Better Than Perfect by Kristina Mathews

She didn’t like catching him lately; she flinched too easily.
    “You used to catch me.” Johnny’s voice sounded different. Like he was sharing some secret between the two of them. “And I was pretty wild back then. Zach has good control. You’ll be fine.”
    “He is pretty good, isn’t he?” She tore her eyes away from Johnny and smiled at Zach, totally embarrassing him.
    “Yes. He is. If you can finish up here, I’ll be ready for that interview.” He looked at Rachel Parker, who was just standing there, probably taking mental notes. Zach really hoped she didn’t say anything about him in the interview.
    “My cameraman is set up in the press room.” Rachel flashed her reporter smile at Johnny. “Maybe you could throw on a jersey and we’ll get started.”
    “Sure. Give me ten minutes?”
    “Sounds perfect.” She glanced briefly at Zach and then his mom before turning and walking toward the press room.
    “I gotta go.” Johnny patted Zach on the back. “But your mom will finish you up. Say about ten, fifteen more throws.”
    “Okay. And I’ll put everything away when we’re done.”
    “I can take care of it,” Johnny offered.
    “No. I don’t mind.” Zach was used to helping out, putting stuff away. He didn’t always remember at home, but his mom had him pretty well trained. Most of the time.
    Johnny nodded at him and walked off for his interview.
     

 
    6
     
    “This is Rachel Parker, with Bay Area Sports Net.” The auburn haired reporter sat across from Johnny in the press room. She’d set up a couple of chairs to make it look like they were two friends, having a chat. “Today our guest is Johnny ‘The Monk’ Scottsdale, a right-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Goliaths.”
    “Thank you, Rachel. I’m happy to be here.” He hoped he sounded sincere. He really would rather be working with Zach, though. He didn’t have a lot of time to get the kid ready for the season. He was close, but there were a few little things he could do to tweak his delivery.
    “You’ve had quite a career so far. Two Cy Young Awards, numerous All-Star appearances and one perfect game.” The reporter let him know she’d done her homework. “What brings you here to San Francisco?”
    “I think you probably know the answer to that.” Johnny gave his aw-shucks grin. “I’m looking for the same thing all athletes want. A chance to play in the biggest game of our lives. To leave a lasting mark on our sport. To earn a ring. I think I’ll be a good fit with this team, this group of players. I hope that together we can bring home a championship.”
    “The Goliaths have one of the strongest rotations in the league. It’s almost not fair to add a starter with your credentials.” She leaned forward. “Some fans would say the team would be better off going after a big bat.”
    Johnny took a deep breath. He’d heard that argument enough times, he should have a clever answer by now.
    “But we’ve all seen how dominant pitching can be more than enough to quiet even the loudest bats.” She smiled at him almost flirtatiously.
    “I do believe that winning at any level requires teamwork. No one man can make or break a season,” Johnny said. “When I’m not as sharp as I need to be, I have guys behind me who will pick me up. When I threw my perfect game, my defense was spectacular. They made plays that weren’t human. It was like we fed off each other.”
    “I’ve seen the replays of that catch in centerfield.” She nodded in agreement. “It was like Andrews sprouted wings.”
    “He didn’t want to let me down.” Johnny would miss his old teammates. But most of them were gone, too. After making it to the American League Championship two years ago, they didn’t make the playoffs last year. The team wanted to move in a new direction. They let go or traded most of their stars. He wouldn’t be surprised if the team itself wasn’t up for sale in the next year or two.
    “She glanced down at her