The Man I Loved: The Jimmy Hoyle Story

Emerald Winged Angel · 05-15-2005, 09:38 PM

I was thirteen years, three days, four hours, and twenty seven minutes old the first time I fell in love.

It was May 5th, 1992 and I was in the eighth grade. My brother Matt was on the freshman baseball team at his high school and he had a game that day. I didn't want to go, but my mother and father made me, to show support for my brother as my father put it.

Dressed in my favorite Calvin Klein blue jeans and a long-sleeved dark blue hoodie I got from my grandmother for my birthday, I slouched in the bleachers and ignored my parents as they tried to talk to me about the game. What a silly sport!, I thought. So boring to watch a bunch of boys wave their little sticks and hit a stupid little white ball.

Not a lot went on at the beginning. There were a lot of outs and not too many boys got on base. Of course, I didn't know anything about the sport then, so I wasn't paying much attention. Then, all of a sudden, I happened to look over at my brother's team and my heart stopped.

Standing next to my brother, joking with him about something, was the most beautiful, the most handsome boy I had ever seen. He had an easy grin that dazzled me even from that distance and the light shone on his black curls so that they seemed to sparkle. His eyes shimmered with mirth at what he was saying and the jersey he was wearing seemed to have been made just for his lean, toned torso. My jaw hung open and I leaned forward, trying to hear their conversation.

"So Matt, anybody here watching you?"

"Just my parents and my stupid sister. She didn't want to come but Mom and Dad made her."

My new favorite ballplayer laughed and crinkled his nose in a way that was so cute and so touching it gave me the shivers, "Care to point her out to me? Maybe I can make being here less boring for her."

My cheeks melted in my face and I turned cherry as Matt shrugged and pointed the three of us out with his bat, "She's the skinny blonde girl in blue hoodie. Her name's Laureta."

The boy looked up and before I knew it, gray eyes that looked to me more gorgeous than silver were staring into mine. I felt an electric shock jolting through me as our eyes met and I knew that I was in love.

"Yep, I see her. I'm going to go talk to her."

"You're crazy, Jimmy. She's nobody special, just my dumb little sister."

Jimmy. That was his name. To me, it was the prettiest name I'd ever heard. My heart began to pound in my chest as he turned from my brother and began to walk towards us. What was I to do?! He was coming this way!

After a moment, I knew there was only one thing I could do, the only thing a girl like me could have done when the boy of her dreams was walking in her direction.

I got up out of my seat and ran the other way.

Emerald Winged Angel · 05-15-2005, 10:39 PM

I ran all the way to the concessions stand and tried to hide in the line. Since I was suddenly hungry, I got a hot dog, brown with ketchup, mustard and relish. I had just left the line and taken a large bite of hot dog when I saw him standing there, smiling at me.

Oh God, I thought, I must look so stupid. I did. There was mustard and ketchup on one corner of my mouth, relish on the other. I felt like a silly little kid standing in front of this handsome boy with his laughing smile.

He grinned, grabbed some napkins from the condiments table, and came over to me, wiping the edges of my mouth off, "Looks like you really get into your food."

I didn't think my face would ever lose its five-alarm fire shade of red. For a moment, I longed for the cracked blacktop beneath us to split all the way open and swallow me whole. Anything to escape this embarassment.

"Um, well, I really like hot dogs, especially when it's got everything on it. Fair hot dogs are the best, especially at the county fair." I was babbling and unable to help it. Looking directly at his face, so near to mine, was impossible, so I stared at my colorful, half-eaten hot dog instead.

He laughed and answered, "Hey, I like hot dogs too, so that's cool. We have something in common." When I didn't say anything, his slender, strong fingers cupped my chin and pulled my face up so that our eyes met.

Up close, he was even more beautiful than before. A smattering of freckles danced across his cheeks and when he talked, there was a small gap in his teeth that reminded me of a baby chipmunk. It was adorable.

My mouth hung open again and I just stared at him stupidly. How do you talk to a boy? I didn't know then and sometimes I wonder if I even know now, after all these years. All I know is that I felt like I was floating off the ground and nothing else around me mattered in that moment. I was too busy trying to think of something, anything to say.

