{First Name or Nickname} {Last Name} had a list of chores a mile long. However, it didn't matter because the {Favorite Baseball Team} were playing in the final game of the World Series. The series was tied three games each, and she decided that her chores could wait a few hours. {First Name or Nickname} grabbed the remote control, a bowl of chips, and a {Beverage} and made herself comfortable in her favorite chair.

{First Name or Nickname} noticed that the players had been out on the field for an awfully long warm up, and the pitching coach was going crazy about something down in the dugout. Then, the announcer broadcast the news that the pitcher of the {Favorite Baseball Team} had just thrown out his arm. The cameras followed the coach as he paced frantically inside the dugout. At one end of the dugout was a red wall phone. The coach reached for it and started dialing. The cameras zoomed in. The announcer correctly guessed that the coach was calling in his back-up pitcher. That's when {First Name or Nickname}'s phone started to ring!

{First Name or Nickname} answered the phone. "This is the coach! Come over here right away. You're going to pitch the game today," said the coach of the {Favorite Baseball Team}. The coach hung up before {First Name or Nickname} could ask any questions. "Wow!" {First Name or Nickname} thought. "This must be a dream!" {First Name or Nickname} packed her gear and spikes and headed for the door. She thought, "Wait until I tell {Friend(s)} about this!" {First Name or Nickname} stopped on her way to the car to pitch a few balls at the bulls-eye painted on the broad side of the barn.

After a few balls had gotten away from her, {First Name or Nickname} decided to pack it in and head for the park just a couple of blocks away. It'll come back to me once I'm in the game, so there's no need to warm up now, she thought.
Once {First Name or Nickname} had arrived at the stadium, she entered through the back entrance, went into the locker-room, and dressed for the game. When she stepped into the stadium, she could hear the umpire call, "Play Ball!" The crowd cheered. Walking over to {First Name or Nickname}, the coach had the look of death about him as he asked "WHO ARE YOU?"

"I'm {First Name or Nickname} {Last Name}," said {First Name or Nickname}. "You called {Phone Number}, and I answered your call to the mound." "I can't believe this," said the coach. "This must be the lowest day in baseball. I thought I called our best pitcher on the disabled list who was to be discharged from the hospital this morning. I dialed {Phone 5, and who do I get but you! If we don't start the game immediately, we will have to forfeit. Walk quickly now to the mound and start throwing," the coach ordered. "We will just have to win this one on batting."
The announcer checked his notes and reported, "Pitching the final game of the {Year of Game} World Series for the {Favorite Baseball Team} will be {First Name or Nickname} {Last Name}." The announcer's words echoed throughout the stadium and into millions of Homes on millions of TV's. Everyone in {Hometown} was stunned.

{First Name or Nickname} walked to the mound. The crowd was silent. The first inning was beginning. Back in {Hometown}, {Friend(s)} picked up the TV Guide and read the notice for today's game. A room full with baseball fans everywhere were grabbing their drinks and chips and thinking about the sure bets they had made on the {Favorite Baseball Team}.

While turning on the set and settling into the furniture, {Friend(s)} thought that the name {Last Name} was spoken while the volume was coming on. Then, the picture became clear. Shock filled the room. {First Name or Nickname} was on the mound! Popcorn flew everywhere, and one observer in the group pounded his {Beverage} can against his forehead. All of the fans knew that their investments were lost, and their bets wiped out. They had been done in by their very own {First Name or Nickname} {Last Name}.

The announcer called the plays... "{First Name or Nickname} is winding up for another pitch... crack... fly ball to center, number 18 is coming up for the catch... that's one out." The next batter came to bat. "{First Name or Nickname} {Last Name} pitches again... crack... this batter grounds to first, and the first baseman makes an easy out." Now {First Name or Nickname} was getting confident. The crowd was warming up. {Friend(s)} hadn't moved a muscle or spoken a word since the first pitch. "And now {First Name or Nickname} {Last Name} is winding up... the pitch... crack!... high fly to left aaaannnnndddd, yes, the outfielder catches the easy pop fly to retire the side." The crowd actually began to cheer.

