tiptoes up the wooden stairs, freezing at every tiny creak. She gets to the top step and places her hand on the doorknob. Laurie closes her eyes, holds her breath and slowly turns the knob. She pushes the door open a few inches and presses her face to the opening for a quick peek. The hallway is semi-lit and all seems quiet, except for the sound of a radio in the distance.
She opens the door all the way and silently steps into the hall. The kitchen is dark. There’s a light in the parlor and muffled voices coming from up on the second floor. Laurie smiles as she breathes in the familiar scent of sunflowers and prairie crocuses. And baked apples and cinnamon. A wave of nostalgia washes over her for a second but she forces herself to focus. Her saddle shoes slide noiselessly on the wooden floor as she makes her way down the hall toward the staircase. Just as her fingers grip the banister, an arm suddenly appears from behind her and a hand tightly clamps over her mouth. Another arm wraps around her neck before she can react and squeezes her throat tightly.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in!” A voice says, followed by a laugh.
Laurie starts struggling, her wide eyes dart from side to side and she gets a good look at the girl behind her.
Blonde hair. Blues eyes. Evil smile.
Kasia.
***************
Ami and Candy, two of the Parker Prairie Princesses, walk up Main Street as they head back to their rooming house. They suddenly stop short in front of the Malt Shoppe when they notice Sara and Sadie dancing inside.
Ami turns to Candy. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
The rookie nods, grinning widely. “I think so.”
No one sees them open the door. The tinkling of the bells above the door is drowned out by the music and happy laughter of the dancing teens. Sadie and Sara kick their legs and wave their arms, making up their own version of a jitterbug as the song picks up in tempo. They are so into their dance that they don’t notice Ami and Candy walking to the counter. They don’t see the two Princesses pick up their ice cream sodas from the counter. But they sure become aware of them when the ice cold drinks are poured over their heads and into their faces.
***************
Kayla catches up to Marie and Jonica at the corner of Cherry Street and 5th Avenue.
“What’s the story?” she asks.
“We think Laurie went to pay a visit to the Princesses,” Jonica said as they turned the corner and headed north to Chestnut.
“Why would she do a dumb fool thing like that?”
“Because she’s a dumb fool, “ Marie mutters.
They walk the block up to Chestnut in silence and turn the corner as a red Ford DeLuxe convertible coupe whizzes by. The girls get a quick glimpse of a blonde woman snuggled tight against the driver, a heavy-set gray-haired man with a big smile on his round face.
Kayla gives a low whistle. “Some old fart is getting lucky tonight!”
They continue walking to the rooming house when they see the front door open and four girls leave the house laughing and chattering. The three Sweethearts duck into the shadows and watch as the four Princesses reach the sidewalk.
“There’s that bitch Jenna,” Jonica hisses quietly when the four girls stop by the streetlight. “She made me … ”
“We know, we know,” Marie interrupts. “She made you eat grass. That slut Jess is with her. She carved up my face like a Thanksgiving turkey with her nails. She’ll get hers, so help me.”
“Shhhh!” Kayla whispers. “The other two are blondes. Must be Heidi and Tasha. I guess it’s past little Stephie’s bedtime.”
The Princesses turn left and walk north on Chestnut, in the other direction.
“Where are they going?” Kayla asks. “The only thing in that direction is St. Peter’s.”
“The cemetery?”
“No, Jonica. The cathedral in Rome where the Pope is! Of course, the cemetery!”
“I don’t like cemeteries.”
“Let’s follow them,” Marie urges.
“What about Laurie?”
“Laurie’s a big girl!”
“Bigger than you anyway, Marie.”
“Fuck you, Jonica. Laurie can take care of herself.”
“Well, what are we standing here for?” Kayla interrupts. “Let’s go if we’re going.”
***************
Laurie squirms as Kasia squeezes her neck even more.
“I’m so glad you decided to drop by tonight,” the blonde giggles. “I have unfinished business with you.”
Recovered from the sudden shock of being caught, Laurie gets her wits back and drives her elbow back into Kasia as hard as she can. The blonde lets out a low grunt and her grip loosens just enough for Laurie to pull free. She whirls around to face Kasia and the blonde drives her foot into Laurie’s belly. Laurie gasps and sinks to her knees, clutching her belly and trying not to cry.
The blonde, wearing just an ivory colored satin slip and white bobby socks, giggles as she grabs Laurie’s hair and yanks her to her feet. Laurie yelps loudly and Kasia smacks her face hard, hissing, “Shut the hell up or I’ll beat the shit out of you!”
“Is everything all right down there?” calls a voice from upstairs.
“Everything’s fine, Mrs. Gunderson,” Kasia calls as she clamps her hand over Laurie’s mouth again. “I just stubbed my toe.”
“Oh, goodness gracious, I know how much that stings! You’ve got to be more careful, dear.”
“Yes, ma’am, I will,” Kasia replies. She puts Laurie in a tight headlock and pulls the struggling girl to the cellar door. “Let’s you and me go downstairs where we can have some privacy,” the blonde whispers as she opens the door.
***************
Caught totally by surprise and blinded by the ice cream and soda streaming down their faces, Sara and Sadie are no match for the sudden attack unleashed on them by the two Princesses. Spluttering and frantically trying to wipe their eyes, the Sweethearts find themselves being pummeled as Owney the soda jerk and the astonished patrons look on wide-eyed and slack-jawed. The little girl’s mother covers her daughter’s eyes.
Candy shoves Sara hard with both hands, knocking the blonde off-balance and sending her crashing to the floor on her back. The rookie wastes no time in straddling the blonde, sitting on her chest and swinging hard slaps and backhand smacks to Sara’s face. Sara covers her face with both hands, to wipe the stinging root beer from her burning eyes and also to block Candy’s vicious slaps. She bucks up hard to try to dislodge the brunette and then swings her knee up, driving it into Candy’s back. The Princess lets out a howl as she lurches forward and Sara manages to push her off and roll away, coughing and spitting out root beer foam.
Ami grabs Sadie by her dark blonde hair and rams her knee up into the gasping girl’s chest over and over until the struggling Sweetheart drops to her knees, wildly flailing her arms throwing blind punches at the furious dark-haired girl. Ami laughs off the punches, snarling, “You’ll have to do better than that!” She tugs at Sadie’s hair, pulling the squealing girl on her knees over to the elderly couple’s table. Ami reaches out and snatches the banana from the sundae dish.
She asks with a sweet smile, “You don’t mind, do you?” The old man and woman just gape at her, their spoons still in mid-air. “Sadie will buy you another banana split.”
Still on her knees, Sadie throws a punch into Ami’s belly that hurts the Princess, doubling her over a bit as the breath whooshes out of her mouth. But she hangs onto Sadie’s hair and smashes her knee into the Sweetheart’s chin. Sadie’s head snaps back from the force of the blow and then drops down, her chin rests on her chest and her eyes cross for a couple of seconds. Her body slumps and she lets out a low guttural moan. Ami tugs down on Sadie’s hair forcing her head up so her blinking unfocused eyes are looking up at the face of the evil Princess standing over her.
“This is for the hot dog, bitch!” Amy yells as she shmushes and grinds the banana into Sadie’s face. “Get it all down now,” she demands as she forces the squirming blonde’s mouth open with her fingers and crams the banana into her mouth.
Meanwhile, Sara has scrambled up to her hands and knees with Candy sitting behind her. Candy leans back and kicks Sara in the butt with both feet, pitching her forward head-first into the counter which her skull meets with a sickening crack. Sara slumps down in a heap, curling up and moaning.
The front door flies open and Steph runs in. “Hurry up before somebody calls the police!” she says urgently.
Candy gets to her feet and moves to the door. Ami uses her foot to push Sadie down to the floor and then she joins her friends.
“That’s what happens when you mess with the Parker Prairie Princesses!”
The three girls run out at full speed, leaving Owney and the patrons frozen in shock. Finally they begin to move. Owney hurries from behind the counter to check on the fallen Sweethearts. A couple of the teenage boys walk over too, not offering any help, just gawking and maybe hoping to catch a glimpse of underwear.
“Should we call the cops?” one of the teenage girls asks in a trembling voice.
“Oh, hell, no!” answers one of the boys. “I’m calling the ballpark for tickets to tomorrow’s game. If we’re lucky, they’ll fight again!”
The old man is still waving his spoon. “That girl stole my banana!”
***************
“Think I should go back and get Jessika and Justine?” Kayla asks. “Jessika wants Tasha bad and maybe Justine can finally catch Heidi.”
“With Peccavi watching them like a hawk?” Jonica smirks. “Good luck with that.”
The three Sweethearts stand by the fence near the entrance of St. Peter’s Cemetery. They can hear the laughing voices of the Princesses in the distance.
“What the hell are they doing in a cemetery?” Marie mutters as she strains to get a good look.
“I don’t want to know,” Jonica mutters. “I do not want to know.”
“We’re not in the Bayou now, Jonica,” Kayla says, rolling her eyes. “There are no Cajun witches or spooks running around in there.”
“A cemetery is still a cemetery.”
“And Jenna made you eat grass,” Kayla counters. “Or did you forget that?”
“Let’s do this,” Jonica mutters as she enters the cemetery, followed by Kayla and Marie.
Crouching low, they dart from tombstone to tombstone, moving closer to the voices until they see the four girls sitting in a circle under the moonlight, flanked by two large monuments of angels with wings spread. The girls pass a metal flask around, taking sips as they joke and laugh about the fight on the ballfield that afternoon.
“I was not running from Justine,” Heidi protests. “I was trying to tire her out before I made my attack. It was a brilliant strategy.”
The other Princesses agree that yes, indeedy, it was a very brilliant strategy and the flask makes another round. A match flares as one of the girls lights up a cigarette.
“It was so much fun smacking that little blonde around,” Jess giggles.
“I always thought you were the shortest girl in the league, Jess,” Tasha laughs. “I guess I was wrong.”
“If that little shrimp messes with me tomorrow,” Jess vows, “I’ll kick her ass straight to Munchkinland!”
The combined efforts of Jonica and Kayla can’t stop Marie as she furiously charges the circle of Princesses with a bloodcurdling shriek and launches herself at Jess. Jenna scrambles to her feet to help her teammate but Jonica grabs her hair from behind and pulls her back down onto the grass. Kayla and Tasha lock up, grabbing at each other’s blouses. Buttons fly off into the air as they pull and tug at fabric; two beautiful girls spinning around and around in a grotesque dance surrounded by tombstones in the moonlight.
Heidi hops from foot to foot, unsure of what to do or what fight to involve herself in. Marie rides Jess’ back, one hand in her hair pulling the brunette’s head up while the other hand smacks and claws at the squealing squirming struggling girl’s face. “So you’re gonna kick my ass back to Munchkinland, huh,” Marie snarls, her voice filled with cold fury. Her nails dig into Jess’ cheek bringing a cry of agony from the Princess.
Jonica sits on Jenna’s belly, her thighs pressed against the taller girl’s sides, riding her bucking twisting struggling foe. The wild-eyed Cajun rips a chunk of grass from the ground and grinds it into Jenna’s face, dirt and all. Jenna gags and her struggles get more intense and furious. She starts throwing punches at Jonica, who cries out as Jenna’s fists pound into her body.
Tasha hooks her foot between Kayla’s legs and trips the off-balance brunette, sending her down to the grass. She cries out as her back lands hard on top of a small footstone. A loud ripping sound fills the air as Kayla tears Tasha’s blouse open when she falls, exposing the blonde’s bra. With pain shooting up her spine, the South African brunette kicks her leg up and slams her foot into Tasha’s thigh. Tasha stumbles backwards with one hand covering her breasts and the other on her thigh until her back rests against a tombstone.
“Don’t worry, girls,” Heidi calls out, “I’ll go get help!” She turns and dashes out of St. Peter’s at full speed.
Jenna throws a wild looping left that connects with Jonica’s jaw, stunning the Cajun just enough for the Princess pitcher to push her off and stagger to her feet, wiping the dirt from her eyes and spitting out grit. Tasha limps over to Marie and pulls her off Jess. She helps her crying teammate up to her feet and the three Princesses stagger out of the cemetery.
“This isn’t over,” Jenna snarls over her shoulder as they go.
“See you on the ballfield, losers!” is Marie’s reply.
***************
Kasia pulls Laurie down the steps into the cool damp subterranean cellar. Laurie is doubled over, trapped in the blonde’s tight headlock. She punches at Kasia’s back and belly but the blonde keeps her head tucked tight under her arm against her body. Laurie’s eyes bulge as the pressure increases. Kasia leans into Laurie and the gasping Sweetheart, her face beet red, sinks to her knees.
Kasia breaks into peals of laughter. “You actually thought you were better than me,” she taunts. “You’re nothing but a loser! A pathetic short … AAGGHHHH!”
From her knees, Laurie’s right hand slides up Kasia’s thigh under her slip. Her desperate clutching fingers find the blonde’s kitty and she pinches with all her strength. Kasia releases Laurie’s head and kicks her with her foot knocking the Sweetheart away from her. Laurie sprawls on the floor and slides away on her butt as Kasia takes a few stumbling steps to the wall. The blonde suddenly yelps in shock and flails her arms up by her face as her head makes contact with a very large spider web. The more she twists and struggles, the more the sticky threads cling to her face and hair.
“Ewwww, spiders!” she wails. “Get it off me! Get it off!”
Laurie gets to her feet, breathing hard. She walks up to the distracted blonde, rears back and pops her right in the mouth with the hardest punch she has ever thrown in her life. Kasia collapses in a heap and Laurie, wringing her hand, turns and goes up the stairs, opening the outside cellar door.
She calls down, ”Tomorrow we finish it!” Then she slams the bulkhead cellar door shut with a bang.
END OF PART TWO
TO BE CONTINUED
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ONce again ya outdo ya self Laurie!!! I love part 2!!! Especially my part in it lol. You always write the most amazing interesting stories! Ya totally capture the spirits and the attitudes of ya characters so well and ya just paint the scene so perfectly. You feel like you're right there watching everything and I love it. Please don't ever stop writing and thanks so much for sharing with us! LOVES YOU LAKOTA SIS!!!
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well well, if you younguns will run away and get into trouble I guess I'll have to find you all.
great story
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Jonica pipes up, “Well, if they come expecting a fight, let’s give ‘em what they want!” The rest of the girls nod and voice their support of this plan.
Yeah, leave it to our Joni to stir things up like the twerp she is. Always ready for a fight....which always winds up with Joni getting her butt kicked. Ah, it's just another day.
Laurie gets to her feet, breathing hard. She walks up to the distracted blonde, rears back and pops her right in the mouth with the hardest punch she has ever thrown in her life. Kasia collapses in a heap and Laurie, wringing her hand, turns and goes up the stairs, opening the outside cellar door.
Good gosh, Laurie! Can't you ever leave the house without getting into a fight? >:(
Thing is, Laurie went looking for this one, which wound up getting her teammates involved; they went searching for her and ended up in a fight of their own. I love the way the discord started on the ballfield in Chapter One and extended to the girls' private lives in this segment.