"I don't bite, you know." I wondered if he ever stopped smiling. He didn't seem like he did. "My name's Jimmy. You must be Laureta?" He took a step back and offered me his hand.

Maybe he didn't bite, but I bit my lower lip as I shook his hand, smiling nervously, "Yes, I'm Laureta. I'm Matt's sister."

He released my hand and smiled a devil's smile, one that took my breath away, "So I've heard. He also told me you didn't want to be here. I'm guessing you've been to Matt's games before, so you must know something about baseball huh?"

I shook my head. "No, I hate going to games, so I never pay any attention to what's going on. I don't know anything about it, actually."

"How would you like to learn? I'm on the varsity team, so I can teach you, if you want." That dazzling smile appeared again. How could I say no to a face like that?

"Yes, I think I'd like that." My lips smiled shyly as I accepted his offer.

"Great! Let's walk then, and I'll teach you everything I know." The noises of the crowd and the game fell away from us as we walked side by side, Jimmy telling me all about the sport as we went.

And that was I how first really learned about baseball.

seth70liz76 · 05-16-2005, 09:20 AM

I like it so far.

Emerald Winged Angel · 05-16-2005, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seth70liz76

I like it so far.

Thank you, seth70liz76. I like it, too. I might not be able to post today because setting up the league I want is going to take a lot of work, but I'll see what I can do.

Magatsu · 05-16-2005, 01:32 PM

I'll also follow and I'm very curious where this is going. Great introduction so far.

M

sflcat · 05-16-2005, 01:36 PM

Why do I feel like I picked up one of my wife's romance novels?

Magatsu · 05-16-2005, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sflcat

Why do I feel like I picked up one of my wife's romance novels?

Really? The first thing that came to my mind was .... Sailor Moon.

No offense, EWA, really. I loved Sailor Moon back then (and still think the first season is the best Anime Series ever made). It was just .... 13-year-old girl, falling in love with a ballplayer and of course the time .... 1992 ... it just fits.

M

seth70liz76 · 05-16-2005, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sflcat

Why do I feel like I picked up one of my wife's romance novels?

My wife's novels are all about guys in kilts so this is nothing like them.

More than anything, it is just great to see a 'fresh' take on dynasty: Hope Station Giants for example. Anything different gets my attention.

Emerald Winged Angel · 05-16-2005, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magatsu

I'll also follow and I'm very curious where this is going. Great introduction so far.

M

Quote:

Originally Posted by Magatsu

Really? The first thing that came to my mind was .... Sailor Moon.

No offense, EWA, really. I loved Sailor Moon back then (and still think the first season is the best Anime Series ever made). It was just .... 13-year-old girl, falling in love with a ballplayer and of course the time .... 1992 ... it just fits.

M

Thank you, Magatsu. I'm looking forward to writing this story more. No offense taken about Sailor Moon. I liked it too, though my favorite anime is Love Hina.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sflcat

Why do I feel like I picked up one of my wife's romance novels?

Oh, I don't think I'll be ripping my bodice any time soon, so I think you're okay.

Quote:

Originally Posted by seth70liz76

My wife's novels are all about guys in kilts so this is nothing like them.

More than anything, it is just great to see a 'fresh' take on dynasty: Hope Station Giants for example. Anything different gets my attention.

It's hard to be different on this message board because there's so many great writers and so many really unique stories. I'm glad you think that I'm fresh and I hope I can keep it that way!

Jazzmosis · 05-17-2005, 01:32 PM

I love it so far. Keep it coming!

Emerald Winged Angel · 05-18-2005, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzmosis

I love it so far. Keep it coming!

Thank you Jazzmosis! I'm still working on adjusting things but I should be able to do the next post late tonight! After that, I won't be on for a week because I'll be on vacation. But then I'll resume again when I get back.

Tib · 05-18-2005, 10:36 AM

This is a bold premise, writing a dynasty from a girl's perspective on a board dominated by males. *encouraging applause*

Good job so far and good luck.

RebelYell · 05-18-2005, 05:17 PM

I concur, Tib.
I'm hooked.

