Chapter 10: Come On Over





Former manager Doug DeGhetto

 



     “So it’s Palisades Park for the final tomorrow,” growls balding former coach Doug DeGhetto from his stool in the dimly lit basement bar at the Rathskeller.

“You’se guys better be up for it!” slurs diminutive bar mate Chubby Miranda glancing up from his stein.



    The two middle-aged men were well into their cups when Matt, Seps, Stan and I ducked into the old pub to see if we’d be served. Our baseball team had made it to the state title game by thumping Keyport at home in the sectional final, rallying past West Windsor's all-state pitcher Darryl MacPherson for the district championship, and pummeling Palmyra's Cherry twins, Duane on the mound and Deron in centerfield, in the semifinals. The two-week championship run was a total team effort with all pitchers, hitters, and fielders and both seniors and underclassmen making significant contributions. Some of us were blowing off steam on a Friday night when sussed out by Chubby and Dougie D.

     Both were former sports stars at Bound Brook High School who'd returned home after the military. Miranda became chief homeplate umpire for the district Little League, throwing out pointers as often as new baseballs at many of our games. DeGhetto was a respected basketball referee who'd also run our winter boys league, and he was in his first year of retirement from high school football and baseball coaching, though he continued on at LaMonte Elementary. How these two revered mentors knew our next game before we did was a little spooky.

     The only thing I recalled about Palisades Park was a radio advertisement on New York station seventy-seven, WABC:

     Palisades from coast to coast, where a dime buys the most
     Palisades Amusement Park
     Swings all day and after dark
     Bum ba dum bum bum

So that's what I started humming in my head as my friends decided to skip that scary bar under a decaying brick building at a corner in the Italian east end.

 

     "Dave, you don't want a life like this," whispers Mr. DeGhetto catching me by the arm as we're fleeing without sampling the waters. "Go to college if you can."

"I, I, I..." I stammer, flabbergasted by my former fifth grade teacher's dire warning.

"Come on Bates, we need a good night's sleep before tomorrow's game," Seps bellows from the dark stairwell and saving me from having to enunciate a response.



Final scores: 

Bound Brook (22-4) 7, Keyport (18-6) 2

Bound Brook (23-4) 6, West Windsor (16-9) 4

Bound Brook (24-4) 6 , Palmyra (15-7) 1




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