A lot of great narrative....and some terrific use of back-and-forth dialogue, especially at the end of the chapter. At the end, there's the promise of a major skirmish on the ballfield the next day. Lots to look forward to.
Super stuff, half-pint.
Marie
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I love it!
I've got my ticket for the game tomorrow and I'll be cheering the Sweethearts. Who knows, maybe Abbott and Costello will show up too. ;)
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Laurie! You are unbelievable! I love everything about this! Seriously. The details, the dialogue, characters, the action are all just soooo much fun!
I know it's made-up, but, have to say, with all these sneak attacks by the "Princesses" it's veering very close to non-fiction territory...
Speaking of which, Ami...that knee to the face hurt, girlfriend! And that "banana" incident??? We might have to chat about that on Yahoo. :D
Laurie, thank you so much for sharing your incredible talent. You are a treasure.
xo
Oops...almost forgot!
*pitches Red a "Sadie" baseball jersey, size XL that he can wear to the game in Chapter 3*
*chuckles...* How'd you know?
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After your RIDICULOUS first round story, I promised myself I wouldn't read anymore of your totally UNTRUE, FICTIONAL stories! When I saw you posted a second one though, I found myself unable to resist reading. I'm still not sure what I think about part 2. Some things I really liked. For instance, the team up of Ami and Candy...OMG....AMAZING!!! Reading about them totally working over Sara and Sadie certainly brought a smile to my pretty lips! (seriously, the part where they dumped them with root beer floats?! Just EPIC!! ) *giggles*
The scene in the cemetery though?! It's totally the same old story of Sweetheart fantasy... Honestly, I don't think there is like anyway Joni could EVER beat Jenna. Same with Jess and Marie...I mean seriously, how small is that little girl anyways? *giggles* And finally, you have Heidi running away scared for like the SECOND time?! In case you forgot Laurie, just like her sister Kasia, Heidi is a girl that totally kicked your booty. ;D
The question I can't help wondering about is who is this mystery man I'm hooking up with. For the record, I happen to have a Hotties Only rule when it comes to the people I hook up with. If he's not hot, he at least better be VERY powerful. Say what you will , you know everyone is secretly cheering for us!
PARKER PRAIRIE PRINCESSES FOREVER!!!
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And finally, you have Heidi running away scared for like the SECOND time?! In case you forgot Laurie, just like her sister Kasia, Heidi is a girl that totally kicked your booty. ;D
Once. Anybody can get lucky once. Heidi got lucky that one time. The other times yer precious daughter didn't do too well 'n maybe she shoulda ran away scared. Last time she ended up getting spanked with her own mirror! Just sayin'! ;) :P
After your RIDICULOUS first round story, I promised myself I wouldn't read anymore of your totally UNTRUE, FICTIONAL stories! When I saw you posted a second one though, I found myself unable to resist reading. I'm still not sure what I think about part 2.
You're blonde, don't strain yer brain. Take yer time 'n get back to me. You need any lifelines? Maybe wanna phone a friend to help you think? ;D
The question I can't help wondering about is who is this mystery man I'm hooking up with. For the record, I happen to have a Hotties Only rule when it comes to the people I hook up with. If he's not hot, he at least better be VERY powerful. Say what you will , you know everyone is secretly cheering for us!
PARKER PRAIRIE PRINCESSES FOREVER!!!
I'll never te-ell....Well, I will. But you'll just have to wait along with everybody else for the Final Part of the story! 8) ;)
xoxo
~Laurie~
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Yeesh! Where to begin? ;) :P
First of all, thanks to everyone who read Part Two of the story 'n thanks to all who left comments! :-*
Part Three is on the way, I had a crazy wild wonderful mind-frazzling weekend (I got engaged on Friday! ;D 8) ;D) so I haven't been able to do much writing.
But the final part will be here very soon 'n I can promise you all an explosive ending! Red, you may even see some boobies! ;D :P Oh hell, now that you publicly admit that you're rooting for the Sweethearts, I think I can safely say that you WILL see boobies! Bring yer binoculars to the ballpark.
Ami, my Houjin Sis, you may be a *cough* Silky 'n a (boo hiss) Parker Prairie Princess but you're a Sweetheart at heart through 'n through. Love ya lots 'n lots Sis! :-* I gotta warn you though, you got Sadie pretty ticked off at the Malt Shoppe, totally not a cool move or a smart one either....but what can you expect from a Princess? ;)
Sadie, thank you so much, babes! For agreeing to be in the story, for yer sweet comments, 'n especially for being you! I'm looking forward to lots more wild crazy adventures down the road! :-*
Miss Jenn, where would we be without you watching out for us, keeping us in line 'n joining in the fun? Oh, you will be joining in, I can promise you that. Decking Stevie with one punch is just a prelude to what our wonderful chaperone will be doing in the finale!
Marie, what's the fun of me getting into a fight if I can't drag you into it too? Sharing is a good thing. Speaking of sharing, I'll let Joni deal with yer 'twerp' comment about her! :o :P See ya on the ballfield, Short Stuff....oops, I mean Shortstop!
Thanks again everybody! :-*
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~Laurie~
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No time to read this all ... Sports fans .... Have 3 more stories to write today myself..
YET remember this with happiness. A very lovely young lady, chatting, asking if she should try writing here. Turns out, a certain badlands, and beautiful BREEZE.
Has turned out to being, one of the best writers here!! Glad I encouraged her ... also glad that certain Cajun sensation .. gal pal'd with her. Making it easier for her to get her bare feet wet. Always enjoyable.. Laurie Breeze, Jonica and that mysterious N sexy Gemma Rox, whenever she shows up.
Your a wonderful ladu Laurie .. glad to see your having fun doing this again .. NOW play ball!!
Storm
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Whatta part 2! ;D With the princesses being 'dethroned' and brought down to earth - even Jess being clobbered by Marie, the Munckin! Hilarious! :D ;)
Excellent! :P :-*
Hugs
Kayla
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Part Three is on the way, I had a crazy wild wonderful mind-frazzling weekend (I got engaged on Friday! ;D 8) ;D) so I haven't been able to do much writing.
But the final part will be here very soon 'n I can promise you all an explosive ending! Red, you may even see some boobies! ;D :P Oh hell, now that you publicly admit that you're rooting for the Sweethearts, I think I can safely say that you WILL see boobies! Bring yer binoculars to the ballpark.
Thanks again everybody! :-*
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~Laurie~
Congratulations!!!!!! Wow!
*has his binoculars, as high powered as is time appropriate* Is that like the water ride sign that says "You will get wet, you may get soaked?" :)
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Laurie, you never cease to amaze me with your storytelling abilities! Another fantastic chapter! I can't wait to see what you come up with next. Also, congratulations on the wonderful news!!
:-* :-* :D :-* :-*
*hugs*
Joni
xoxo
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OMG LAURIE!!! CONGRATS!!! I'm sooo happy for you!!! I know you're gonna make the most beautiful bride and the bestest wife ever!! He's so lucky to get ya! I loves ya tons and tons and I wanna say thank ya for putting me in ya stories and for helping me with mine. I can't wait to read the final chapter I know it'll be amazing!!! Just ya know don't let ya anti-Silky feelings keep ya from letting me kick Sadies cute tush like we all know I would ;) (lol ya know I loves ya Sadie) Love ya tons and again CONGRATS!!!!!!!
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Part Three is on the way, I had a crazy wild wonderful mind-frazzling weekend (I got engaged on Friday! ;D 8) ;D) so I haven't been able to do much writing.
Oh my goodness! Didn't see this earlier & Jess just told me: WOW! That's WONDERFUL news! Congrats & huge HUGS & sweet kisses!!!!!!! :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-* :-*
I'm totally surprised you actually find the time to post here! ::) ;D (I probably wouldn't have had the time had it been me - LOL! ;))
Kisses & hugs
Kayla
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Laurie
Some time ago you did say that part 3 was on its way.
We are waiting.
I am not a patient person.
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Laurie
Some time ago you did say that part 3 was on its way.
We are waiting.
I am not a patient person.
I know, Miss Jenn.....I had most of it done but I had to start all over for a bunch of reasons beyond my control. :( The final part is coming, I can't promise exactly when but I WILL get it done!
Thanks for yer continued patience!
Hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~Laurie~
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.... but I had to start all over for a bunch of reasons beyond my control.
Most likely, the problem was that Laurie lost her step ladder and wasn't able to boost herself high enough to reach the computer keyboard.
It would help if you weren't so short, Laurie.......oh, and I'm also looking forward to your story. :)
Tall Marie
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.... but I had to start all over for a bunch of reasons beyond my control.
Most likely, the problem was that Laurie lost her step ladder and wasn't able to boost herself high enough to reach the computer keyboard.
It would help if you weren't so short, Laurie.......oh, and I'm also looking forward to your story. :)
Tall Marie
Since Mawee is so tall...Laurie could just use her as a stool. It's not like Mawee isn't used to that position. I'd be happy to loan her to Laurie....
>:(
Luv y'all!!
:-*
*hugs*
J
xoxo
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.... but I had to start all over for a bunch of reasons beyond my control.
Most likely, the problem was that Laurie lost her step ladder and wasn't able to boost herself high enough to reach the computer keyboard.
It would help if you weren't so short, Laurie.......oh, and I'm also looking forward to your story. :)
Tall Marie
.... but I had to start all over for a bunch of reasons beyond my control.
Most likely, the problem was that Laurie lost her step ladder and wasn't able to boost herself high enough to reach the computer keyboard.
It would help if you weren't so short, Laurie.......oh, and I'm also looking forward to your story. :)
Tall Marie
Since Mawee is so tall...Laurie could just use her as a stool. It's not like Mawee isn't used to that position. I'd be happy to loan her to Laurie....
>:(
Luv y'all!!
:-*
*hugs*
J
xoxo
Oh, yippety skip.....Like I don't have enough things keeping me from finishing this story, now I gotta deal with Munchkin #1 'n Munchkin #2! Please go back to the Lullaby League so I can finish the damn thing! ;D :o ::) :o ::)
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~Laurie "Taller than Marie 'n just a teeny little bit shorter than Jonica" Breeze~
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very droll ladies ..now get on with it.
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THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBRAWL!
Chapter One
The old woman slowly shuffled into the living room with a cup of tea and a saucer in her hand. She carefully placed it on the lace doily covering the small mahogany Highlands end table. Then she lowered herself into the recliner.
Once she was all settled in and sipping her Darjeeling tea, she adjusted her eyeglasses and looked over at the teenager on the sofa, studiously hunched over the laptop resting on her thighs.
“What’s that you’re doing there? Your homework?”
“Uh huh. I gotta do a report on the AAGPBL. That’s the … ”
“I know what it is. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. You need any help?
“Naw. I can find pretty much everything I need on my computer.”
“Well, I happen to know more than a little bit about it if you’re stuck. Does your computer tell you that there were six teams in the league that first year?”
“Aw, Grandma, you’re wrong. Google says there were four teams in 1943, not six. The Kenosha Comets, the Racine Belles, the Rockford Peaches and the South Bend Blue Sox.”
“Yes, they ended up with four. But they started out with six teams. Only nobody likes to talk about that.”
“You’re pulling my leg.”
“No, I’m not. As God is my witness.”
“Well, what happened to the other two teams?”
“You really want to know? All right, I’ll tell you. It all started in … ”
Sisseton, South Dakota. July 4, 1943.
The two girls roll around in the dirt by second base. Uniform skirts flying, their arms and legs flail as they snarl curses at each other. Their fists fly and dust kicks up in a cloud above them as they grapple in a rolling writhing ball of fury. The fans in the stands watch open-mouthed as both benches empty and twenty other girls swarm onto the field to join the donnybrook. The two managers and two chaperones try in vain to break up the brawl that escalates even more when one of the female chaperones hauls off and punches the other chaperone in the mouth.
The girls who started the fight are soon buried under a growing pile of squirming bodies. Even more scuffles start up in the outfield grass and by the pitcher’s mound as players from each team square off against each other to settle grudges. And in the midst of all this chaos comes the loud excited voice of the radio announcer filling the air and the airwaves with the news that “the fireworks sure started a lot earlier than expected here today! Oh, doctor! We have got ourselves a real Pier Six brawl on the ball field!”
“Looking back on it, I just knew something was gonna happen that day. I think everybody did. Call it sixth sense, call it intuition, call it a hunch, call it any damn thing you please. It was, I don’t know, like some kind of electric charge in the air that jolted a body right down to the marrow. Oh yes, something was definitely gonna happen out there on that ball field. And it wasn’t gonna be pretty. No sirree bob.”
“Hey, fans, Stormy Storms from KABR here at historic Bossy Field, the Park that Milk Built, in downtown Sisseton on this Fourth of July Sunday as our Sisseton Sweethearts take on their rivals from Minnesota, the Parker Prairie Princesses. It’s a dan-dan-dandy day for a ballgame. The sun is shining, the grass is a perfect emerald green, and the nine hundred and thirty seven fans in attendance are all in the holiday spirit. It is the Fourth of July, after all. America’s birthday. What better way to celebrate it than here at the ballpark, with a hot dog, a sack of peanuts or box of Cracker Jacks, and a cold bottle of pop, watching these All-American girls playing baseball, America’s pastime? Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the brave boys risking their lives fighting tyranny over in Europe and in the Pacific. I know we all wish they could be here with us right now, playing baseball on this Independence Day, 1943, but they have a very important job to do. And so do these All-American girls out on the field. So let’s get to it!”
(singing)
Batter up! Hear that call!
The time has come for one and all
To play ball!
“But first, here’s a message from our sponsor, Stoltzfutz Dairy, home of the one and only Bossy the Cow!”
“Okay, while the commercial featuring a man in a cow suit hawking milk plays over the radio … where nobody can see that it’s a man in a cow suit … I think a little background is needed here. That maybe your Google whatever-you-call-it might not have. Don’t worry. I’ll keep it short.
When the young men all answered the call and traded in their baseball uniforms for military ones, the team owners were scared that baseball was gonna die. So to keep the game alive and breathing, they hatched up a plot – a novelty act, a publicity stunt – and formed the AAGPBL, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Hundreds of young women all over the country – from the farms, from the cotton fields, from the swamps, from the big cities, even from Canada – all answered the call to try out for the league. The lucky ones who made the cut were assigned to the different teams here in the Midwest. The others were sent back home.
We return you now to your regularly scheduled program. Told you I’d be quick.”
“Now here they are! Taking the field, your hometown Sisseton Sweethearts!”
(singing)
We are the members of the All-American League
We come from cities near and far
We’ve got Canadians, Irish ones and Swedes,
We’re all for one, we’re one for all
We’re all Americans!
Nine girls run out of the home team dugout and take their positions as the crowd cheers. The Sisseton fans love their Sweethearts. These girls have come from all over North America to play ball in this small northeastern South Dakota city and, in the span of a few short months, the people of Sisseton have adopted and accepted them as their own.
“Out in center field, they call her the Bayou Bird Dog, because she tracks down every ball that’s hit out there … Wearing Number 7 and hailing from the Louisiana swampland, let’s hear it for Jonica!”