The only thing I ever read growing up was Robert Coover's Universal Baseball Assoc. about J. Henry Waugh. Great idea, but I didn't like it. I think more than half the stuff in this section is better. More interesting, anyway, and this is one of the most interesting approaches I've seen.
kudos to you, EWA

And now everybody can commence to adding to the thread since I took unlucky post 13

Dagrims · 05-18-2005, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Emerald Winged Angel

Oh, I don't think I'll be ripping my bodice any time soon, so I think you're okay.

Well, there goes two thirds of the future thread views.

Actually, I'll throw in my agreement with Tib and seth's posts. This is a unique dynasty and I hope you'll enjoy writing it for awhile.

Big Six · 05-18-2005, 05:35 PM

When I logged on today, I fully intended to post to my own dynasties, but this one caught my eye. I think you have the most unique theme on the board right now, EWA, and I'm going to be following the story of Laureta and Jimmy with interest.

Great start so far, and good luck for a long, enjoyable dynasty!

05-15-2005, 09:38 PM	#1
Emerald Winged Angel Banned Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 10	The Man I Loved: The Jimmy Hoyle Story I was thirteen years, three days, four hours, and twenty seven minutes old the first time I fell in love. It was May 5th, 1992 and I was in the eighth grade. My brother Matt was on the freshman baseball team at his high school and he had a game that day. I didn't want to go, but my mother and father made me, to show support for my brother as my father put it. Dressed in my favorite Calvin Klein blue jeans and a long-sleeved dark blue hoodie I got from my grandmother for my birthday, I slouched in the bleachers and ignored my parents as they tried to talk to me about the game. What a silly sport!, I thought. So boring to watch a bunch of boys wave their little sticks and hit a stupid little white ball. Not a lot went on at the beginning. There were a lot of outs and not too many boys got on base. Of course, I didn't know anything about the sport then, so I wasn't paying much attention. Then, all of a sudden, I happened to look over at my brother's team and my heart stopped. Standing next to my brother, joking with him about something, was the most beautiful, the most handsome boy I had ever seen. He had an easy grin that dazzled me even from that distance and the light shone on his black curls so that they seemed to sparkle. His eyes shimmered with mirth at what he was saying and the jersey he was wearing seemed to have been made just for his lean, toned torso. My jaw hung open and I leaned forward, trying to hear their conversation. "So Matt, anybody here watching you?" "Just my parents and my stupid sister. She didn't want to come but Mom and Dad made her." My new favorite ballplayer laughed and crinkled his nose in a way that was so cute and so touching it gave me the shivers, "Care to point her out to me? Maybe I can make being here less boring for her." My cheeks melted in my face and I turned cherry as Matt shrugged and pointed the three of us out with his bat, "She's the skinny blonde girl in blue hoodie. Her name's Laureta." The boy looked up and before I knew it, gray eyes that looked to me more gorgeous than silver were staring into mine. I felt an electric shock jolting through me as our eyes met and I knew that I was in love. "Yep, I see her. I'm going to go talk to her." "You're crazy, Jimmy. She's nobody special, just my dumb little sister." Jimmy. That was his name. To me, it was the prettiest name I'd ever heard. My heart began to pound in my chest as he turned from my brother and began to walk towards us. What was I to do?! He was coming this way! After a moment, I knew there was only one thing I could do, the only thing a girl like me could have done when the boy of her dreams was walking in her direction. I got up out of my seat and ran the other way.

05-16-2005, 01:36 PM	#6
sflcat Minors (Double A) Join Date: May 2003 Location: South Florida Posts: 119	Why do I feel like I picked up one of my wife's romance novels? __________________ GM, Miami Sharks, IHOF Founder & President, SFL GM, Oklahoma Outlaws, GEFL Read my "Sports and History Dynasty"

05-17-2005, 01:32 PM	#10
Jazzmosis All Star Reserve Join Date: May 2004 Location: The London you've never heard of Posts: 505	I love it so far. Keep it coming! __________________ Florida Marlins GM, Netsports League - 2004 NL Champs, 2008 + 2013 Champions, 2004, 2009-2015, 2017-2021, 2024-2028 NLE Division Crown Mark Jazzington's Managerial Career - worth a read Thanks to Tib for the inspiration to write it.

