He approached the plate with the air of arrogance that you could cut with a knife. He knew they were all here to see him play why else would they come. The players in the dug-out paid him no attentions for if they had they knew it would add to his ego. They had given up on being a team long ago no one seemed to care if they won or lost only thing that mattered were there personal stats. He was now standing at the plate like a peacock and ready to show the other team he was the best. As the pitcher threw the first pitch he hadn’t even seen it, he was to busy looking at were he was going to hit the ball. The umpire called strike and this was not acceptable he turned to the umpire and said “what are you blind”. The second pitch he swung thinking this is it, this is why they came, the ball will be flying out over the left field fence anytime now “whoosh” he hadn’t made contact, he turned and smiled as if he meant to do this. The third pitch came and went leaving him dumb-founded, “how could this happen I’m the best baseball player of all time”. He walked to the dug-out throwing his helmet and bat almost hitting some of his teammates who were thinking here we go again he thinks he’s so good. He took a seat on the bench with the rest of the team, which he hated they should have a special place for him; he’d have to talk to the coach about this. He watched as his other teammates went to bat and thought they don’t even compare to me. It was time for the new kid to hit this he had to see he had heard the kid was good but he’d believe that when he saw it. The kid stepped up to the plate smiling at everyone, what an idiot he thought, the pitcher threw the ball and the kid swung and connected hitting a long shot out to right, over the fence it went homerun. He couldn’t believe it. Lucky shot he thought as the kid rounded the bases he was still smiling not with the attitude of arrogance but of the thrill to be alive, outdoors and really enjoying the game, wait till you been here a little longer and you won’t be smiling too much. When the kid entered the dug-out he wasn’t greeted with hey kid great job or nice hit but by a bunch of people who didn’t care.
The next game the kid was in the dug-out awaiting his turn to bat and he decided to cheer for his fellow players as they came up to bat. He cheered and yelled there names, they other teammates looked at him like he was an alien, but that didn’t stop him he kept yelling. The batter didn’t know at first where the yelling was coming from no one ever yelled for him, he felt good the pitch came and he smacked it out to center, he ran towards first, he was safe. He looked around to see who was yelling and saw the kid screaming for him he couldn’t help but smile. The second batter came up and the kid continued to cheer, another hit. Mr. Arrogance was up now he thought how can this be, there are actually runner for him to hit in. Surely it couldn’t be because of the kids yelling. But now the crowd was into it they were yelling to and it kind of sounded good, but he didn’t need that he was good no matter what. He approached the plate with his arrogance in tow he didn’t need them yelling. As he stepped into the batters box and silence came from everywhere they had stopped yelling he looked around to see why when the pitch sailed past him “strike one” why had they stopped now I have a strike he stepped back into the box thinking maybe they just ran out of breathe and it’ll start soon, why haven’t the started yelling “strike two” he looked towards the kid in the dug-out as if to ask why aren’t you cheering me on. He stepped back into the box and the kid saw the look in Mr. Arrogance’s eyes he started to yell and jump up and down outside he got the crowd going even though they hadn’t wanted to cheer him on. Mr. Arrogance felt good he hadn’t had this feeling in a long time. The pitch came and he hit it not the best shot but one that advanced the runners so the bases were loaded. The kid came up to bat what had he done could he pull this off. As he stepped into the batters box the crowd erupted with cheers he had given them back what they lost a team. He hit the ball and 2 runners came in, leaving him and Mr. Arrogance still to score. As the game progressed the cheering continued and they won the game. Later in the locker room a reporter asked why was today different then all the other days, the kid replied because today we are a team. They had asked Mr. Arrogance why he thought today was different and he replied because sometimes it takes a kid to show you how to be a man.
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