The irrepressible Jonica, a petite pretty Cajun, paces impatiently back and forth in the outfield grass, anxious for the game to start. She quickly doffs her cap and then jams it back on her head, spitting into the grass.
“The left fielder, the Sweetheart of the Sweethearts, may have been born in the ‘big city’ back East, but she’s a small-town girl through and through. Number 4 in your scorecard but Number 1 in your hearts … it’s Little Sara!”
Pretty, blonde-haired Sara laughs and waves at the fans who respond with louder applause and whistles. Sara is a friend to just about everyone she knows (a big problem in the AAGPBL because of its strict ‘no fraternizing with the enemy’ policy) but, when she puts on her Sweetheart uniform, she is all business. Sara plays hard and she plays mean from the first out to the last.
“Moving to the infield, patrolling third base, the ‘hot corner’, all the way from Alabama, this Dixie darlin’ is so good with the glove, I don’t think the other team is gonna get too many line drives past the girl with Number 3 on her back … Sweet Sadie!”
Sadie waves her well-worn glove at the fans, flashing a dazzling smile and a wink aimed at the two young men who seem to always be sitting in the same two seats in the stands by third base at every home game. She coyly stretches out her leg, places her foot on the third base sack and makes a show out of adjusting her short uniform skirt.
“Did you say uniform ‘skirt’, Grandma?”
“Yep, you heard me right. See, not only were the girls supposed to play baseball, they were also supposed to put fannies in the seats. And can you think of a better way to do that than by putting short skirts on pretty girls and telling them to flaunt what they got?”
And flaunt it they do. The girls are forced to go to charm school and learn all about proper etiquette. There are endless ‘cheesecake’ photo sessions of them putting on makeup, wearing party dresses, showing just enough skin to drive a red-blooded American boy to distraction straight to the ticket counter for the next game. And the next.
“You’ve all heard the expression that dynamite comes in small packages. Well, this little lady is four-foot eleven-inches of pure TNT!”
The Sisseton second baseman lets out a sarcastic laugh and mutters, “More like pure cow shit!”
Storm continued, “Playing shortstop, Number 1, and coming to us from Canada, give a big hand for the little lady from up North … Marie!”
The petite blonde shortstop stands rooted to the spot, her blue eyes firing daggers at her teammate who is perched on second base, studiously doing her best to ignore her.
“You’ve all watched our second baseman grow up from a little girl on the playground … ”
Marie calls out, “ … to a little bitch on the ballfield!”
“They call her Nightbreeze … ”
“I call her Asshole.”
“Fuck you, Marie,” the girl at second base hisses.
“Damn it, you two,” Sisseton manager Tony Walters hollers from the dugout steps. “Knock that bullshit off or I’m turning the hose on the both of you!”
“Number 9 … Sisseton’s own … Laurie!”
Laurie stands by second base and waves to the crowd. Marie hawks a gob and spits it at Laurie’s legs, making her jump. Laurie sticks out her tongue at the blonde and kicks dirt at her.
Even though they play side by side, Marie and Laurie barely tolerate each other. No one knows why, least of all Marie and Laurie. It isn’t anything specific; right from the get-go they just rubbed each other the wrong way. But that sure didn’t stop them from becoming one of the best double-play combos in the league. It also didn’t stop them from hurling nasty little comments back and forth between games, on long bus rides or late at night in some rooming house on the road.
“The shortest girl in the league playin’ shortstop. It fits. We got ourselves a munchkin on the team!” This comes from Laurie, who isn’t very much bigger than Marie herself.
“Makes sense Laurie is playin’ second base. She never let a guy get there in her whole life!” This comes from Marie and results in a furious Laurie throwing a bottle of Peach Nehi at the little Canadian blonde. It misses and splashes pop all over the sports page that team manager Walters is reading. After a good long display of old-fashioned country cussing from Tony and muttered apologies from the two girls, the matter is dropped. But not forgotten.
“Over at first base, the anchor of the infield, this girl’s skill with the glove makes the other infielders look good and has saved them a bunch of throwing errors. From Detroit, Michigan, by way of South Africa … Number 14 … Kayla!”
Kayla, the tall first baseman, stretches her long legs to take a practice throw from Sadie over at third, scooping the ball up out of the dirt like a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Then she kicks up her leg, tosses the ball high in the air and catches it in her cap as the fans in the stands cheer.
“Behind the plate, this girl is the on-field general of the team. It’s her job to work hand-in-hand with the pitcher, and to always let her teammates know the correct number of outs in every inning. Another South African who came to America to play ball, the catcher … Number 11 … Jessika!”
Crouching behind the plate, Jessika takes the final warm-up throw from the pitcher, straightens up and fires a bullet out to second base that lands in Laurie’s glove with such force, it sounds like a gunshot and causes the second baseman to wince, pull her glove off and wring her hand in pain.
“All the way out in right field is … Number 13 … the right fielder.”
The right fielder tips her cap.
“And on the mound, the ace of the Sweetheart pitching staff, this young lady means business. Do not mess with her because if you do, you just might end up eating dirt right before she strikes you out and sends you back to the bench. Here she is … Number 18 … Justine!”
He isn’t joking, either. Off the field, Justine can be as nice as nice can be. But, on the mound, she is meaner than cat shit and a damn sight nastier. It is whispered around the league that she would probably throw at her grandmother’s head to win a ballgame. But her teammates know better. She wouldn’t throw at her grandma’s head. But she sure would throw at her grandma’s knees.
Right now, Justine is pawing the dirt on the mound as Jessika crouches down behind home plate, the umpire settles in behind her and the leadoff batter for the Princesses, a long-legged blonde named Kasia, walks up to hit.
The Parker Prairie chaperone, Stevie Foster, stands on the top step of the dugout clapping her hands and calling out words of encouragement to her hitter. The manager of the team, an ancient pot-bellied man who had played a total of two games in the major leagues around the turn of the century, is fast asleep on the bench in the corner of the dugout. It is no secret around the league that he is a manager in name only and that Stevie runs the team her way. She is doing a pretty good job at it too. In the first couple of months of the season, her girls have won more than their fair share of ballgames, by hook or by crook.
But the gossip quickly spread that Stevie was much more concerned with how well her girls looked out on the field as opposed to how well they played. She once made a request to league officials that nylon stockings be made a mandatory part of the girls’ uniforms. This request was met with wide-eyed astonishment followed by loud raucous laughter.
“Don’t you know there’s a war on?!” sputtered one of the owners, who privately wouldn’t have minded seeing a bunch of pretty girls running around the field in nylons but there was no way in hell he was going to pay for them.
Another was more practical. “It’s out of the question. We couldn’t afford to replace them if they get torn. One slide and they would be ruined.”
Stevie had an answer ready. “My girls won’t slide.”
“And they won’t win either,” mumbled the first owner and the nylon debate ended on that note.
Kasia takes a couple practice swings and then steps into the batter’s box. Jessika flashes the sign, Justine goes into her windup and throws a smoking fastball right down the middle of the plate that Kasia watches smack loudly into Jessika’s mitt.
The umpire bellows, “Stee-rike one!”
The hometown fans let out a roar of approval and the game is underway.
On the next pitch, Kasia squares away at the last minute and drops a bunt toward first base. Both Kayla and Justine charge toward the slowly rolling ball. Kayla gets there first. She scoops it up with her bare hand, whirls around and throws it to Laurie who had hurried over to cover first base. The throw beats the speedy Kasia by a half step but she veers toward Laurie and slams into her hard to try to knock the ball loose. Laurie ends up on her ass but the ball stays in her glove. The crowd starts to boo but they quickly turn to cheers when the on-field umpire hollers, “You’re out!”
Laurie picks herself up and brushes the dirt from her uniform. She calls out, “Better luck next time, bitch!”
Kasia, who is trotting back to the Parker Prairie dugout, turns her head and snaps back, “Next time I’m gonna knock your ass clear into the outfield, bitch!”
As Kasia leaves the field and the next batter is walking to the plate, Marie hollers over to Laurie, “Next time you better ram that ball right into her stinking teeth!”
“I know what I gotta do, Marie,” Laurie spat. “You don’t have to tell me nothin’!”
Manager Walters and chaperone Jenn Peccavi are standing in front of the Sisseton bench. Tony shakes his fist at the Princesses as he yells, “That was a damn bush league stunt!”
Stevie Foster gives him a smug condescending grin. “That’s called aggressive baseball, Mr. Walters. If your girls can’t handle it, they can just go home.” The Parker Prairie manager snores and drools in his sleep.
Jenn Peccavi turns to Tony and mutters, “There’s going to be trouble.”
“That should have been our first warning.”
The first inning and the top of the second end with no more disturbances.
PRINCESSES 00
SWEETHEARTS 0
With one out in the Sisseton half of the second, Jessika hits a screaming line drive between Parker Prairie left fielder Steph and center fielder Kasia. By the time they retrieve the ball and throw it back in to the infield, Jessika is standing on second base with a double.
Sadie, the next batter, hits a ground ball right at the shortstop; a young girl named Candy, who is the newest Princess playing her first game with the team. Jessika, running with the pitch, distracts the rookie as she rushes past her and the ball bounces off the side of Candy’s glove. To make it worse, Candy kicks the ball into short left field with her trailing foot. Jessika never breaks stride, rounding third and heading for home as manager Walters waves his arms wildly from the top dugout step and Candy hurries after the rolling ball.
Meanwhile, Sadie is standing on first base and she sees the shortstop chasing down the ball. She also knows the play is going to be at the plate so she takes off for second. With attention focused on Candy picking up the ball and Jessika galloping toward home, no one sees Ami, the Princess second baseman, stick her foot out and trip Sadie as she runs by her. Sadie pitches forward and crashes into the dirt. Ami, a look of supreme innocence on her face, moves back a couple of steps as Jessika crosses the plate with the game’s first run, just beating the desperate throw from the rookie shortstop. Ami calls for the ball and the Parker Prairie catcher pegs it to her just as Sadie is slowly getting to her feet. With a satisfied smirk, Ami pushes her glove with the ball in it against Sadie’s ribs and whispers, “Next time be more careful, sweetie!”
Sadie flushes angrily as the umpire calls her out. Her two biggest fans, who are in their usual seats next to the visitor’s dugout and who follow her every move, are probably the only people in the stands who saw Ami trip their favorite player. They both immediately pop up and start screaming at the umpire with their shrill reedy voices. Their faces grow red and their flapping waving arms make them look like a pair of spastic flamingos but the rest of the crowd drowns out their cries of protest. They eventually give up and slump back down in their seats as Sadie jogs back to the bench, flings her cap down in frustration and sits down, fuming, her arms crossed. Having missed the incident, Tony walks over to her with the intent of chewing her out for a bonehead play. But one look at her angry face and dirty uniform make him realize that something out of the ordinary must have happened.
“Anything you wanna tell me?” he asks her in a quieter voice.
“No, Skip,” Sadie answers, her eyes on the still smirking Parker Prairie second baseman. “I’ll take care of it myself.”
Tony follows her gaze, then turns his attention to the Princess bench where Stevie Foster is adjusting the skirt of one of her reserve players.
“This shit ends right now!” Tony mutters as he stomps up the steps out onto the grass. Calling time out, he quickly limps over to the visitor’s dugout, favoring his gimpy left knee that had cut his promising major league career short. He is followed by chaperone Jenn Peccavi. Stevie gives a very quick glance in their direction, then turns her attention back to her player’s uniform.
“You want to make sure your socks are pulled all the way up, as high as they go, right below your knees. It’s more sophisticated and elegant and it also makes your legs look longer and sexier. You’re a Princess, girl. Dress like one! … Yes, what is it, Mr. Walters?”
“I don’t know what happened out there at second base, ‘Your Majesty’, but I’m warning you it better stop!”
“You’re warning me?” Stevie laughs. “Is it my fault your girls are so clumsy and uncouth that they keep falling all over themselves out there? Accidents happen, Mr. Walters, and you’d better make sure one doesn’t happen to you, with your bad leg and all.”
Tony’s face get beet red and you can see the veins bulging in his neck. Odds are, he would have gone after Stevie right then and there if the strong calming hand of Jenn Peccavi on his arm hadn’t stopped him. She maneuvers him away from the Parker Prairie dugout as the home-plate umpire joins them.
“Is there a problem, Tony?” he asks.
Still seething, Tony whirls at him. “Yeah, there’s a problem. Why don’t you get your head outta your ass and keep an eye on all the shit goin’ on and there wouldn’t be a problem!”
Jenn pulls him away quickly before things get even worse and they go back to their dugout, leaving Stevie smiling triumphantly and the umpire scratching his head.
The Sisseton right fielder pops out to Jess, the Parker Prairie third baseman, to end the inning.
“There was warning number two.”
PRINCESSES 000
SWEETHEARTS 010
Stevie’s daughter Heidi leads off the top of the fourth. The Sisseton players start in immediately with the usual insulting chatter.
“No batter no batter no batter no batter!”
“Easy out! Everybody move in, she couldn’t hit the ball with a shovel!”
“She’s a-scared of ya, Justine! She don’t wanna get in there an’ hit!”
“Look at her! She’s more worried about breakin’ a nail!”
Justine stands on the mound and glares at the blonde in the batter’s box who has just asked the umpire for a time out AGAIN, the second one in this at bat. The catcalls from the fans grow loud as the blonde fusses with her skirt, pulling it up, tugging it down. A few wolf whistles and loud “Yowzas” can be heard mixed in with the boos. The primping blonde pulls off her cap and makes a big show of fluffing her pigtails as she winks and blows kisses at the leering grinning farm boys and uniformed soldiers and sailors.
Finally, Jonica has had enough. And she lets everyone in the park know it.
“Oh, for crying out loud, Foster! If you don’t haul your prissy ass in the damn batter’s box in two seconds, I’m coming in there and kicking it all over the park!”
The Sweethearts all try to hide their smiles behind their mitts. Some fail. One or two even laugh out loud, along with the fans in the stands. In the Sweetheart dugout, manager Walters forgets how pissed off he is for a minute. He leans back on the bench, lowers his cap over his eyes and let outs a laugh that he tries to mask with a not very realistic sounding cough. Jenn Peccavi rolls her eyes and shakes her head. Even though she is just as exasperated as her players and the hometown fans by the antics of the pig-tailed blonde, she knows the strict rules set down by the league officials: The girls must try to be ladylike at all times. She knows there is an official at the game today. And that both teams are probably on thin ice because of all the crap that already happened. She prays that he didn’t heard Jonica’s outburst. She leans forward, cranes her neck to peer into the stands and heaves a relieved sigh. The league official, a jovial man with a bulbous spidery veined nose and perfectly round belly, is laughing uproariously at something his neighbor just said.
Over in the visiting team’s dugout, the Princesses hurl angry catcalls back at the brash center fielder. Jonica smiles sweetly, blows them a kiss and then quickly gives the entire Parker Prairie team the finger. Her teammates laugh, the fans cheer, Jenn Peccavi groans and mutters, “Well, that’s just dandy!”
