Читать книгу Rage. The Legend of "Baseball Bill" Denehy онлайн

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The next night John Hudak started for us against East Haven. He was pitching well when he was hit on the elbow with a pitch and had to come out of the game. I relieved John and struck out thirteen of the fifteen batters I faced. In eleven innings, I had struck out twenty-seven batters, which, to this day, is still the Connecticut state tournament American Legion record. Unfortunately, the legion tournament imposed an inning limit, and I was only allowed to pitch one more inning. We lost to Bristol, who went on to represent Connecticut in the New England tournament.

I was hoping to sign with the Yankees, and I had that opportunity. John DeNunzio, the baseball coach of Middletown High School, was a bird dog for the Yankees. If John found a prospect, and that prospect was signed by the Yankees, he got some money. John told the Yankees about me, and I was invited to come to Yankee Stadium for a look-see.

I visited Yankee Stadium with my dad, and it was a good bonding experience. I brought my spikes and gloves and wore a red undershirt, the color of our legion team. I was met at the press door and taken down into the Yankee clubhouse. The equipment guy asked me what size pants I wore, and I told him a thirty-six waist, and the only pants they had with a thirty-six-inch waist were Yogi Berra’s. I wore Yogi’s pants and a Yankee uniform top. I walked around the corner to the trainer’s room and saw a Yankee player standing on top of the trainer’s table. I could only see him from the waist down.