Chapter Two: What Are Ten Seconds Worth?

Both runners broke. The catcher came up hurriedly and threw into foul territory. One runner scored, then the other raced all the way home. 5–5. In the bottom of the ninth, the bases were loaded with two outs for nineteen-year-old reserve Chen Yu. “Fastball inside. Swing and miss,” the future said. Ten seconds later, Chen missed. Strike one. The next future called another inside pitch and a weak grounder. Cheng rushed toward the field and shouted in Japanese, “His splitter is broken. Don't throw it!” The visiting pitcher glared. His catcher had called the inside fastball, but the pitcher shook him off, determined to prove the stranger wrong. Cheng had pushed the future again. The shriek returned. Blood warmed his nose.