Her primping finally finished, Heidi steps in to hit. Jessika flashes the signal, Justine nods, goes into her windup and throws a high and tight fastball at the blonde’s head (commonly known as ‘chin music’). Heidi’s cap goes one way, her bat goes another way and she hits the dirt in a very unladylike manner as she bails out of the batter’s box.
“Aw, did you get your precious uniform all dirty, princess?” Jessika laughs as she throws the ball back to Justine. Heidi bites her lip and pouts as she gets back to her feet, picks up her bat and jams her cap back on her head haphazardly. Forgetting to primp for once or even dust herself off, the determined blonde steps back into the batter’s box, taps her bat on home plate and gets ready to hit.
Jessika winks at Justine. Justine nods, winds up, rears back and gives Heidi a second chorus of ‘chin music’, sending her right back into the dirt. This is too much for her mom to take. Stevie storms out of the dugout, her skirt swishing as she strides over to the home-plate umpire, screeching every step of the way. She and Heidi doubleteam the poor fellow, giving him a double earful of bitching.
“Didn’t you see that? She threw at my daughter’s head!”
“She – She coulda hit me in my face! Omigod! My face! I don’t even wanna think about what coulda happened if she did!”
“She did it on purpose too!”
From the mound, Justine calls out, “I did not! My grip slipped!”
Heidi stamps her foot. “Twice?!”
Stevie folds her arms as she glares at the still silent umpire. “I demand you do something. Right this instant! Throw that animal out of the game!”
“Oh, shut the hell up, Stevie,” Jenn Peccavi snaps as she joins the group with Tony Walters. “Stop your whining! There’s no whining in baseball!”
Tony adds, “Accidents happen, don’t you remember? If your girl can’t handle it, she can just go home.”
The umpire cuts in before Stevie can answer. “Accident or not, let’s try real hard to make sure that was the last one. And I’m sending the band home, I don’t want any more chin music. From either team. Got it? Good! Now let’s play ball.”
Heidi sticks out her lower lip as she stomps back to home plate. Justine was keeping her arm loose throwing warm-up pitches. Having restored order, the umpire pulls his mask down and takes his position behind the catcher. Heidi is so furious; the only thought in her mind is to knock the ball down Justine’s throat. She takes two mighty swings at the next two pitches and catches nothing but air. The next pitch is high and about a foot outside. Heidi lunges at it and swings with such force that the bat flies out of her hands and sails directly at Justine’s knees like a whirling wooden propeller. The pitcher has to leap in the air as the bat whizzes past her and lands in the grass in front of second base. Marie walks over from her shortstop position and picks up the bat.
Even though she just struck out, Heidi has a smirk on her face as she skips back to the dugout. Just before she goes down the steps, she turns to Justine and mouths the word “Oops”. Justine rushes over to Marie, snatches the bat from her hand and would have charged the Parker Prairie dugout if Kayla hadn’t been there to restrain her.
“Cool down, Justine,” the first baseman urges. “You don’t want to get thrown out of the game, do you?” She leads the pitcher back to the mound and stays there with her just in case Justine tried another mad dash.
“And that was the third warning. There was no doubt about it anymore. All hell was about to break loose and all the angels in heaven couldn’t do a damn thing to stop it.”
PRINCESSES 000 00
SWEETHEARTS 010 02
It happened in the sixth inning. Sisseton had scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Marie led off with a walk and advanced to second base when Jonica followed with a sharp single right at Princess left fielder Steph. Justine moved the runners up with a perfect sacrifice bunt and Kayla drove them both home with a double.
But she was left stranded on second when Parker Prairie pitcher Jenna settled down and retired the next two batters.
Leading off the sixth, Candy the rookie is determined to make up for her fielding miscue. And she does, by hitting a line drive single over the head of tiny Marie at shortstop.
“That’s what happens when you have a midget on your team,” cackles a Princess from their bench.
“A normal sized girl woulda caught that easy,” adds a second one.
Marie kicks at the dirt and mutters under her breath as she forces herself to focus on the game and not the taunts from the other team. Candy is being careful, not taking a big lead off first base as Kasia steps in to hit. It becomes a duel as the pesky blonde fouls off four pitches and finally bloops a single down the right field line, with Candy stopping at second. Heidi sacrifices the runners to second and third with a perfect bunt to Kayla at first base.
The next batter is Jenna, the pitcher, who is also a dangerous hitter. With one out, the outfielders move back a step. Sara in left field and the right fielder protect the foul lines as Justine throws the first pitch, a fastball on the outside part of the plate. Jenna watches it go back and the umpire calls out, “Strike one!”
Justine tries to throw the next pitch in the same spot but she’s more than a little bit off. Jenna’s eyes light up as the pitch comes in, like a meatball, right across the heart of the plate. She swings and connects, hitting a high drive to deep left center, between Sara and Jonica. The “Bayou Bird Dog” takes off like a shot, running at full speed and just barely manages to get her glove on the ball as it starts to come down for a sensational catch, robbing Jenna of at least a double. Without breaking stride, she flips the ball to Sara who is in perfect position to throw the ball back to the infield. Candy and Kasia, who both started running when Jenna made contact, now slam on the brakes and scramble back to second and third so they don’t get doubled off. Sara throws the ball to second base where Laurie stands waiting for it.
And that’s when it happens. The straw that breaks the camel’s back. The flame that lights the fuse on the keg of dynamite. The move that triggers the great Fourth of July Basebrawl of 1943.
Running at full speed back to second, Kasia sees Laurie waiting for Sara’s throw. She launches herself like a rocket at the second baseman, spearing her as ball and blonde arrive at the exact same second. The ball bounces off Laurie’s glove as Kasia’s shoulder drives into her ribs sending them both crashing in a writhing ball in the dirt. Candy sees the ball rolling away and dashes for home plate, scoring the first run of the game for the Princesses. But Kasia isn’t getting up. She can’t. Laurie may have gotten the wind knocked out of her but she still manages to grab hold of the blonde’s uniform blouse and hangs on for dear life as she starts flailing wild punches at Kasia’s face. Kasia retaliates with some punches of her own and the two girls continue to roll around, kicking up clouds of dirt as the Sisseton players hurry in from their positions and the Parker Prairie players leave their bench and rush the field.
Ami never makes it to second base. She never even gets on the playing field. Sadie is watching her like a hawk and she wastes no time paying Ami back for the earlier play. She tackles the Princess on the sidelines right in front of the dugout, to the absolute delight of her two biggest fans.
While some of the girls either pile on or try to stop the melee at second base, other individual skirmishes start up all over the field as players decide this is the perfect time to settle personal grudges.
After scoring the run and seeing the fight break out between Kasia and Laurie, Candy is the first Princess to reach the tussling pair. She tries to pull Laurie off her teammate by grabbing the Sweetheart by her hair and yanking viciously. Laurie lets out a yelp of pain as her head is jerked up and back. Kasia bucks up hard and pushes Laurie off her. From out of nowhere … well, that’s not really true, it was actually from out in left field … Sara comes to the aid of her struggling screaming teammate. She roughly grabs Candy in a headlock and pulls her away from Laurie. Then she thrusts out her hip and flips the rookie over it. Candy lands on her butt in the dirt and, with the meanest wickedest look on her pretty face that anyone has ever seen, Sara kicks the Princess in the back as hard as she can. She hisses “Welcome to the league, bitch!” as Candy arches her back and lets out a howl.
Meanwhile, Kasia has jumped on top of Laurie and the two of them engage in some mutual hairpulling and faceslapping. Marie and Kayla reach them and try to pull them apart, while getting in some hard punches and kicks on Kasia at the same time. But help is on the way for the beleaguered Princess being triple-teamed by the angry Sweethearts.
The shortest Princess, Jess the third baseman from New Jersey, appropriately targets the shortest Sweetheart Marie. The two mighty mites square off on the grass and flail wild punches and kicks at each other before they lock up and start tussling. Marie trips Jess and the Princess lands on her back on the grass with the blonde straddling her. But a hard knee into her back from Jess causes Marie to pitch forward and allows the brunette to wriggle free.
Jonica trots in from the outfield looking for someone to hit when, out of the corner of her eye, she spots Jenna making a beeline right for her. “You’re so tough and bad, giving me the finger from way out in the outfield,” the pitcher snarls through her gritted teeth. “Let’s see you back up your finger with the rest of you!”
The Cajun girl snaps back, “You want it, you got it!” She flings her glove at the pitcher’s face. Jenna reaches a hand up to smack it away, giving Jonica the opportunity to rush her and tackle her but Jenna has the presence of mind to wrap her arm around Jonica’s neck, pressing her head tight against her body as they both hit the grass.
Left fielder Steph jumps on Kayla’s back and wraps her arms around the tall first baseman’s neck. Kayla staggers back a couple of steps and leans forward, reaching both hands up to flip Steph over her head but the Princess wraps her legs around the Sweetheart’s waist and locks her ankles, hanging on for dear life. Kayla lurches around as she tugs at Steph’s arm but her grip is too tight and the first baseman is forced to her knees.
Heidi gets two steps across the foul line but stops short when she sees Justine thundering toward her with murder in her eyes. “Oh, crud!” the pig-tailed blonde squeals and she takes off running toward left field with the Sweetheart pitcher in hot pursuit.
Stevie is jumping up and down by the dugout, shrieking like a crazed banshee. She grabs Maya, the Princess catcher, by the wrist. “Maya, do something! Please! She’s gonna murder my baby girl!” With her shin guard still in her hand, the catcher chases after Justine who is gaining on Heidi out in the outfield.
Jessika, the Sisseton brunette catcher, and Natasha, the Parker Prairie blonde first baseman, haven’t liked each other since the very first game of the season and need very little reason or excuse to go at it. And that’s exactly what they do now. Right in the dirt on the pitcher’s mound.
The air is filled with cries, squeals, moans, curses, gasps, more curses, a high pitched wail of terror from the outfield, and even more curses.
The crowd loves the unexpected sideshow. Most of the crowd, anyway. Some mothers try to shield the eyes of their children who crane their heads to move away from the hands blocking their vision. The soldiers and sailors on military leave jump up and down in excitement, pounding each other on the back. They know they’ll have a hell of a story to tell their buddies when they get back to their units. Farm boys hoot and howl like rabid wolves. The Sisseton Fire Brigade Band plays When The Saints Go Marching In as the fans clap along and stamp their feet. The fat AAGPBL official gapes in wide-eyed and open-mouthed wonder at the war happening on the field. “Girls fighting in public,” he thinks to himself. “There might be some money to be made on this.”
Peanuts, empty Cracker Jack boxes, drinking cups and other assorted garbage flies onto the field from the stands. A half-eaten hot dog land in the grass near Sadie and Ami. Sadie grabs it and evilly smushes it into the face of the shocked and furious Princess.
Laurie manages to get up to her hands and knees but Kasia is sitting on her back. The blonde laughs as she rides the squirming bucking Sweetheart like a pony, with one hand snarled in Laurie’s hair and the other smacking her in the butt.
Marie and Jess are locked in a death struggle, rolling around in the grass. Neither gives an inch as first Jess gets top position, then Marie. Their faces grow red from the exertion and from the force of the hard slaps they’re trading.
Sara drags a kicking screaming Candy around by her hair as the rookie flails her arms wildly, scratching and clawing. The Princess finally pulls free and scrambles to her feet, her eyes filled with tears. In a blind rage, she charges Sara who easily sidesteps her like a matador and kicks her in her butt as she passes by.
Steph has Kayla on the ground now, still riding her back with her arm pressed against the Sweetheart’s neck and her legs wrapped around her waist. As she tugs at Steph’s ankles, Kayla manages to pull her baseball shoe off her foot. She smacks the cleats of the shoe against Steph’s arm while she bends back the toes of the Princess.
Over on the mound, Natasha has Jessika in trouble. The Sisseton catcher is on her back and the blonde yanks her chest protector up over her face. She takes full advantage of her blinded victim as she rains down a flurry of punches.
Jenna has Jonica facedown on the ground as she sits on the Cajun girl’s back and grinds her face into the grass. Jonica kicks her legs wildly and slaps at Jenna blindly but the pitcher just laughs and yells, “Give me the finger now, bitch!” And Jonica does. With both hands.
Heidi is still galloping across the outfield followed by Justine who is followed by Maya. The Sisseton Fire Brigade Band switches songs and starts a rousing rendition of the William Tell Overture. In total bewilderment, the Sweetheart right fielder stands in right field and watches Heidi whizz by, followed by Justine, followed by Maya, who is swatting at Justine with her shin guard.
All the noise finally wakes up the Parker Prairie manager. He yawns, stretches, scratches himself and blinks out at the field. Then he shuffles up the steps and onto the grass to try to break up the fight in front of the dugout. All he gets for his efforts are a couple of nasty kicks in the shin, one by Ami, one by Sadie. This makes him yowl in pain and hop up and down with one leg in the air and his round belly bouncing. Tony Walters and Jenn Peccavi work as a team but they aren’t having very much success. As soon as they pull two fighters apart and move on to the next skirmish, the first two rip into each other all over again.
A totally frenzied Stevie Foster rushes to the two umpires who are huddled behind home plate far away from the chaos. “What are you standing back here for, you useless cretins?!” she shrieks at the top of her lungs. “Go out there and do something! If any of my girls get hurt, you’ll pay, so help me!”
A firm hand clamps down on her shoulder, jerking her around forcefully. She turns and comes face to face with an unsmiling Jenn Peccavi. Face to face? More like face to fist. Stevie’s face and Jenn’s fist. Seconds later, Stevie is sprawled out in the dirt at the feet of the umpires.
Jenn smiles. “I’ve been waiting to do that a long long time.”
It takes the combined efforts of the umpires, the team managers, a few very eager volunteers from the stands and the voice of Stormy Storm blasting from the loudspeakers to finally put an end to the insanity. The umpires and the league official hold a quick conference and decide to call the game before another round of fights break out. Since the Sweethearts were leading 3-1 when the brawl erupted, the game is awarded to them. Stevie is carried off the field. The still seething players file into their clubhouses to shower and change. The fans leave Bossy Field chattering about the game and the fights they just saw. Stormy wishes everyone a Happy Fourth and tells them to drive safe and don’t forget to come back tomorrow for more exciting AAGPBL action.
The Great BaseBrawl of 1943 was finally over.
Or so we all thought.
It wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.
END OF CHAPTER ONE
-
THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBRAWL!
Chapter Two
“You girls may not know this but, back when I was younger, I played ball just like you do,” Mrs. Ogilthorpe says, between sips of chamomile tea. “It was a long time ago, of course. I was a Bloomer Girl, don’t you know.”
The Sweethearts all roll their eyes and try to stifle groans with their hands or by coughing quietly. All except for the right fielder, who sits by the old lady’s rocker, with her teacup in her lap and a vacant smile on her face. The owner of the rooming house they stayed in is a sweet old lady but they’d heard her tell her ‘I was a Bloomer Girl back in the old barnstorming days forty years ago’ story dozens of times. Mrs. Ogilthorpe sure loves to talk but tonight the Sisseton Sweethearts are in no mood to listen.
