The GHOST and Charlie Dusenberry

PG. 98 TGACD R. ZEIS

When the Yankees showed up for practice the next day the players found Charlie and Gus already there with equipment laid out around the field. Both men had broad smiles on their faces.

“Something’s up,” stated Mitzi.

Beast and Willow stood beside Mitzi and looked at their coaches with suspicion.

“Something’s up, all right,” said DD who had joined his teammates. “And I think we’re gonna like it!” DD suspected something good had happened yesterday after his dad came home from practice. His dad had rushed in the front door and immediately got mushy with his mom. Smiling, his dad said they were going out to dinner. He didn’t want anyone having to cook and wash dishes. DD’s family very rarely went out to eat on a school night.

“What in the world got into you?” said his mom.

“Someday, I’ll tell you,” responded his dad. That night at dinner DD and his father talked about baseball. They had never talked about baseball. But that night Charlie and DD talked strategy and how to best use their team’s players. The night turned out strange, but wonderful.

Now, this afternoon, DD looked forward to this practice more than he ever did.

“Everyone, take a knee!” yelled Charlie when his eleven kids had arrived. The team settled down encircling Charlie and Gus. “Before we go over what we are going to do today, Mr. Baxter has something to say.”

Gus turned his head side-to-side and tried to make eye contact with each player. After a moment, he began. “First off, I want to say that I’m happy to be here with all of you. That last game you showed me something that I didn’t think you had in you. You didn’t quit. I admire that.”

Smiles broke out on the players. This is something they didn’t think they’d ever hear from Mr. Baxter. Most of the time he would only tell them what they were doing wrong. This was very different.

PG. 99 TGACD R. ZEIS

“Next,“ Gus continued, “I want to say I’m sorry about the way I acted to some of you. I hope you will forgive me and give me a second chance. I know a lot about this game and I want to share that with you. What do you say?”

The children looked from one to the other and then back at their coaches. The silence was broken by Mohammad. “Sure! I want to know how to play!”

Mohammad was backed up by Wally Wilson. “And I want to beat the Red Sox on Saturday!”

That did it. All the children started jumping up and down and cheering, “Beat the Sox! Beat the Sox!”

“I think this means they forgive you…Mr. Baxter!” offered Charlie.

“Yeah,” agreed Gus. “Now let’s get to work!”

And to work they went. The team was broken down into small groups and the two coaches rotated from one to the next. For nearly two hours the team worked hard. Parents in the stands wondered what had changed. Laughter and excitement seemed to ooze from the field.

After dinner at the Dusenberry household that night, Susan cornered her husband in his “man cave.”

“OK, what gives? DD couldn’t stop talking about practice today and the changes you and Mr. Baxter came up with. Don’t get me wrong, I like the change in you when it comes to what’s going on. Something happened.”

“Susan, let’s say for now that Mr. Baxter and I have come to an understanding about the way we coach. He really has become very helpful.”

Susan wanted to press more on the turn-around in Charlie’s attitude but was afraid she might ruin it. “Well, I’m glad the two of you ironed things out. It looks like a match made in heaven.”

Charlie chuckled and once again embraced his wife. “Yeah, honey, it seems like a match made in heaven.”