The Under Review - Issue 4 | Summer 2021

ERWIN 31
Blackburn handed the ball to Ryan who gripped it just enough to avoid dropping it. He stared past his
manager and catcher, watching BB slice his bat through the air with a practice swing.
Ryan generally deferred to his manager and coaches. He’d yet to play for a team where the staff was less
experienced than him. Even when he was relegated to mop-up duty, he didn’t try to plead his case. If he
wanted to be the setup man again, he’d have to work harder to find that slider and earn his spot back.
He didn’t want Herman Blackburn to think he was the kind of guy who didn’t carry out orders. Still, that
was BB up there.
“Why?” Ryan said.
“Why what?”
“Why am I hitting B…this guy?”
Blackburn lowered his head like a disappointed kindergarten teacher.
“They hit our guy, now we have to hit their guy.”
The logic was sound. In any other situation, Ryan would have readily agreed with Blackburn. But this time
was a little different.
“They didn’t hit our guy. I did.”
“But you were them then.”
“And now I’m us. So who am I sending a message to, myself?”
“No, you’re—”
Blackburn took a step back, removed his hat and wiped his forehead.
ISSUE 4 | SUMMER 2021