A few hours have passed since the big brawl on the ballfield with the Parker Prairie Princesses interrupted the Fourth of July game. The Sweethearts are still pretty pissed; some more than others. Jonica is stamping around the room in a blind fury. “That bitch Jenna made me eat grass,” she sputters. “Nobody does that to me! Nobody!”
Jessika still wears her catcher’s mitt and she repeatedly slams a baseball into it. “Yeah, well, that blonde tramp Tasha is gonna pay for cheap-shotting me after pulling my protector up over my face!” The constant loud thwaps of the ball smacking the mitt are too much for the other girls to take. Justine walks over and grabs the ball from her catcher’s hand.
“Relax,” she says. “It’s over. We’ll get them tomorrow.”
“That’s easy for you to say, Justine,” Marie mutters. Nasty red scratch marks run down her left cheek, courtesy of the fingernails of the Princess third baseman, Jess. “Your bitch ran away from you.”
“Yeah, and she’s probably still running,” Kayla added. “I bet she’s in Wyoming by now.”
“I remember this one time,” Mrs. Ogilthorpe rambles on. “It was back in 1909, I think it was. Or maybe 1910 … ”
Manager Tony Walters walks in, followed by Jenn Peccavi.
“Good news,” he says. “I talked to the league official and nobody is getting suspended for what happened today. From either team. I know, they started it with their damn bush league bullshit … Ah, sorry, Jenn. Sorry, Mrs. Whatever-your-name-is.”
“That’s alright, Mr. Walters,” the old lady chirps, smiling sweetly. “I’ve heard my share of blue language back in my Bloomer Girl days. This one time … ”
“That’s nice, ma’am,” Tony interrupts. “Point is, he really wasn’t all that upset about the fighting and stuff. Said it spiced things up and the crowd didn’t seem to mind either.”
“Figures,” one of the girls mutters.
“It’s been on the air all over here and in Minnesota too. All the radio stations picked it up and I bet it’ll be in all the papers tomorrow.”
Jenn adds, “I heard they already sold a lot of tickets for tomorrow’s game and are expecting a big crowd. Much bigger than today.”
Laurie has been sitting quietly in the corner. No one notices her as she gets up and leaves the room. No one except the right fielder, who notices everything but rarely understands what anything means. She watches the little second baseman sneak out and just sits there by Mrs. Ogilthorpe, sipping her tea happily.
Jonica pipes up, “Well, if they come expecting a fight, let’s give ‘em what they want!” The rest of the girls nod and voice their support of this plan.
“No,” Tony cuts them off. “That’s exactly what’s NOT gonna happen! We aren’t starting shit. We play like we always do. Hard but fair. But … ” He raises his hand, index finger extended. “BUT … if they start shit, they get shit. We give it back to them. Double what they give us. Triple. A shit blizzard, that’s what they’ll get. A shitquake of shit.”
Jenn puts a hand on his arm. “I think they get the picture, Tony.”
“Right. Now, about the game. Since today’s was called early, Justine, you think your arm is up to pitching again tomorrow?”
“You just try to stop me, Skip,” is her reply.
“Good. That’s what I wanted to hear. I want you to stay in tonight. Go to bed early. Ice your elbow, rub liniment on it, get it damn good and ready. Jessika, you stay with her. Go over the hitters.” He sees the disappointed looks on their faces and knows they’re about to protest so he adds, “That’s an order. End of discussion.”
“I’ll keep my eye on them,” Jenn adds, with a stern look on her face.
“I feel like I’m fourteen again,” Justine mumbles to Jessika.
“This is what prison must be like,” Jessika whispers.
“One last thing.” Tony points a finger at Sara. “You’re playing second base tomorrow, Sara. I’m putting Laurie in left field. She’s too much of a target for them in the infield. You understand, right, Laurie?”
For the first time, everyone notices the empty chair.
“Laurie? Anybody see where she went?”
The right fielder continues to sip her tea, looking out the picture window dreamily.
***************
Laurie hurries east on Cherry Street, stopping every now and then to look over her shoulder, half expecting to see her teammates rushing after her. She’s almost positive nobody saw her sneak out. She isn’t even sure exactly why she did it. One minute she was in the room listening to Tony with the rest of the girls; the next minute a loud voice blasted in her brain, telling her she had to find that bitch Kasia RIGHT NOW and pay her back for what she did on the field. Almost like a sleepwalker, Laurie found herself tiptoeing out of the room and down the hall, slipping out the door without a sound.
Cherry Street is deserted. Very few lights are on in the houses. She knows that practically everyone is at the high school on the other side of town for the annual fireworks show. It’s not as big as the ones she loved when she was growing up, but there is a war on and the boys fighting overseas need the gunpowder and all that stuff. But most everybody is still out there with picnic baskets and blankets. Pretty soon someone will break out a guitar and another someone will pull a mouth harp from their pocket. Maybe a fiddle will show up out of nowhere and, before you know it, folks will start singing and dancing and forget about all the bad war news. For a little while anyways. Just like they do when they go to the ballgame. Like this afternoon.
“This afternoon. Kasia. That bitch. She started all this,” Laurie thinks to herself. “Well, I’m gonna make her real sorry she did!”
Walking faster now, with purpose, Laurie goes north up 5th Avenue toward Chestnut Street heading to the rooming house where the Parker Prairie Princesses are staying. She knows the house well. One of her grade school friends lived next door. They used to play in the backyard. She knew the owners of the rooming house, an older couple named Gunderson, would remember her.
***************
Back at Mrs. Ogilthorpe’s, the meeting is breaking up. A few of the girls decide to stay in. Maybe read a bit, write letters back home, listen to the radio. It’s still fairly early, hours before curfew, so others ask if they can go out for a little while. Jenn says it’s okay, just don’t get into trouble and be sure to be back by curfew. Tony asks them to keep a lookout for Laurie.
“Remember,” he says. “She grew up here so she could be God knows anywhere.”
***************
Laurie turns onto Chestnut Street and stops at the corner. She looks up the street, the rooming house is about a block away. A few lights are on inside. A red Ford DeLuxe convertible coupe is parked in front. The top is down. Laurie takes a few steps but stops short when she hears voices and laughter coming from the car. She quickly ducks behind a tree before they notice her. Then she pokes her head out to get a better look. A man and a woman are in the convertible. The woman throws her head back and laughs softly. Her blonde hair shines in the glow of the streetlight. Laurie recognizes her.
Stevie Foster.
Stevie slides closer to the man and throws her arms around his neck. Laurie squints but she can’t make out who the man is. All she can tell is that he has gray hair, appears kind of chunky and has a fat nose like that actor W.C. Fields.
Laurie stays in the shadows as she sneaks between houses and darts into the backyard of her friend’s old home. Then, just like she used to do as a young girl with her friend, she slips through the gap in the hedges into the Gunderson’s yard and hurries to the bulkhead door leading down to the cellar. She pulls the creaky wooden door open, moves down the steps and quietly closes it behind her.
***************
Moppin’ up soda pop rickeys
To our heart’s delight
Dancin’ to swingeroo quickies
Jukebox Saturday night
Sara and Sadie are sitting at the counter of Mom Maloney’s Malt Shoppe, listening to the jukebox, tapping their feet on the rail in time with the music. Sara sips a Root Beer Float and giggles when Sadie points at the foam moustache on the blonde’s upper lip. Owney, the moon-eyed soda jerk who has a major crush on all the Sweethearts, practically breaks his neck rushing over with a fresh napkin for Sara. Sadie is drinking a black-and-white ice cream soda. She pulls the straw from the glass and slowly licks the vanilla ice cream off it. Owney swallows hard and suddenly becomes very busy wiping the counter.
The place isn’t very crowded for a Sunday night. A group of teenagers are at the tables by the jukebox and one of the boys is hunched over it, studiously looking over the song selection as he feeds nickels into the machine and hits the buttons. An elderly couple shares a banana split at a table by the wall farthest away from the music machine. A small girl shyly approaches the Sweethearts at the counter and, in a voice barely louder than a breathy whisper, asks for their autographs. Owney gives them a pen and they sign her napkin. The little girl then rushes back happily to her parents.
Glenn Miller’s Jukebox Saturday Night fills the room. The teenage girls squeal and jump up, followed by their more than eager boyfriends and they start dancing to the lively tune. Sadie slide off the counter stool and begins dancing too. She pulls Sara to her feet and the two girls start doing a little jitterbugging by the counter.
***************
“I know Laurie, and I’m betting you she went after Kasia.”
Jonica and Marie stand on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Ogilthorpe’s.
“I know she’s dumb as a post,” Marie answers. “But there’s no way she’s stupid enough to march over there alone. What does she want to do, fight the whole damn team all by herself?”
“You know what she’s like when she gets mad. Remember when she threw that bottle of pop at you?”
Marie thinks about this for a minute. “You’re right,” she finally says. “We’d better get over there and save her from an ass kicking.”
Jonica grins. “And here I thought you can’t stand her.”
“I can’t,” Marie replies. “But if anybody is gonna beat the crap out of Laurie, it’s gonna be me. Not some candy-assed Parker Prairie Princess!”
***************
Even in the semi-darkness of the damp cellar, Laurie is familiar enough with the surroundings that she makes it to the stairs leading up to the main floor of the house with no problem. She tiptoes up the wooden stairs, freezing at every tiny creak. She gets to the top step and places her hand on the doorknob. Laurie closes her eyes, holds her breath and slowly turns the knob. She pushes the door open a few inches and presses her face to the opening for a quick peek. The hallway is semi-lit and all seems quiet, except for the sound of a radio in the distance.
She opens the door all the way and silently steps into the hall. The kitchen is dark. There’s a light in the parlor and muffled voices coming from up on the second floor. Laurie smiles as she breathes in the familiar scent of sunflowers and prairie crocuses. And baked apples and cinnamon. A wave of nostalgia washes over her for a second but she forces herself to focus. Her saddle shoes slide noiselessly on the wooden floor as she makes her way down the hall toward the staircase. Just as her fingers grip the banister, an arm suddenly appears from behind her and a hand tightly clamps over her mouth. Another arm wraps around her neck before she can react and squeezes her throat tightly.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in!” A voice says, followed by a laugh.
Laurie starts struggling, her wide eyes dart from side to side and she gets a good look at the girl behind her.
Blonde hair. Blues eyes. Evil smile.
Kasia.
***************
Ami and Candy, two of the Parker Prairie Princesses, walk up Main Street as they head back to their rooming house. They suddenly stop short in front of the Malt Shoppe when they notice Sara and Sadie dancing inside.
Ami turns to Candy. “You thinking what I’m thinking?”
The rookie nods, grinning widely. “I think so.”
No one sees them open the door. The tinkling of the bells above the door is drowned out by the music and happy laughter of the dancing teens. Sadie and Sara kick their legs and wave their arms, making up their own version of a jitterbug as the song picks up in tempo. They are so into their dance that they don’t notice Ami and Candy walking to the counter. They don’t see the two Princesses pick up their ice cream sodas from the counter. But they sure become aware of them when the ice cold drinks are poured over their heads and into their faces.
***************
Kayla catches up to Marie and Jonica at the corner of Cherry Street and 5th Avenue.
“What’s the story?” she asks.
“We think Laurie went to pay a visit to the Princesses,” Jonica said as they turned the corner and headed north to Chestnut.
“Why would she do a dumb fool thing like that?”
“Because she’s a dumb fool, “ Marie mutters.
They walk the block up to Chestnut in silence and turn the corner as a red Ford DeLuxe convertible coupe whizzes by. The girls get a quick glimpse of a blonde woman snuggled tight against the driver, a heavy-set gray-haired man with a big smile on his round face.
Kayla gives a low whistle. “Some old fart is getting lucky tonight!”
They continue walking to the rooming house when they see the front door open and four girls leave the house laughing and chattering. The three Sweethearts duck into the shadows and watch as the four Princesses reach the sidewalk.
“There’s that bitch Jenna,” Jonica hisses quietly when the four girls stop by the streetlight. “She made me … ”
“We know, we know,” Marie interrupts. “She made you eat grass. That slut Jess is with her. She carved up my face like a Thanksgiving turkey with her nails. She’ll get hers, so help me.”
“Shhhh!” Kayla whispers. “The other two are blondes. Must be Heidi and Tasha. I guess it’s past little Stephie’s bedtime.”
The Princesses turn left and walk north on Chestnut, in the other direction.
“Where are they going?” Kayla asks. “The only thing in that direction is St. Peter’s.”
“The cemetery?”
“No, Jonica. The cathedral in Rome where the Pope is! Of course, the cemetery!”
“I don’t like cemeteries.”
“Let’s follow them,” Marie urges.
“What about Laurie?”
“Laurie’s a big girl!”
“Bigger than you anyway, Marie.”
“Fuck you, Jonica. Laurie can take care of herself.”
“Well, what are we standing here for?” Kayla interrupts. “Let’s go if we’re going.”
***************
Laurie squirms as Kasia squeezes her neck even more.
“I’m so glad you decided to drop by tonight,” the blonde giggles. “I have unfinished business with you.”
Recovered from the sudden shock of being caught, Laurie gets her wits back and drives her elbow back into Kasia as hard as she can. The blonde lets out a low grunt and her grip loosens just enough for Laurie to pull free. She whirls around to face Kasia and the blonde drives her foot into Laurie’s belly. Laurie gasps and sinks to her knees, clutching her belly and trying not to cry.
The blonde, wearing just an ivory colored satin slip and white bobby socks, giggles as she grabs Laurie’s hair and yanks her to her feet. Laurie yelps loudly and Kasia smacks her face hard, hissing, “Shut the hell up or I’ll beat the shit out of you!”
“Is everything all right down there?” calls a voice from upstairs.
“Everything’s fine, Mrs. Gunderson,” Kasia calls as she clamps her hand over Laurie’s mouth again. “I just stubbed my toe.”
“Oh, goodness gracious, I know how much that stings! You’ve got to be more careful, dear.”
“Yes, ma’am, I will,” Kasia replies. She puts Laurie in a tight headlock and pulls the struggling girl to the cellar door. “Let’s you and me go downstairs where we can have some privacy,” the blonde whispers as she opens the door.
***************
Caught totally by surprise and blinded by the ice cream and soda streaming down their faces, Sara and Sadie are no match for the sudden attack unleashed on them by the two Princesses. Spluttering and frantically trying to wipe their eyes, the Sweethearts find themselves being pummeled as Owney the soda jerk and the astonished patrons look on wide-eyed and slack-jawed. The little girl’s mother covers her daughter’s eyes.
Candy shoves Sara hard with both hands, knocking the blonde off-balance and sending her crashing to the floor on her back. The rookie wastes no time in straddling the blonde, sitting on her chest and swinging hard slaps and backhand smacks to Sara’s face. Sara covers her face with both hands, to wipe the stinging root beer from her burning eyes and also to block Candy’s vicious slaps. She bucks up hard to try to dislodge the brunette and then swings her knee up, driving it into Candy’s back. The Princess lets out a howl as she lurches forward and Sara manages to push her off and roll away, coughing and spitting out root beer foam.