05-18-2005, 10:36 AM	#12
Tib All Star Reserve Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Paso Robles, CA Posts: 995	This is a bold premise, writing a dynasty from a girl's perspective on a board dominated by males. encouraging applause Good job so far and good luck. __________________ https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...ad.php?t=64219

05-18-2005, 05:17 PM	#13
RebelYell Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 226	I concur, Tib. I'm hooked. The only thing I ever read growing up was Robert Coover's Universal Baseball Assoc. about J. Henry Waugh. Great idea, but I didn't like it. I think more than half the stuff in this section is better. More interesting, anyway, and this is one of the most interesting approaches I've seen. kudos to you, EWA And now everybody can commence to adding to the thread since I took unlucky post 13 __________________ Bobby Don Southworth -- Cleveland Indians, first place American League Central Yoda55 gave it And coming soon: The World Cup of Baseball Last edited by RebelYell; 05-18-2005 at 05:19 PM.

05-15-2005, 10:39 PM	#2
Emerald Winged Angel Banned Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 10	I ran all the way to the concessions stand and tried to hide in the line. Since I was suddenly hungry, I got a hot dog, brown with ketchup, mustard and relish. I had just left the line and taken a large bite of hot dog when I saw him standing there, smiling at me. Oh God, I thought, I must look so stupid. I did. There was mustard and ketchup on one corner of my mouth, relish on the other. I felt like a silly little kid standing in front of this handsome boy with his laughing smile. He grinned, grabbed some napkins from the condiments table, and came over to me, wiping the edges of my mouth off, "Looks like you really get into your food." I didn't think my face would ever lose its five-alarm fire shade of red. For a moment, I longed for the cracked blacktop beneath us to split all the way open and swallow me whole. Anything to escape this embarassment. "Um, well, I really like hot dogs, especially when it's got everything on it. Fair hot dogs are the best, especially at the county fair." I was babbling and unable to help it. Looking directly at his face, so near to mine, was impossible, so I stared at my colorful, half-eaten hot dog instead. He laughed and answered, "Hey, I like hot dogs too, so that's cool. We have something in common." When I didn't say anything, his slender, strong fingers cupped my chin and pulled my face up so that our eyes met. Up close, he was even more beautiful than before. A smattering of freckles danced across his cheeks and when he talked, there was a small gap in his teeth that reminded me of a baby chipmunk. It was adorable. My mouth hung open again and I just stared at him stupidly. How do you talk to a boy? I didn't know then and sometimes I wonder if I even know now, after all these years. All I know is that I felt like I was floating off the ground and nothing else around me mattered in that moment. I was too busy trying to think of something, anything to say. "I don't bite, you know." I wondered if he ever stopped smiling. He didn't seem like he did. "My name's Jimmy. You must be Laureta?" He took a step back and offered me his hand. Maybe he didn't bite, but I bit my lower lip as I shook his hand, smiling nervously, "Yes, I'm Laureta. I'm Matt's sister." He released my hand and smiled a devil's smile, one that took my breath away, "So I've heard. He also told me you didn't want to be here. I'm guessing you've been to Matt's games before, so you must know something about baseball huh?" I shook my head. "No, I hate going to games, so I never pay any attention to what's going on. I don't know anything about it, actually." "How would you like to learn? I'm on the varsity team, so I can teach you, if you want." That dazzling smile appeared again. How could I say no to a face like that? "Yes, I think I'd like that." My lips smiled shyly as I accepted his offer. "Great! Let's walk then, and I'll teach you everything I know." The noises of the crowd and the game fell away from us as we walked side by side, Jimmy telling me all about the sport as we went. And that was I how first really learned about baseball.

05-16-2005, 09:20 AM	#3
seth70liz76 All Star Starter Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1,634	I like it so far.

05-16-2005, 01:32 PM	#5
Magatsu Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: BO, Germany Posts: 206	I'll also follow and I'm very curious where this is going. Great introduction so far. M

05-18-2005, 05:35 PM	#15
Big Six Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Virginia Posts: 3,145	When I logged on today, I fully intended to post to my own dynasties, but this one caught my eye. I think you have the most unique theme on the board right now, EWA, and I'm going to be following the story of Laureta and Jimmy with interest. Great start so far, and good luck for a long, enjoyable dynasty! __________________ My dynasties: The Base Ball Life of Patrick O'Farrell: 2014 inductee, OOTP Dynasty Hall of Fame Kenilworth: A Town and its Team: fun with a fictional league