Rhys pulled out a phone and made a call, leaving me just standing there, wondering.
I looked out on the field. The grass was well taken care of and the stadium gave me a feeling that it was more than a high school field. College? The pros? Behind home plate, an orange 'SJ' was colored one the grass with some kind of paint. SJ? That could possible stand for San Jose? I think that's where we are.
"Rhys! Hey!" A few men came out of the other dugout. They had on practice shirts with 'SJ' on them. Definitely apart of some kind of team.
Rhys greeted them with handshakes, smiles, and half hugs.
"How's the arm holding up?" One of them asked.
Rhys swung his left arm around freely. "Feeling great. Can't wait to play some serious baseball with Stanford. I'm confident that I'll be able to find a spot in the starting rotation."
"Great!"
"That's awesome!"
"Good for you kid."
They complimented Rhys and seemed to know him well. I shuffled my feet to stand a little behind Rhys, trying to get a better look at the guys. The group wasn't young, definitely above high school, but at least two of them looked like men. Grown men.
Rhys noticed my interest, and stepped back to stand beside me. He put his hand on my head and smiled at the guys. "This is Jake, you guys. The kid I was telling you about." I gulped. "Jake, this is Bryan, Blake, Ian, and Danny."
I stared at them silently.
Bryan, the tallest one there and also looked the youngest, gave a giant grin. "Hey kid, I heard you're one heck of a batter."
I looked up at Rhys, wondering what he told these men and why would he tell them about me.
Rhys pointed at Bryan, Blake, and Ian. "Him, him, and him. They're all pitchers I know. They play here, for the San Jose Giants, the single A team for the real Giants."
Minor leaguers. My eyes widened as I studied them again. It makes sense that half look fresh out of high school while the other half look older than Jeremy.
Rhys gave me a reassuring nod. "I brought you here for a different type of batting practice. I thought it would be good for you to have more of a challenge."
I frowned. "Are they on the same level as you?"
"Hey! Don't put this loser on the same level as us!" Ian complained. He came closer and bent over to look me in the eyes. "Let me ask you this: why would Rhys bring you to face a bunch of dopes that aren't as good as him? He might as well pitch to you himself."
I nodded slowly. Makes sense. Plus...these guys were in the minors.
"Pshhh." Rhys scoffed at Ian. "Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm on the same level as you guys; we just have a different kind of skill set, speed, and style. Overall, I would be on this level if not higher if I didn't choose to go to college."
Ian rolled his eyes. "I would be even better if my dad was a pitching coach."
"I had a career-threatening injury." Rhys defended himself.
"Excuses." Bryan laughed. "Nah, I'm just joking." He looked at me. "Tell me, how are you against Rhys? Is it 50/50?"
I shrugged, not understanding the stat. "We only faced off once. I was able to hit his fastball." I glanced at Rhys, not sure if I should mention his slider.
Rhys laughed at my uncertainty. "My slider isn't a secret. Not with these guys. My dad occasionally comes down to this team when he has time since they're so close to the bay. He brought me down a few times so I could get some practice in too. He would coach me with a few others or just had me help out. Now I spend some time here on my own."
"So annoying." Bryan told me. "He just hangs out here like he's the owner. Now he calls us on our day off to pitch you batting practice. I feel used."
"It's a different kind of batting practice." Rhys repeated. "You guys will do your best to strike Jake out. Show no mercy." Rhys looked down at me. "Why don't you go jog, stretch, whatever that you want to prepare yourself to hit? I'll help get these guys warmed up for the small showdown."
"Okay..." I walked a little ways back to the dugout we came out of and dropped my bag. I changed into my cleats and glanced at the group. They had gone back to the other dugout and I could see Danny, the quiet man that looked older than Jeremy, put on some catchers gear.
I didn't usually do a full warmup before hitting practice, but tonight was a little bit different. I was going to go up against semi-pros. Guys trying to make the majors. On the same level as Rhys. The last time, against Rhys, I had a small advantage of watching him pitch beforehand. Up close and personal. Even then, I struggled against the slider and attacked his fastball instead.
I ran to the outfield and started to go through some dynamic stretches, working myself up to be completely flexible. My reflexes have to be quick, but my muscles must also be abled to keep up. Going back to my bag, I got my bat out first and started to take some light swings.
"Alright, kid, get the helmet on." Rhys walked over, hands in the pocket of his hoodie. At night the temp was dropping to the high 60's, making it a bit cool if you aren't moving.
I grabbed my helmet and pulled it on my head, ditching the hat. I looked up at Rhys. "You don't want to pitch against me tonight?"
Rhys laughed. "There's no need. We can have a matchup any time you want. These guys are a bit special. They're in season and don't get too many off days."
"Oh." I looked over to see Bryan on the mound, throwing to Danny. "Are they going to be upset if...I get a hit..?" I didn't want his friends to get mad at him.
Rhys pulled a hand out and rubbed the stubble on his chin. "They won't. I guarantee it. What I don't guarantee is you getting a hit."
I was taken aback. "You don't think I can get a hit?" Batting practice was different than playing in a game. I didn't have to worry about fielders or their positioning. All I have to do is put the ball in play.
Rhys pointed at Danny for a second. He was in full gear, catching Bryan's warmup. "The pitchers I've pulled to throw to you are good. Without a doubt. But, you're biggest challenge is the guy behind the plate. Danny is excellent at calling games."
I nodded, however it was perfunctory. A good catcher didn't mean much to me.
Rhys motioned for me to wait and went into the dugout near us. He came out holding an umpire mask and chest protector. "Alright. Let's go."
I followed him to home plate.
Danny threw the ball back to Bryan on the mound, then squatted into his position. "We're ready."
Rhys got behind Danny and lifted the chest protector properly. "Alright Jake, pick a side to bat from."
I went for the left. Just recently I've decided to switch between left and right, depending on the days. It's gotten a little difficult to keep it balanced during this camp. It's not like I know what kind of pitches he throws too so there's not much I can base my decision on.
Tall Bryan looked even taller on the mound. He also looked more serious. The smile was gone and his eyes were focused on his catcher. He was a righty. He nodded at the sign, straightened up, and got set. His windup was different...he was holding the ball in his glove and had put his hands in the air behind his head, back down, and the left leg was taking a giant step to home. As his right hand came behind his ear, I closely watched, trying to get the timing of his pitching right. I decided not to swing and see what he does.
A fastball right down the middle. Great speed. 90s for sure.
Danny threw the ball back to Bryan and everyone got set again without saying anything. Bryan did his complete windup again, taking his time.
The pitch came and I took a small step forward and started my swing. The spin was different, it's a breaking ball. Started high and outside, then broke down and in. A curveball. Still fast though. I brought my hands down and fouled the ball off.
Blake from the side threw Bryan a new ball so we wouldn't have to chase my foul ball. He got set and so did I. Fastball and curve. Both had great speed and the curve had good movement. Way better than most high school pitchers I've faced. This was the next level.