Page 34 - Way Out to the Old Ballgame

Framing the Pitch

interviewers. But should the general population be encouraged to
participate? So much of our interpersonal relations depend on ‘little
white lies’ and acceptance of pro forma conformity to statements of
fact and intention that widespread training in reading
microexpressions could further shred our already tattered social
fabric. Do you understand?”
“Not entirely. How could I? I’m only a ballplayer. I don’t enjoy
seeing hatred or envy or disgust or fear flash by on the faces of
people telling me they like or respect me. I will not go into what has
happened to my love life. Is there no way to untrain me?”
The professor shook his head, and Luke knew it wasn’t an act.
“I don’t know of any. As I said, the talent might fade over time—
but it is reinforced every time you come in contact with another
person. And as a primal response to external stimuli, it undoubtedly
is facilitated by powerful neurotransmitters generated by subcortical
‘hardwired’ neural pathways. All I did for you was to accelerate the
frame-processing going on in your temporal lobes. That apparently
was enough to trigger your latent microexpression recognition. I’m
terribly sorry, Luke: this is an unintended consequence, a side effect,
if you will, of turning you into a baseball superstar.”
Luke Matthews hung his head, staring at his size fifteen custom-
made loafers. Then he looked up, almost smiling.
“I think I’ve gotten about as much satisfaction as I could have,
Professor—and certainly all the evidence I need. I’m going to hire a
fancy lawyer to keep tabs on you and your research. If you go any
further with this, or try to publish your research, I’ll have him sue you
and this tank-town college for every cent you’ve got.”
Bruce Fort gaped, shocked by the transformation he was
witnessing. Then it dawned on him that had he not flunked Matthews
but allowed him an extension on his coursework owing to his athletic
obligations, perhaps none of this would have happened.
Luke stood up. “Now that I know the truth about what you’ve
done—I do have a tape recorder in my jacket pocket, by the way—I
can tell you the upside of this curse you put on me. Seeing more of
the pitches would have improved my average by only a few points.
But I soon realized I could see on the pitcher’s face what he was
definitely not going to throw at me. A lot of baseball is decoy and
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