Ami grabs Sadie by her dark blonde hair and rams her knee up into the gasping girl’s chest over and over until the struggling Sweetheart drops to her knees, wildly flailing her arms throwing blind punches at the furious dark-haired girl. Ami laughs off the punches, snarling, “You’ll have to do better than that!” She tugs at Sadie’s hair, pulling the squealing girl on her knees over to the elderly couple’s table. Ami reaches out and snatches the banana from the sundae dish.
She asks with a sweet smile, “You don’t mind, do you?” The old man and woman just gape at her, their spoons still in mid-air. “Sadie will buy you another banana split.”
Still on her knees, Sadie throws a punch into Ami’s belly that hurts the Princess, doubling her over a bit as the breath whooshes out of her mouth. But she hangs onto Sadie’s hair and smashes her knee into the Sweetheart’s chin. Sadie’s head snaps back from the force of the blow and then drops down, her chin rests on her chest and her eyes cross for a couple of seconds. Her body slumps and she lets out a low guttural moan. Ami tugs down on Sadie’s hair forcing her head up so her blinking unfocused eyes are looking up at the face of the evil Princess standing over her.
“This is for the hot dog, bitch!” Amy yells as she shmushes and grinds the banana into Sadie’s face. “Get it all down now,” she demands as she forces the squirming blonde’s mouth open with her fingers and crams the banana into her mouth.
Meanwhile, Sara has scrambled up to her hands and knees with Candy sitting behind her. Candy leans back and kicks Sara in the butt with both feet, pitching her forward head-first into the counter which her skull meets with a sickening crack. Sara slumps down in a heap, curling up and moaning.
The front door flies open and Steph runs in. “Hurry up before somebody calls the police!” she says urgently.
Candy gets to her feet and moves to the door. Ami uses her foot to push Sadie down to the floor and then she joins her friends.
“That’s what happens when you mess with the Parker Prairie Princesses!”
The three girls run out at full speed, leaving Owney and the patrons frozen in shock. Finally they begin to move. Owney hurries from behind the counter to check on the fallen Sweethearts. A couple of the teenage boys walk over too, not offering any help, just gawking and maybe hoping to catch a glimpse of underwear.
“Should we call the cops?” one of the teenage girls asks in a trembling voice.
“Oh, hell, no!” answers one of the boys. “I’m calling the ballpark for tickets to tomorrow’s game. If we’re lucky, they’ll fight again!”
The old man is still waving his spoon. “That girl stole my banana!”
***************
“Think I should go back and get Jessika and Justine?” Kayla asks. “Jessika wants Tasha bad and maybe Justine can finally catch Heidi.”
“With Peccavi watching them like a hawk?” Jonica smirks. “Good luck with that.”
The three Sweethearts stand by the fence near the entrance of St. Peter’s Cemetery. They can hear the laughing voices of the Princesses in the distance.
“What the hell are they doing in a cemetery?” Marie mutters as she strains to get a good look.
“I don’t want to know,” Jonica mutters. “I do not want to know.”
“We’re not in the Bayou now, Jonica,” Kayla says, rolling her eyes. “There are no Cajun witches or spooks running around in there.”
“A cemetery is still a cemetery.”
“And Jenna made you eat grass,” Kayla counters. “Or did you forget that?”
“Let’s do this,” Jonica mutters as she enters the cemetery, followed by Kayla and Marie.
Crouching low, they dart from tombstone to tombstone, moving closer to the voices until they see the four girls sitting in a circle under the moonlight, flanked by two large monuments of angels with wings spread. The girls pass a metal flask around, taking sips as they joke and laugh about the fight on the ballfield that afternoon.
“I was not running from Justine,” Heidi protests. “I was trying to tire her out before I made my attack. It was a brilliant strategy.”
The other Princesses agree that yes, indeedy, it was a very brilliant strategy and the flask makes another round. A match flares as one of the girls lights up a cigarette.
“It was so much fun smacking that little blonde around,” Jess giggles.
“I always thought you were the shortest girl in the league, Jess,” Tasha laughs. “I guess I was wrong.”
“If that little shrimp messes with me tomorrow,” Jess vows, “I’ll kick her ass straight to Munchkinland!”
The combined efforts of Jonica and Kayla can’t stop Marie as she furiously charges the circle of Princesses with a bloodcurdling shriek and launches herself at Jess. Jenna scrambles to her feet to help her teammate but Jonica grabs her hair from behind and pulls her back down onto the grass. Kayla and Tasha lock up, grabbing at each other’s blouses. Buttons fly off into the air as they pull and tug at fabric; two beautiful girls spinning around and around in a grotesque dance surrounded by tombstones in the moonlight.
Heidi hops from foot to foot, unsure of what to do or what fight to involve herself in. Marie rides Jess’ back, one hand in her hair pulling the brunette’s head up while the other hand smacks and claws at the squealing squirming struggling girl’s face. “So you’re gonna kick my ass back to Munchkinland, huh,” Marie snarls, her voice filled with cold fury. Her nails dig into Jess’ cheek bringing a cry of agony from the Princess.
Jonica sits on Jenna’s belly, her thighs pressed against the taller girl’s sides, riding her bucking twisting struggling foe. The wild-eyed Cajun rips a chunk of grass from the ground and grinds it into Jenna’s face, dirt and all. Jenna gags and her struggles get more intense and furious. She starts throwing punches at Jonica, who cries out as Jenna’s fists pound into her body.
Tasha hooks her foot between Kayla’s legs and trips the off-balance brunette, sending her down to the grass. She cries out as her back lands hard on top of a small footstone. A loud ripping sound fills the air as Kayla tears Tasha’s blouse open when she falls, exposing the blonde’s bra. With pain shooting up her spine, the South African brunette kicks her leg up and slams her foot into Tasha’s thigh. Tasha stumbles backwards with one hand covering her breasts and the other on her thigh until her back rests against a tombstone.
“Don’t worry, girls,” Heidi calls out, “I’ll go get help!” She turns and dashes out of St. Peter’s at full speed.
Jenna throws a wild looping left that connects with Jonica’s jaw, stunning the Cajun just enough for the Princess pitcher to push her off and stagger to her feet, wiping the dirt from her eyes and spitting out grit. Tasha limps over to Marie and pulls her off Jess. She helps her crying teammate up to her feet and the three Princesses stagger out of the cemetery.
“This isn’t over,” Jenna snarls over her shoulder as they go.
“See you on the ballfield, losers!” is Marie’s reply.
***************
Kasia pulls Laurie down the steps into the cool damp subterranean cellar. Laurie is doubled over, trapped in the blonde’s tight headlock. She punches at Kasia’s back and belly but the blonde keeps her head tucked tight under her arm against her body. Laurie’s eyes bulge as the pressure increases. Kasia leans into Laurie and the gasping Sweetheart, her face beet red, sinks to her knees.
Kasia breaks into peals of laughter. “You actually thought you were better than me,” she taunts. “You’re nothing but a loser! A pathetic short … AAGGHHHH!”
From her knees, Laurie’s right hand slides up Kasia’s thigh under her slip. Her desperate clutching fingers find the blonde’s kitty and she pinches with all her strength. Kasia releases Laurie’s head and kicks her with her foot knocking the Sweetheart away from her. Laurie sprawls on the floor and slides away on her butt as Kasia takes a few stumbling steps to the wall. The blonde suddenly yelps in shock and flails her arms up by her face as her head makes contact with a very large spider web. The more she twists and struggles, the more the sticky threads cling to her face and hair.
“Ewwww, spiders!” she wails. “Get it off me! Get it off!”
Laurie gets to her feet, breathing hard. She walks up to the distracted blonde, rears back and pops her right in the mouth with the hardest punch she has ever thrown in her life. Kasia collapses in a heap and Laurie, wringing her hand, turns and goes up the stairs, opening the outside cellar door.
She calls down, ”Tomorrow we finish it!” Then she slams the cellar door shut with a bang.
END OF CHAPTER TWO
-
THERE IS NO CRYING IN BASEBRAWL!
Chapter Three
Sisseton, South Dakota. July 5, 1943.
“Hey, fans, I’m Stormy Storms, the Voice of your Sisseton Sweethearts, live on KABR, here at jam-packed historic Bossy Field. It’s another beautiful day for baseball in South Dakota today. Every single seat in the ballpark is filled, it’s a record, sell-out, standing-room-only crowd who came to cheer on their Sweethearts as they take on their hated rivals from Minnesota, the Parker Prairie Princesses.”
“Hell, I came to see another fight,” hollered a voice from the grandstand.
“After yesterday’s unfortunate – incident – led to the game being cut short,” Stormy continues (reading the copy written for him by the KABR station manager, even though he too hopes to see another group catfight), “tensions are high and both teams are ready to settle their differences the old-fashioned way … ”
“CATFIGHT!” yelled another voice from the grandstand.
“ … on the ballfield!”
***************
There’s an electric tension in the air. The fans all feel it. The players all feel it as they walk from their clubhouses to the dugouts. Stormy Storms, up in his cramped announcer’s booth, feels it. Old Man Stoltzfutz, the owner of Stoltzfutz Dairy and Bossy Field, feels it as he greedily calculates his profits from the sell-out crowd. Bossy the Cow (who isn’t a real cow, just a sweating guy in a silly cow costume) can feel it. Even the REAL Bossy the Cow, happily munching on lush grass in her special small penned-off patch of pasture in center field, can feel it. Maybe.
The players on both teams show the effects of the last twenty-four hours. Black eyes, swollen cut lips, purplish bruises, cuts, scratches that all the make-up in South Dakota can’t cover up. Both clubhouses are unusually quiet as the players change into their uniforms. Gone is the normal pre-game chatter, the gossip, the good-natured joking, the singing along with the radio. The girls dress in silence. Manager Walters takes one look at the grim determined angry faces of the Sisseton Sweethearts and knows that no pep talk is needed to fire them up. Over in the visiting team’s clubhouse, the Parker Prairie manager sits slumped on a stool in the corner, sound asleep and snoring. The Princesses pay no attention to him. Stevie Foster sashays from player to player with a mysterious grin on her face as she expertly covers up scratches and bruises on her players’ faces with makeup.
“What are you smiling about?” Ami asks, wincing as Stevie dabs at her sore tender cheek with a rouge brush.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” is Stevie’s enigmatic reply.
***************
The two teams file out of their clubhouses to the dugouts. Bossy Field is packed to the rafters with fans … a sellout crowd, Stormy Storms is excitedly telling his listening audience, all those unfortunate souls who couldn’t make it to the ballpark and have to listen to the game on the radio at home. A couple of stadium workers are setting up a microphone on a stand at home plate the sort of famous country-western singer who came all the way from the state capital to perform the National Anthem before the game. Some of the girls who grew up way out in the country on farms had never heard “The Star Spangled Banner” before they joined the League and a few of them still call it “The Baseball Song”.
At a signal, the Sisseton Sweethearts and the Parker Prairie Princesses step out of their dugouts and form a straight line in front of them for the singing of the Anthem. They take off their caps and give one last spit or scratch or both.
Her smile even wider, Stevie Foster leaves her players and flounces over to the stands. The players nudge each other, watching her.
“What is that bitch up to?” Jenn Peccavi mutters in a low voice to Manager Walters.
“No good,” he answers. “No fuckin’ good.”
Even the Parker Prairie girls don’t have a clue what she’s doing. All eyes are on the blonde as she leans into the stands, grabs a fan by his lapels and pulls him to his feet. The fan, a chunky fellow with gray hair and a fat round nose, laughs happily as Stevie throws her arms around his neck and plants a juicy kiss right smack on his lips as the crowd gasps and applauds, the photographers snap pictures, flashbulbs go popping, and the players look on in astonishment.
Tony Walters grabs Jenn’s arm and asks, “Isn’t that … ”
“The League official,” she finishes the sentence.
Laurie gets a good look at the gray-haired man’s face and she gasps loudly. She elbows Jonica in the ribs.
“Hey! What the hell?” The Cajun girl shoves the second baseman. “Stop that.”
“I know that guy,” Laurie whispers.
“Of course you do, dumb ass,” Jonica rolls her eyes. “We all know him. That’s the AAGPBL official.”
“No! I mean, I seen him last night!”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“Yup,” Laurie insists, “On Chestnut Street. Out front of their rooming house.”
By now, the line has broken up as all the Sweethearts gather close to Laurie.
“In a red convertible,” she continues. “Kissing her!”
And she points an accusing finger at Stevie Foster.
***************
Meanwhile, up in his tiny announcer’s booth, Stormy Storms sits there sweating, reading for the third time the small slip of paper that has just been shoved into his hands by a fidgety messenger. He knows he has to make this announcement. Live. On the air. And in front of a stadium full of wired-up fans. He gulps. Clears his suddenly dry throat. Takes a quick swig of Grape Nehi. Then he grabs the microphone with a shaky hand, leans forward and begins to speak.
“Ladies and gentlemen. Can I have your attention please? I have a very special announcement from Calvin Hobbs, the visiting representative of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, here at the ballpark today.”
The fans respond to this with scattered applause along with a few boos thrown in. The chunky league official turns and waves at the crowd while still holding hands with Stevie Foster who giggles and starts blowing kisses to the fans. The boos get louder with every blown kiss.
Up in the booth, Stormy takes a quick breath and continues.
“After carefully reviewing all the evidence and spending a long sleepless night of careful thought, I am reversing my decision concerning the outcome of yesterday’s game. It is obvious to me now that the Sisseton Sweethearts were totally responsible for the violent display on the field yesterday …”
The boos start getting louder and more angry. The Sweetheart players look at each other in disbelief and amazement. Manager Tony Walters’ face is redder than a ripe tomato. The Parker Prairie Princesses start giggling. Stevie gives them a knowing wink.
“ … They instigated the fight. They behaved in a completely un-American way on the birthday of our great nation. Even though they were leading the game at the time of the brawl, I cannot reward them for their behavior. That is why I hereby reward the victory of yesterday’s game to the patriotic Parker Prairie … ”
Bossy Field erupts in an ear-shattering thunderous explosion of boos that is so loud, it’s said later that people more than twenty miles away can hear it.
But, even with all the noise from the stands, one loud scream of rage and fury cut through it like a sharp knife.
“S O N O F A B I T C H ! ! !”
Before anyone can stop her, Jenn Peccavi bolts across the field at full speed, headed straight for Stevie Foster. The snarky smirk on the blonde’s face vanishes when she sees the crazed woman bearing down on her. She tries to run but it’s too late. Jenn reaches out and grabs Stevie’s blonde locks with both hands. She gives a violent tug that pulls the squealing woman away from the stands. Stevie flails her fists wildly at the furious Sweethearts chaperone and tries to pull free but Jenn’s grip is too firm. The blonde kicks at the brunette’s shins but Jenn flings her roughly to the grass and then pounces on top of her.
