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F. John Sharp




Put Me In, Coach

The backup to
the backup catcher

never plays
when it counts or

when it doesn't.
He practices with

the backup
to the backup right fielder,

far from the starters,
tossing balls, pretending

they are cutting down
the winning run at the plate.

Coach never sees him
apply the tag.



The backup to
the backup catcher

mostly strikes out
in practice, even

when coach
lays one in there.

The fielders use his
at-bats as a chance to

chat amongst themselves.
He always eyes

the bat, like
the bat messed up.



At the end of practice
Coach calls them all

in to run the bases.
Speed is

the backup to
the backup catcher's

only asset. He has one more
chance to

be seen,
but by now he is invisible

except to his dad
who watches from the car.





©2022 by F. John Sharp

F. John Sharp lives and works in Northeast Ohio. He is the fiction editor for Right Hand Pointing and his work can be found at his website and in Slow Trains.


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