Page 31 - Way Out to the Old Ballgame

Framing the Pitch

him not to reveal their experiment to anyone, referring to the non-
disclosure clause in the agreement Luke had signed. All credit for
success would go to Bruce Fort and the university, not the volunteer
participant in some rather unorthodox training. Matthews, the
professor surmised, would not be able to describe or recreate what he
had experienced in any meaningful way, and he certainly wouldn’t
want the secret of his amazing comeback to be made public and
shared by his peers any sooner than necessary.
So it was well into the afternoon when Matthews entered the
professor’s laboratory, quietly closed the door and glanced around
the room to verify the absence of anyone save the rodents and Dr.
Fort. He was wearing a cashmere turtleneck and a well-tailored silk
sport jacket. His face was clean-shaven, his hair blow-dried and he
reeked of expensive cologne. But his expression was drawn. He
averted his eyes when he greeted his mentor.
“Well, Professor, it worked. I got my spot back on the roster after
tearing up minor league pitching for a couple of weeks. And even
with my lousy numbers from the beginning of the season I won the
batting title. The writers are talking about the Triple Crown next year.
I can see the pitch way better now—even in night games.”
Fort eyed him sharply.
“But something is bothering you, Luke. Why won’t you look at
me?”
“Nobody else would believe me, Professor, but I can see more
than just the difference between a cross-seam and a with-the-seam
fast ball. It may sound screwy, but now I can tell what people are
thinking about each other—and if they are lying to my face.”
“Eh?” Dr. Fort momentarily lost his composure. “Oh, my. We had
so little time last spring, Luke: I should have tested you first.”
“For what?”
“Sit down.” The professor was going to lecture, and his audience
had to be seated.
Matthews took the nearest stool, and this time he clamped his gaze
firmly on the other man’s face.
“Luke, about one in five hundred people are able to spot liars.
They cannot be fooled or tricked into believing stories told by even

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