***************
Meanwhile, chunky Calvin Hobbs is bombarded with a storm of hot dogs, peanuts, pop bottles, Cracker Jack boxes, shoes, baseballs, scorecards, teddy bears, everything and anything the incensed fans can get their hands on. The stadium ushers, all Sweetheart fans, do nothing to help the AAGPBL official. They just stand back and watch him try to scurry up the aisle to the exit. One usher even tries to trip Hobbs as he stumbles by him.
It’s a miracle that no fans chased after Hobbs or there probably would have been a lynching that afternoon in Roberts County. They were too busy watching the war on the field. Jenn Peccavi charging Stevie Foster and flinging her down on the grass is a signal to the players on both teams to forget all about baseball and start ripping into each other.
***************
All the players, except one. Candy, the Parker Prairie rookie, takes one look at the entire Sisseton team rushing at her with bloodlust in their eyes and decides she wants no part of it. She quickly unbuttons her uniform top, pulls it off and throws it down to the ground.
“I don’t wanna be a Princess any more,” she wails in terror. “Please don’t hurt me!”
She reaches the railing and starts to climb over it into the stands. But Sara grabs her skirt before Candy can scramble over the railing to freedom. The terrified rookie starts clawing at seats, armrests, fans, anything in her desperate attempt to escape. She manages to finally pull herself up and over the railing, leaving Sara holding her skirt. Now only in bra, panties, socks and baseball shoes, Candy pushes her way through a mob of soldiers, sailors, farmboys, old men and children. She loses her bra before she can worm her way through the pack and up the stairs. She passes a red-haired guy who gets a quick look as she scurries past him. He turns to the Marine next to him.
“I think I just saw boobies,” he says. “Did you see what I saw?”
The Marine nods excitedly. “You did! You did see boobies!”
***************
And boobies aren’t the only thing Red is seeing. Fights are breaking out all over the field, just like the day before. Heidi decides to finally stop running away from Justine. It’s definitely not the smartest thing she’s ever done. Justine’s eyes shine and she licks her lips. She waggles her finger at the pale trembling Princess and hisses, “Time for the pain to begin, blondie!”
Heidi gulps and takes a deep breath. Then she tries to surprise the Sisseton pitcher by charging at her. She lowers her head intending to ram her shoulder into Justine’s belly. The brunette IS surprised. But only for a second. She greets the charging blonde by driving her knee viciously into Heidi’s chest. Heidi lets out a gurgled cry and drops to her knees. Justine laughs, reaches down to grab two handfuls of Heidi’s blonde hair and yanks her back up to her feet. Then she starts slapping and backhanding the whimpering Princess in the face.
***************
Jonica shoves her way through the surging Parker Prairie players, searching for Jenna. She spots the Princess pitcher tussling with the Sweetheart rightfielder. Jenna has the rightfielder in a tight headlock and she’s laughing as she pulls the stumbling girl around the infield. With a wild cry, Jonica jumps on the Parker Prairie pitcher’s back and wraps her arms around her neck. Jenna lets go of the rightfielder and reaches her hands up to tug on the Cajun girl’s forearm as she struggles to stay on her feet. The rightfielder straightens up, rubbing her sore neck.
“Now’s your chance,” Jonica hisses. “Hit her!” The rightfielder just stands there, staring, with a confused expression on her face. “C’mon! What are you waiting for?!” Jonica urges. “Hit her! You know you want to!”
Jenna’s face is getting red from the tight grip the raging Cajun girl has on her neck. She’s tugging wildly at the Sweetheart’s forearm and flailing punches at her but Jonica manages to hang on. The rightfielder finally understands what Jonica is telling her. She makes a fist and is about to punch Jenna when the dark-haired girl surprises her with a hard kick to the belly. The rightfielder lets out a gurgled gasp and sits down hard on the grass, groaning.
“Big mistake, sister!” Jonica roars in Jenna’s ear. Still keeping her left arm tight into Jenna’s neck, Jonica starts raining hard punches in the face of her enemy with her right fist. Jenna’s legs start to buckle but, instead of collapsing, she suddenly pitches herself backwards with the Cajun Sweetheart still clinging to her back. Jonica hits the ground with a spine-rattling crash and Jenna on top of her. As soon as her stunned enemy lets go of her neck, Jenna wastes no time in spinning around and straddling Jonica, sitting on her belly as the furious girl thrashes and writhes under her.
“Looks like you made an even bigger mistake, ‘sister’!” Jenna mocks Jonica as she yanks her head up by the hair and then viciously slams it back down into the grass, really enjoying herself as she bounces down on her victim’s belly, making her gasp and wheeze.
***************
Things aren’t going too well for Jonica’s teammate Laurie who is in a battle for her life against Kasia for the third time in two days. The angry blonde, her lips cut and puffy from Laurie’s hard punch the night before, is getting her revenge on the Sisseton girl. She has Laurie facedown in the infield dirt, sitting on her back pinning Laurie’s arms against her body with her thighs. She has two handfuls of the squirming girl’s curly brown hair and is having a great time rubbing Laurie’s face into the dirt.
Then Kasia roughly pulls Laurie’s head up again, leans down and hisses in the moaning girl’s ear. “I’m gonna show everybody what a loser you are! Right here in your hometown, in front of all your stupid fans! And there’s not a damn thing you can do to stop me!” She suddenly lets go of Laurie’s hair and uses her forefingers to stretch her mouth open wide. “Except maybe to just smile and take your punishment like a good little bitch!” Her nails dig into the tender flesh inside Laurie’s mouth as she pulls the now squealing girl’s face into a twisted smile.
***************
Meanwhile, up in his broadcasting box, Stormy Storms is doing his best to describe the action to the fans glued to their radios at home.
“Not literally glued to their radios, you understand. It’s a figure of speech.”
“I get it, Grandma. I get it.”
“Fans, I - I - I’m having a hard time putting into words what I’m witnessing here at Bossy Field,” Stormy stammers into his microphone. “There are one … two … three … four … five … six … yes, six fights going on! It’s like Midway and Guadalcanal here in South Dakota! War is being waged at the ballpark! Fists are flying, feet are kicking, hair is being pulled, clothes are getting ripped off! Oh, the humanity!”
***************
One of the wars being waged is a brawl by the pitcher’s mound where Jessika and Kayla, the Sweethearts from South Africa, are double-teaming Natasha, the blonde Princess first baseman. Kayla has the struggling blonde’s arms held tightly behind her back, holding her for Jessika to unload hard quick punches into Natasha’s belly. Jessika yanks the blonde’s uniform top open, sending buttons flying in the air and exposing her bra-covered breasts and vulnerable belly.
The laughing Sisseton catcher, encouraged by her teammate Kayla, drives her fist deep into Natasha’s bellybutton, making the blonde cry out. Flashbulbs explode from the stands as the photographers have a field day snapping pics of the unexpected action.
Kayla laughs and gives Jessika a knowing wink. “Let’s give them something to take pictures of!”
Jessika returns the wink. “Yes, let’s!” With one savage yank, she rips the shocked blonde’s bra clean off, causing a roar from the stands, topped by a loud excited shout of “Boobies! Yes!! BOOBIES!!!”
Seeing her beautiful breasts exposed, the enraged Natasha stomps her baseball shoe down hard on Kayla’s foot, causing the brunette Sweetheart to cry out and let go of the blonde’s arms. With one fluid movement, Natasha swings her right elbow back hard into Kayla’s breast, sending her stumbling backwards, and then fires a quick punch into Jessika’s face. A kick to the chest sends Jessika sprawling. Natasha tries to cover up her breasts but is tackled from behind by Kayla, pitching them both forward on top of Jessika, where they end up in a writhing ball of flailing arms and legs.
***************
Marie and Jess have picked up where they left off yesterday. The shortest Sweetheart and the shortest Princess make up in fury for what they lack in size. Marie is hard as nails and doesn’t back down from any girl, no matter how big or small. Jess grew up on the mean streets of New Jersey where taking shit from someone is considered a sin. Tiny blonde and tiny brunette rip into each other with no regard for their own safety. The only thing that matters is to put a bigger hurt on the other girl than she can put on you. And that’s exactly what Marie and Jess do, using their fists, feet, nails, elbows, even teeth as they battle in the grass.
***************
Over by the stands, Sadie and Ami are rolling around in the grass, fighting for top position. They exchange hard face slaps while strands of pulled-out hair, both blonde and brunette, flutter in the South Dakota breeze. Ami straddles Sadie but a hard knee into her back pitches her forward and Sadie scoots out the back door. She leaps onto Ami’s back but the brunette reaches up and expertly flips her up and over her shoulder. Sadie crashes into the grass and Ami stomps her foot down into the Sweetheart’s belly. That’s when a flying hot dog with mustard thrown from the stands hits her right between the eyes. The mustard splatters all over her face and in her eyes. Ami blinks her stinging eyes and rubs them with the back of her hand.
Sadie looks up into the stands and sees her two grinning admirers standing there, giving her two big grins and two thumbs up. She gives them a wink and a smile and is about to go after Ami, who is still blinded by the mustard when she hears Laurie’s pitiful scream over by second base. She sees Kasia tormenting her helpless teammate so she quickly scrambles to her feet and dashes over to help. Ami finally manages to clear her eyes. She notices Sadie running out to second base and races after her.
When she gets a couple of feet away from Kasia and Laurie, Sadie launches herself at the blonde, driving her shoulder into Kasia’s back. She sends her sprawling off of Laurie, facedown in the dirt with Sadie on top of her.
“Let’s see how YOU like it, blondie!” Sadie snarls into Kasia’s ear as she jams her fingers into the blonde’s mouth, stretching it into a sick grin. Laurie sits up, wipes the tears from her eyes and catches sight of Ami bearing down on Sadie, with mustard all over her face and a killer look in her eyes. She quickly twists her body around and shoots her legs out at Ami as she runs past her. Her foot clips the brunette in the shin, sending her flying. There is a loud thud and a cloud of dirt fills the air when Ami hits the ground.
***************
Sara, still holding Candy’s uniform skirt, has the same idea as Sadie, only her target is Jenna who is still smashing poor Jonica’s head into the grass. The Cajun girl is badly dazed and, if this was a cartoon, she would be seeing stars and little birdies right about now. Sara throws Candy’s skirt over Jenna’s head like a hood and pulls her off Jonica. Her eyes covered by the skirt, the Parker Prairie pitcher is caught by surprise as Sara drags her, kicking and flailing, away from Jonica who slowly sits up. Jonica shakes her head to clear it, her eyes focus, and she breaks into an evil grin at the sight of hooded Jenna. She gets up and joins Sara for a little Sweetheart style double-teaming of the Princess.
***************
“Things were going to hell in a hand-basket real fast. Fans were jumping out of the stands and swarming the field. Most of them weren’t interested in stopping all the fights or joining in them, no sirree bob! All they wanted a better view.”
“Where were the cops, Grandma?”
“Well, there weren’t that many policemen there. Although, after what happened the day before, it probably would’ve been a goo idea. But nobody thought about it, I guess. The stadium security guys weren’t much help. They were a bunch of old-timer or 4-Fers who couldn’t get into the military. So they were about as useless as tits on a bull. They did the best they could. Which wasn’t much.”
***************
Manager Tony Walters leaves the field, slowly walking down the steps to the Sisseton dugout where he sits wearily on the bench. His shins are all black and purple from the numerous kicks he received trying to break up the fights.
He mutters, “To hell with this, it’s fuckin’ safer over here!” Then he takes a long drink of Crown whiskey from his flask after lifting it up in a toast to the fighting girl out on the field. “Cheers!”
***************
Justine’s hand is stinging from all the vicious slaps to Heidi’s face. Some of the Sisseton fans have been keeping count, calling out with each one.
SMACK!
“ONE!”
SMACK!
“TWO!’
SMACK!
“THREE!”
And so on. Justine finally stops at “TWENTY-FIVE!” Heidi is slumped on her knees, sobbing, her mascara streaking down her puffy swollen tear-soaked cheeks. Justine has a tight grip on her blonde locks but Heidi isn’t going anywhere. Her arms hang limply down by her sides. Justine yanks her head up so Heidi can look into her shining eyes.
“You’re an even worse fighter than you are a ballplayer!” the Sisseton pitcher yells. “You don’t deserve to be on this field with me! You don’t deserve to wear this uniform!”
With that, Justine savagely rips off Heidi’s Parker Prairie uniform top and flings it away. A pudgy sailor happily scoops it up off the grass and waves it high in the air. He doesn’t get to enjoy his prize for long. A Marine cold-cocks him in the face, knocking him out, and takes the blouse from his limp twitching fingers. No one dares to take it away from him.
Justine uses her foot to push Heidi down onto her back and then she peels her skirt off. Heidi, the Parker Prairie player who always believes that “looking like a beautiful princess is the most important thing in the world” is now a blubbering beaten mess in only her red bra, panties and baseball socks. But not for long. Before Heidi (or anyone else) can stop her, Justine strips the blonde completely naked, creating a sensation in the stadium.
“You have to remember, this was 1943. A naked girl in public wasn’t something you’d see every day of the week. Or never.”
Jenn Peccavi, sitting on top of the semi-conscious Stevie Foster, turns her head to see what the commotion is all about. She watches Justine grab nude Heidi’s long blonde hair and yank her up to her hands and knees. She twists Stevie’s head to the side so she can see it too.
“Look at your precious little girl,” Jenn hisses with a grin. “What do you think of her now?”
Stevie’s eyes slowly focus and then grow wide in shock.
“Oh my god,” she wails. “My baby! What are you animals doing to her? Heidi! Heidi!”
She starts struggling weakly but Jenn will not be moved. The blonde’s long legs writhe in the grass and her fists beat pathetically against the stronger brunette’s thighs.
“Please,” she pleads with a whimper. “Let me go to my baby. She needs me!”
Jenn seems to take a few seconds to think it over. “You know,” she finally says. “That’s not a bad idea. Like daughter, like mother.” She gets up off Stevie and quickly strips off her dress, bra, panties and stockings. Every time Stevie tries to stop her, Jenn gives her a hard smack in the face or a punch in the belly. She even twists Stevie’s nipples so hard, the shriek that comes out of the blonde’s mouth is heard all over the stadium, even with all the noise and ruckus.
In fact, it is Stevie Foster’s loud high-pitched shriek that freezes all the fighters. Heads turn. There is dead silence all over Bossy Field, except for some heavy breathing. All eyes, both fighters and fans, are on the two brunettes who are now dragging the two completely nude whimpering blondes around the infield on their hands and knees. Side by side, Jenn and Justine pull Stevie and Heidi along behind them in a sort of victory parade. They go from home plate to first base, then on to second, continuing to third before heading back to home.
The sight is so thrilling and so erotic that all the fans, men and women alike, start to cheer and hoot and applaud and whistle and stamp their feet. It is also so funny that all the fighters who were, just moments ago, trying to kill each other cadn’t help but to sit back and laugh. Even the Parker Prairie Princesses have to giggle, a bit ruefully and not as heartily as the Sisseton Sweethearts.
