Ryan stepped off the plane upon arriving at airport, his bags in tow. Despite being up 3 games to 2 in the series, there were no signs of happiness or smugness in his face.
In fact, he was nervous. Not because he thought that the Ligers would beat them, but because Miami might win too soon.
It wasn't that Ryan was a masochist or anything, just that he had already decided in his head that he and Ken would get their duel in game 7.
The pitchers duel in game 1 had ended in his loss, something that had been a hard pill to swallow. But Ryan had been able to persist by telling himself he would get another shot in game 7.
'You can't lose Ken…' Ryan chanted in his heart, his eyes burning fiercely.
How many opportunities would he have to face Ken in a World Series? This might be the first and only time that it happens, so Ryan did not want to have any regrets.
Ever since he'd played against Ken all those years ago, his life had been turned upside down. From a promising rookie and America's sweetheart, he spiraled down further and further, becoming a forgotten blip on the radar.
The controversy surrounding his breach of contract with Kansas State had made things even worse. Even now, as a professional player, his father continued to try and besmirch his name.
But that didn't matter right now. He would destroy Ken in a pitchers duel in game 7 and prove the doubters wrong. All that Ryan had worked towards was being tested, and despite the stakes, he cared more about facing Ken than he did the World Series.
Of course he'd never say this out loud.
Ryan made his way out of the airport and gathered at the meeting area for the team. They took a bus shuttle to the hotel before settling in.
Though he'd been on the team for 2 years now, Ryan was still a bit of a loner. He used to be a charismatic, if not a little arrogant player, but now it was the complete opposite.
All of his focus was locked onto perfecting his craft. Only by losing his arrogance had he been able to improve so much in such a short period of time.
While he might not admit it openly, having such a tough rival had lit a fire within him. Without Ken destroying the competition this season, Ryan might not have reached the level he was now.
Even in this past week, Ryan felt like he'd made a breakthrough.
But all of it was for naught if Detroit lost tonight.
The day swiftly passed as Miami went through their pre-game obligations. They arrived at Comerica Park a couple of hours before the start of the game and began their warm-ups.
While he wasn't playing tonight, Ryan participated in the warm-ups, helping to run the drills alongside the assistant coaches. It was somewhat calming, or at least he thought so. Perhaps it was just the kind of distraction he needed.
Ryan felt his tense muscles begin to relax and the knot of anxiety in his stomach eased slightly. He turned and saw that Detroit were now coming onto the field.
His eyes searched among the players, but it did not take long to find Ken. His 6'6 frame and long arms were easy to spot, but upon seeing him, Ryan's eyes widened in shock for a moment.
While Ken had always been tall and well framed, when Ryan looked at him tonight, it was as if his body was perfectly aligned. It was hard to explain, but Ken looked almost otherworldly, reminding him of another person.
'It's just like Leo?' he thought in wonder.
"Ryan, snap out of it."
He heard one of the assistant coaches call out to him, getting his attention.
Continuing the drill, Ryan's gaze wandered every now and then, checking on the Ligers training. Of course his eyes were drawn to a particular figure, one that appeared to be full of power.
Soon enough, the beginning of game 6 was announced. Ryan took his spot on the bench and watched on as the match went underway.
For some reason, after seeing Ken walk onto the field, the final bit of anxiety eased. He wasn't really a superstitious person, but Ryan could almost tell that they would lose this game tonight.
It all seemed rather nonsensical, but the aura Ken was exuding was something that he'd rarely seen. Only the top players in the world commanded an aura like Ken's.
The first inning passed by swiftly with no hits or runs from either side. Once the second began, Miami were sent back to the field after only a single hit, bringing it to the bottom of the 2nd.
Ryan sat forward in his seat, watching intently.
"Batting 4th, our catcher… Number 22! Daichi Takagi!"
The crowd erupted as Daichi's name was called and the cheers fell upon the field like a steady rain. However, it did not take long for those cheers to turn into boos and jeers.
PAH
"Ball."
"Intentionally walking again!? Those underhanded bastards!"
"It's a perfectly valid strategy…"
"Just who's side are you on!?"
It seemed that the home crowd were not happy with the same tactic of having Daichi walked again. While a valid strategy, it did not make for fun baseball.
However, Daichi looked unperturbed within the batters box, as if he had expected this treatment. There was no sign of panic or annoyance in his expression.
PAH
"Ball four, take your base."
Daichi tossed the bat aside gently and jogged towards first base, taking his spot leisurely.
"Batting 5th, Number 13! Ken Takagi!"
A resounding cheer rang out as Ken's name was called. Ryan was a little taken aback that Ken was moved up in the batting lineup, but it wasn't that much of a change that it would impact the game.
As he saw the tall figure enter the batters box and get into position, Ryan's eyes widened in utter shock.