Kevin Mitchell stood in the box against the San Francisco Giants in a close game. Mitchell was a modern-day Paul Bunyan, a blue collar hero with superhuman strength. Earlier in the game, he hit a ball so far that the hometown Reds fans were too shocked to respond for several seconds.
The crowd tensed as the pitcher came to stretch. Mitchell gently wiggled the bat in anticipation, trying to get his timing just right. My heart pounded as I inched forward in my seat every few seconds. If he checked the runner any longer, I might fall off the front.