"And so what of it? I barely did anything in this game, but I've already been taken out." Ken shot back scathingly. A whole lot of frustration had bubbled to the surface over the coach's conduct in this match.
First it was the Zachary situation in the outfield, followed by the dugout confrontation. Then, so soon after being put on the mound, he was promptly removed from the game before he could even warm up properly.
This was enough to shake his confidence in the ability of Coach Brown.
Steve let out a sigh. He was not used to Ken being the irrational party in situations like this. Usually, the guy would take things in stride and handle them maturely, yet today he seemed far more volatile than usual.
"What is the purpose of today's game?" Steve asked patiently.
Ken's expression showed his annoyance as he stared at his friend. It was clear that he wasn't going to answer the guy.
"Ahem…" Steve cleared his throat and continued. "The main purpose is to select the first squad for the upcoming season. The fact you got taken off means the coach has already made his decision. Either you made the team, or you'll be left in the 2nd string."
"It's obvious which one you got though." He added.
However, Ken wasn't so sure. He turned to the coach who was busy watching the field. A large part of him wanted to believe in Steve's explanation, but Ken didn't want to get his hopes up, only to have them dashed later.
Unfortunately for him, there was nothing he could do but sit back and wait for the teams to be announced in the future.
Like that, Ken took up his position in the dugout for the remainder of the game. Blake, the 2nd string pitcher was a ball of energy, his mood significantly improved from earlier after finding out he had entered the pitchers lineup.
He tried to start a conversation with Ken a few times, but Ken just gave him a few curt responses, his eyes locked onto the field. He was like a kid watching a match, his emotions evident on his features.
'I want to play…'
The game lasted for another hour, with many of the 2nd string players being replaced over time. Steve was taken out in the 6th inning, while 2 other pitchers were used after Ken.
The more he watched the match, the more he understood that what Steve said was probably true. With the amount of interchanges, it would seem that the coach was testing all of the 2nd string players.
He was especially surprised with Zachary was told to enter the game once again in the center outfield. The rules of baseball would forbid a substituted player from reentering the game, but this was only a friendly match.
Once Ken subbed out, the subsequent pitchers had mixed performances.
Against the Columbia main batting line up, they ended up giving up 6 runs throughout the remaining 5 innings. On the other hand, Ken's team did not score again, leaving Ken the only one who had scored.
"Game set." The umpire called, prompting Coach Brown and Coach Daniels to head onto the field.
"Alright, gather up everyone."
They waited a few minutes for everyone to get together before the Head Coach spoke up.
"Well done to everyone who played today. I've been quite surprised with your tenacity and improvements so far, and I hope you all continue to strive to get better." He stated with a smile.
"As for the results," Coach Brown continued, "The staff and I will be discussing this over the weekend."
As he looked around the group of players, there were mixed expressions on each of their faces. Some looked confident, while others seemed hopeful. This just showed how much weight that Coach Brown's decision held on a person's life.
"Grab your things, the bus will be leaving in 10 minutes to head back to campus."
The address was short and sweet, not giving anything away. A few of the players seemed anxious, particularly Yu, the half-Japanese player that Ken had met in the first inning.
Ken wasn't in the mood to console the guy, so he silently walked back to the dugout to grab his things. The sooner he could head back to campus, the better.
"We're going to do some training when we get back…" Ken nudged Steve and let him know. After only throwing just over 10 times and jogging around the bases after a home run, Ken had far too much energy remaining.
Steve paled, but he nodded anyway.
The group got into the bus and arrived at the Columbia campus 15 minutes later. As Ken and Steve were about to leave the bus area and drop off their equipment back at the dorms, someone approached Ken.
"Are you free now?" Coach Brown asked Ken, his expression still unreadable. For some reason, it was as if this guy also possessed a legendary poker face.
Ken felt like he didn't really have an excuse that he could use, so he could only nod his head. He felt a pit in his stomach as he remembered that the coach had wanted to see him in his office.
"Okay, let's head to my office then." Coach Brown said, patting Ken on the arm casually before walking away.
Ken turned to Steve who was nearby, as if looking for some kind of moral support. However, Steve looked just as anxious as himself.
"G—Good luck man… I'll wait for you back at the dorms." He said, stammering.
Ken let out a sigh and nodded before grabbing his bag and following the coach towards the Dodge Fitness Center. Throughout the entire walk, neither of them spoke, leading to an oppressive atmosphere.
It felt like he was being taken to the principal's office after doing something wrong, however, Ken felt a sense of indignation when he remembered the reason.
Eventually they made it to the Coach's office. The place was clean and well organized, reminding him of Coach Hanada's set up.
"Close the door on your way in and take a seat."