Ryan took a seat on his brown leather lounge chair, letting out a sigh of contentnt as he could finally relax. With the extra work he'd been putting in ahead of his call up to the Miami Blue Marlin's, he was a little sore.
He stretched a little before grabbing the TV remote and switching it on, flicking through the channels absentmindedly. He didn't often watch television, but he wanted so background noise to fill the empty house.
After renewing his contract, he could finally afford his own place. While it was still so distance from the Blue Marlins ho field, it was certainly better than room sharing.
It had been a hard road ever since that fateful day where he escaped his father's clutches. The backlash was swift and the consequences dire. With his college eligibility compromised due to reneging on his alleged commitnt to Kansas State University, he had little options remaining.
If it wasn't for Leo who had not only housed him, but also given him the advice he needed, there was no doubt that he would have been forced onto the streets.
He was also the one who supplied Ryan with the invitation to the closed tryouts for the Miami Blue Marlins. As a man with nothing to lose, he managed to impress the coaching staff enough to secure a minor league contract.
Starting from their Single-A team the Jupiter Hamrheads, Ryan worked his way through the trenches, living from paycheck to paycheck. The contract would only last a year, aning their was no ti to relax.
He was swiftly promoted to the Double-A team and perford well, giving the organization enough confidence to send him into their Triple-A side.
This was where things beca complicated.
Not only did the team have an experienced ex-Major League pitcher, he was also quite harsh on the young Ryan. Instead of being a good veteran, the guy held the younger teammates in contempt. Read exclusive adventures at empire
For a while, the two clashed and Ryan's performance dipped as a result. There was a ti where he almost got sent back down to the Double-A team, scaring him dearly.
After this, Ryan yielded. If he wanted a chance at making it to the Blue Marlins, he needed to focus on getting better himself, not worrying about what other people thought.
But no matter how much he tried, he didn't receive the call up that he had been desperately waiting for. In fact, his contract had all but expired, aning he would either have to negotiate for another minor league contract, or be released from the organization.
Just when all seed lost and the expiration date approached, he received a call. The general manager of the Blue Marlins called him personally, asking if he was ready to be called up to the Major League.
Ryan almost burst into tears on the spot, feeling all of the hardships overwhelm him. He had finally done it, secured a place on the main roster of a Major League club.
He hired an agent at once and t with the Blue Marlins team before signing a substantial contract.
Although he had yet to play a match, the season was still young. The staff wanted to refine so things before finally introducing him into the pitching rotation very soon.
In fact, his first ga would be this coming Saturday. As long as he was in shape, Ryan was ready for his debut.
BUZZ BUZZ
Ryan placed the remote down and picked up his phone and began typing a ssage back.
"In sports news, Columbia defeat University of Pennsylvania in devastating fashion. Freshman Ken Takagi threw a perfect ga, the first in the school's history. ESPN Journalist Patricia Matthews was on the scene for an interview."
Ryan's eyes widened as he heard the familiar na. His gaze snapped to the TV, only to see a female reporter standing next to the tall figure of Ken, garbed in his Columbia uniform.
The guy looked bigger and more mature than he rembered, unsurprising since it was almost 4 years ago since they competed against each other.
"Yes that's right Phil. I'm here with Ken Takagi who has just co off a stellar performance in the Bobcats first win of the conference. Tell Ken, how are you feeling after throwing a perfect ga"
"Eh? Perfect ga?"
Ryan scowled. The look of confusion on Ken's face pissed him off for so reason. "As if you didn't know that you threw a perfect ga." He scoffed. But despite his complaints, he had to admit that the feat was impressive.
"Honestly, I was just focused on trying to get each batter out. Whether I have a perfect ga or not, I'm just happy to get the win at the end of the day, after all, personal accolades an nothing if we can't win as a team."
Ryan shot to his feet, feeling a rising anger within him.
"Foolish! If you throw a perfect ga, of course your team is going to win you idiot." He said scathingly.
With annoyance, he turned the TV off, tossing the remote aside. He had sat down to relax after putting in so extra training, but it had only resulted in him getting worked up.
Ryan opened his sliding door and walked onto the balcony, overlooking the street. He felt the cool breeze across his skin, yet it did little to quell the fire burning inside of him.
A small grin crept onto the corner of his lips.
"So you're coming for then? Finally." He murmured.
He tapped on the railing, his thoughts preoccupied. Things seed to shift in his mind, slowly falling into place.
"I won't let you catch up… I'll beco the best pitcher in the Majors before you graduate college." The words were said with complete confidence, as if the result was already a forgone conclusion.
Despite not yet playing a single professional ga, Ryan Smith made his declaration.
"Don't fall behind too far Ken… My true rival."
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