When the {Favorite Baseball Team} came to bat, they put up a gallant fight. The first batter hit the ball hard to the third baseman. The play was made, and the throw to first was unbelievable. Even the replay showed it was a dead heat, but the umpire called the runner out. The second batter pounded the ball to the wall, but the outfielder caught it as he crashed into the wall for the second out. The third batter struck out. This series was being played in the field, and defense was going to be the deciding factor. Innings two, three, and four went three up and three down for each side. The crowd was getting restless.

In the top of the fifth, {First Name or Nickname} allowed a double and a single. Then a wild pitch sent Home the runner on third. One to nothing. {First Name or Nickname} was demoralized. Another single put men on first and third with no outs. Then, another wild pitch sent the runners to third and Home. Two to nothing. {First Name or Nickname} walked the next two batters. The bases were loaded. {First Name or Nickname} was getting tired. A slow pitch over the plate allowed the batter to hit a hot smash to second with one bounce. The man on third went Home, while the second baseman forced the double play between second and first. Now it was three to nothing with a runner at third with two outs. A wild pitch sent the runner at third to Home, but the catcher recovered the ball. She threw it to {First Name or Nickname} at the plate and retired the inning when the tag was made. {First Name or Nickname} was a mess.

The coach told {First Name or Nickname} to settle down. "Just throw the ball over the plate, and let the fielders do the rest," he said. The next three innings were played quickly, and neither side made any runs. At the top of the ninth, {First Name or Nickname} could barely send the ball the distance. Two balls were grounded out to the shortstop. The third batter pounded the ball foul into deep right field, where the right fielder made the catch to retire the side. The score was still three to nothing, and the {Favorite Baseball Team} would now have their final time at bat. This was it.

The sun was setting, the air was cool, and the fans were getting hot. The lights were now coming on as the final game of the World Series was down to its last inning. The {Favorite Baseball Team} were down by three runs in the bottom of the ninth. The first batter struck out. The pitcher was throwing hard fast balls. The second batter struck out. The third batter was up... WALK! Their last pitcher was burned out. He was all over the place with his pitches. The crowd went wild. The next batter was up... WALK! Then the next batter... WALK! The bases were loaded! With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, here came {First Name or Nickname} {Last Name} to bat!

The crowd let out a groan! {First Name or Nickname} was beginning to feel a little rejected. She took a deep breath and stepped up to the plate.

"STRIKE ONE!!" yelled the umpire. {First Name or Nickname} didn't even see that one leave the pitcher's hand. She stepped out of the box looking for a signal from the third base coach; it was to hit away. As the next pitch was released, {First Name or Nickname} started her swing. "STRIKE TWO!!" yelled the umpire. {First Name or Nickname} was beginning to get a little concerned. O and two was the count, two outs, down by three, and three men on. "This is it," thought {First Name or Nickname}, as the next pitch came in low and outside. A deadly silence filled the stadium. {First Name or Nickname} swung the bat... CRACK!

It was gone! That ball left the park with the skin torn half off of it. {First Name or Nickname} {Last Name} had pounded out a Grand Slam to win the series for the {Favorite Baseball Team} in the final inning.

As the team accepted victory, {Beverage} was being poured. {First Name or Nickname} got out of her uniform, went out the back way, and hurried Home in time to watch the post-game show on TV. {First Name or Nickname} never returned to baseball and years later most everyone had forgotten her name. It's a pity. She didn't even have a contract.

This book is the last remaining evidence that {First Name or Nickname} was truly a hero that day back in {Year of Game}. If you ask people who {First Name or Nickname} {Last Name} is, they will tell you they have never heard of her. This is more sad proof that she has become "Baseball's Unsung Hero!"