When Justine and Jenn touch home plate, they both take a bow to the cheering fans and stroll back to the Sisseton dugout. But not before delivering one last kick to Stevie’s and Heidi’s bare trembling asses. Tony is standing on the top dugout step, clapping wildly for them. Then he cups both hands to his mouth and hollers, “Okay, girls, play time is over! Bring it in and let’s scram before the cops get here!”
“And that pretty much was that. Seeing Stevie and Heidi Foster laying by home plate buck naked took the fight out of everybody. Both teams left the field and stadium security got things calmed down before the county police showed up.
But the league officials were NOT happy. Oh, no, they were not. They decided that both teams should be punished so nothing like this would ever EVER happen again. So they disbanded the two teams and banned all the girls from ever playing ball again. Wiped the Sisseton Sweethearts and the Parker Prairie Princesses right out of the league and the record books. And they hushed things up really good too. Made it like the two teams never existed. From July 5th of 1943, no mention has ever been made of them. Not by anyone. Players, fans, nobody. It was all hushed up. Said it was for the good of the league, of baseball, and the country.”
“But Grandma, how do you know all about it?”
“Well, honey, word gets around. When you’re as old as me, you hear things. I heard tell about it from folks who were there. And I believe them. Now you can use all this in your report if you want, but don’t be surprised if your teacher doesn’t believe it. I think maybe you should stick with your Google stuff instead.”
“You know what, Grandma? If you say it’s true, I believe it.”
Later that day, after her granddaughter went back home, the old woman walked into her bedroom and opened the top bureau drawer. She dug deep underneath a pile of neatly folded underthings and pulled out an old blue baseball cap with the faded yellow “S” on it. S for Sisseton. S for Sweethearts. She carefully smoothed her gray hair and put the cap on. She looked at her reflection in the bureau-top mirror. Smiling. Remembering. And then she started to sing.
“We are the members of the All-American League
We come from cities near and far
We’ve got Canadians, Irish ones and Swedes,
We’re all for one, we’re one for all
We’re all Americans!”
THE END
-
Whew! It's FINALLY done! I know, it took long enough....but I did finish it! I decided to re-post Chapters One 'n Two again so everyone can read the whole story without having to scroll past comments. I also added a kind of introduction or prologue to Chapter One that wasn't in the original post.
A very extra special THANK YOU for all my friends who agreed to be in the story 'n let me take them on this crazy adventure! :-*
Hope everyone likes the third 'n final chapter. Thank you all for yer patience! Enjoy yer reading!
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~Laurie~
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Incredible! Just incredible! Find that publisher before I stand up and punch you in the shin!!
>:(
Love ya!
:-*
J
xoxo
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This story is NOT FAIR!!!! You TOLD ME the ending would be different Laurie!!!! After I did those things you asked me to, all those nights we played together, you said that if I did those things that you would write the ending that HEIDI AND I WANTED!! This is so NOT fair!! Writing stories is easy. Like, anyone can write stories. What Heidi did (and I helped her with) THAT is the impressive achievement. Our REAL gang, The Silk Stockings Girls, is the most popular and important clique on FCF. All I can say is, better hope you don't run into us online Laurie. We are gonna make you so totally pay!!!
-Stevie
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Stevie,
The only thing you make anyone pay for is lunch because you're such a cheap shit.....
And the only thing NOT FAIR about the story is you are simply PISSED that you CAN'T WRITE!
Now go back to your JC Penny catalog and pick out another outfit ....ok love?
BTW Laurie.....loved the story!......Awesome!....I continue to be president of the Laurie Breeze fan club :)
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....I continue to be president of the Laurie Breeze fan club :)
Uhhhh...no ya don't....but you can be Vice President!
;D :-* :D
*hugs*
Joni
xoxo
-
Oh yes I am!
*paints a picture of Stevie's face on your big toe*
HA!
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This story is NOT FAIR!!!! You TOLD ME the ending would be different Laurie!!!! After I did those things you asked me to, all those nights we played together, you said that if I did those things that you would write the ending that HEIDI AND I WANTED!! This is so NOT fair!! Writing stories is easy. Like, anyone can write stories. What Heidi did (and I helped her with) THAT is the impressive achievement. Our REAL gang, The Silk Stockings Girls, is the most popular and important clique on FCF. All I can say is, better hope you don't run into us online Laurie. We are gonna make you so totally pay!!!
-Stevie
Stevie, I see yer lips flapping but the only thing I'm hearing is this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss2hULhXf04
Oh, by the way, that's also my reaction every time yer lips are flapping at me!
xoxo
~Laurie~
PS - One more thing, any time ... I mean ANY time ... you feel like discussing my writing abilities 'n yer (lack of) fighting abilities, please don't hesitate to come see me. But for yer sake, you'd better talk to Heidi first. She can tell you what happened to her the last time she had issues with me. It wasn't pretty. But it sure was fun! You have been warned. Proceed at yer own risk.
~L~
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Red, I'm glad you liked it! I promised you boobies 'n you got boobies...plus a little bit more! ;) Thanks for letting me use you in the story too!
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~L~
Laurie!
This is incredible! You've done a lot more than write just another story. You've created a living, breathing world packed with fun, mayhem and emotion.
Now, if only HBO would pick it up as a series!
Sadie
xoxo
PS) Don't know what my favorite image is from Chapter 3...Ami getting hit by the mustard covered hot dog or Heidi and Stevie being drug around the bases! :D
Thanks, Sadie! It was so much fun to write 'n also a ginormous challenge...so many fights, so much action all happening at the same time... that's why it took me so long. Thank you so much for letting me bring you into this wild adventure. You fit into the craziness purrfectly! ("one of us.... one of us.... one of us") I think I sorta kinda lit a match under yer 'rivalry' with Ami! I don't know where the next road is gonna take us but it won't be dull, that's for sure!
About yer favorite image....I'd call it a tie! Both were a LOT of fun to write! (Sorry, Ami! I still love ya, Sis! ... Stevie 'n Heidi, not so much :P ;) )
Love ya, babes! :-*
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~L~
Incredible! Just incredible! Find that publisher before I stand up and punch you in the shin!!
>:(
Love ya!
:-*
J
xoxo
Oh yeah? :o Oh yeah?! >:( Well, if you stand up 'n punch me in the shin, I'm gonna stand up 'n punch you in the ankle!!! Don't think I won't!
LOVE YA!!! :-* :-* :-*
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~L~
Stevie,
The only thing you make anyone pay for is lunch because you're such a cheap shit.....
And the only thing NOT FAIR about the story is you are simply PISSED that you CAN'T WRITE!
Now go back to your JC Penny catalog and pick out another outfit ....ok love?
BTW Laurie.....loved the story!......Awesome!....I continue to be president of the Laurie Breeze fan club :)
Thanks, Michelle! So glad you liked the story! :-* :-* It's true, Jonica is President of my fan club 'n I'm President of hers. We're kind of a package deal ;) 8) BUT you can be President of the Jonica/Laurie (in alphabetical order) fan club! Works for me!
About Stevie.... don't hurt her too badly, she doesn't mean what she ... On second thought, hurt her as much as ya want. She'll probably deserve it! ;D ;)
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~L~
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Great story, loved the ending. Looking forward to your next lot of stories :)
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What a great entertaining story! Both amusing & sexy! In the end all were winners - tee hee! ;D :D
Hugs
Kayla
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Laurie, you can use me anytime.
Oh, in a story? Yeah, that too.
;)
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Before anyone can stop her, Jenn Peccavi bolts across the field at full speed, headed straight for Stevie Foster. The snarky smirk on the blonde’s face vanishes when she sees the crazed woman bearing down on her. She tries to run but it’s too late. Jenn reaches out and grabs Stevie’s blonde locks with both hands. She gives a violent tug that pulls the squealing woman away from the stands. Stevie flails her fists wildly at the furious Sweethearts chaperone and tries to pull free but Jenn’s grip is too firm. The blonde kicks at the brunette’s shins but Jenn flings her roughly to the grass and then pounces on top of her.
Now, whaddaya think of that? With a roar and a stomp, our Fearless Leader Peccavi starts the whole thing up again......and it's off to the races!
This was your finest chapter, Laurie. Hell, they didn't even waste time with baseball; it was fightin' from the get-go. I loved the individual battles and collective fury of the fighters......er, players. Everybody got a shot in.......and we all got banished to baseball oblivion! :o
Of course, I also loved seeing you with your face smashed in the dirt, getting beat up......as usual.
Wonderful, wonderful story. Sorry to see it end.
They take off their caps and give one last spit or scratch or both.
Yeah, that sounds like our Joni. When she's not spittin', she's scratchin'. Typical Cajun.
Marie
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Where do I begin?
Red Enforcer,
Im not sure that the clip from Citizen Kane is that appropriate; if I remember rightly Orson is clapping hard to give his wife support after what was her failed opera debut. Great clip though.
Ms Laurie didn't fail
Stevie
I'd be delighted to help you if f you want to write a story yourself. Until you do though as one of the other office ladies where I work says "suck it up princess" I'd never say that I was too well brought up. But I am sure you'd say that so I am speaking the language you understand
.
Heidi
I hope I didn't hurt your mother too much.
Laurie
this is a marvellous action filled funny story. I dont know if its your best- all your stories are great- but this is much better than so many of the good stories here that its in a league of (its) own Well done
-
Where do I begin
Red Enforcer,
Im not sure that the clip from Citizen Kane is that appropriate; if I remember rightly Orson is clapping hard to give his wife support after what was her failed opera debut. Great clip though.
Ms Laurie didn't fail
Shhh, no one here is supposed to have seen Citizen Kane, much less recognize Orson Welles. I know it's out of context, but I felt the emotion of pure support Welles had on his face mirrored mine.
-
Gawd Laurie you really are the most amazing writer!!! I loved the story start to finish and everything about ya writing was amazing. Well cept for the ending lol. We all know I so woulda kicked Sadies cute butt all over the baseball field (lol love ya cutie sis!) Thanks so much for sharing ya amazing talent with us all. LOVE YOU LAKOTA SIS!!!!
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Where do I begin
Red Enforcer,
Im not sure that the clip from Citizen Kane is that appropriate; if I remember rightly Orson is clapping hard to give his wife support after what was her failed opera debut. Great clip though.
Ms Laurie didn't fail
Shhh, no one here is supposed to have seen Citizen Kane, much less recognize Orson Welles. I know it's out of context, but I felt the emotion of pure support Welles had on his face mirrored mine.
Why is no one supposed to have seen Citizen Kane or recognise (sp!) Orson Welles. I have one word for you
Rosebud.
And one comment for everyone who watches movies
Sometimes the credits can give you almost the whole meaning of the movie
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=citizen+kane+rosebud&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=ZCNNUofPMsbZige2-IC4Dw&sqi=2&ved=0CK4BEIke&biw=1440&bih=752&dpr=1#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=qfOuOmC8f-AZlM%3A%3BR7jRZrD2XTx6FM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-G8Ed2ZXmRC8%252FTWMILCxbYyI%252FAAAAAAAAAHc%252FaldtIBCY1ks%252Fs1600%252FScreen%252Bshot%252B2011-02-21%252Bat%252B7.47.25%252BPM.png%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Ftaylor-andre.blogspot.com%252F2011%252F02%252Fputting-puzzle-together-in-citizen-kane.html%3B969%3B724
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Well anytime I mention old movies or tv shows or songs around the younger folks I work with, I get that glazed over, almost zombie-ish look. I work with some people who worn born after I graduated high school. Ugh.
-
Red
I sympathise. I am not quite to that stage yet but there are work experience kids in their last year in high school on placement starting next week and they were not born when I finished high school.
Mind you one of my cousins is in a unique experience, there are people in his profession who were not born when he started in it about 30 years ago and yet there are - he says - one or two people he deals with who tell him that he was not born when they started in the profession!
-
Red
I sympathise. I am not quite to that stage yet but there are work experience kids in their last year in high school on placement starting next week and they were not born when I finished high school.
Mind you one of my cousins is in a unique experience, there are people in his profession who were not born when he started in it about 30 years ago and yet there are - he says - one or two people he deals with who tell him that he was not born when they started in the profession!
I actually have that as well. Well not for long. We have one programmer who is about to retire who started working with punch cards back in the 60s. And a couple of other people who are old enough to be my mother/father. It's the young ones that make me feel old.
-
my vote for Throwback Thursday.
-
It really is a great choice. I love Laurie's stories
-
I have a modicum understanding of baseball rules, so I'm not a good judge on that.
But I have read a number of gang fights by various authors, and I even tried my hand at it. I couldn't find anything wrong in the "who's doin' what to whom" side. It's damn difficult to do this, particularly in a long story such as this.
I read it line by line, so my jaw dropped when you wrote there's a follow-up in the oven.
Thank you for the well written story, with perfect and realistic background. Thank you for the time you'll spend the next chapters of this (I expect) book-to-be.
-
Laurie
pay attention to Agraf's message above. There is no escaping. You must write that follow up story. Soon.
Your public demands it
-
Laurie
pay attention to Agraf's message above. There is no escaping. You must write that follow up story. Soon.
Your public demands it
Oh I second that......a follow up would be really neat......if we don't see it soon we're coming after you :P
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my choice for Throwback Thursday - a day early.
It's a great story that needs to be aired once more
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Terrific story! I love baseball and I loved A League Of Their Own. The writing is so descriptive and realistic, it's like we're there at the ballpark watching the game and the fight!
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my choice for Throwback Thursday - a day early.
It's a great story that needs to be aired once more
Wow, thanks Ms. Jenn! It's an honor to have my basebrawl story showcased for Throwback Thursday. I had so much fun writing it 'n have to thank all my wonderful friends for letting me use them in the story:
Jonica, Lil Sara, Marie B, Ms Jenn Peccavi, Justine, Kayla, Jessika, Sadie, T aka Tony, Stormbolt7 (Stormy Storms)
The Silk Stocking Girls: Heidi Foster, Ami (lilfightingcutie2), Kasia, Maya, Jess, Steph, Natasha, Stevie Foster
YOU ALL TOTALLY ROCK!!! ;) :)
Okay, even though it's Sunday 'n not Thursday, I want to nominate a lot of phenomenal stories for all y'all to read... not just on Throwback Thursday either. Go hunting for ANYTHING in the Stories Section written by Peccavi, Jonica, Marie B, Stormbolt7, Lilfightingcutie 2. You totally won't regret it. I swear you won't! You can trust me. ;)
hugggzzz 'n xoxo
~Laurie~
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Great to hear from you again Laurie! And I agree ... do a search on anything by those writers mentioned. You'll be glad you did ...
//Braveheart
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Great to hear from you again Laurie! And I agree ... do a search on anything by those writers mentioned. You'll be glad you did ...
//Braveheart
Thanks Braveheart! Great to be back 'n to hear from you too! :-*
I'm adding another awesome writer to my 'recommended for a wonderful read' list..... the man called Braveheart1 and his 'Welcome To Sandbridge' series!
Also Howardcosell for his epic fighting series where you just might see a bunch of us raising some serious hell! ;)
So what are ya waiting for?! Start reading!